Verschärfte Vernehmung is the German for enhanced interrogation techniques. It was coined by the Gestapo in 1937. You can find a copy of the document and an appeal that Andrew Sullivan has made to spread the word about this [coincidence?] here: "Verschärfte Vernehmung".
Moneyquote:
The phrase "Verschärfte Vernehmung" is German for "enhanced interrogation". Other translations include "intensified interrogation" or "sharpened interrogation". It's a phrase that appears to have been concocted in 1937, to describe a form of torture that would leave no marks, and hence save the embarrassment pre-war Nazi officials were experiencing as their wounded torture victims ended up in court. The methods, as you can see above, are indistinguishable from those described as "enhanced interrogation techniques" by the president.[Andrew even includes a translation of the Gestapo documents.]
The methods identified in the document? simple rations, ie. bread and water; hard bed; sleep deprivation; exhaustion excercises....
I recently finished watching the PBS series Secret Files of the Inquisition. These were just some of the techniques used, along with the rack, the iron maiden, branks.... Oh, let's not forget waterboarding. It was a favorite not only during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution but also of the Gestapo.
Let's see... the Inquisition, the Gestapo, gulags, Abu Grhaib...
Gives credence to the old French saying Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
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