cover of episode 829: Two Ledgers

829: Two Ledgers

2024/5/12
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This American Life

AI Deep Dive AI Chapters Transcript
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D
Dana Chivas
I
Ira Glass
M
Majid Khan
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Majid Khan讲述了他从一个普通的美国青少年转变为基地组织成员的经历,以及他在CIA黑狱中遭受酷刑的经历。他详细描述了酷刑的残酷性,包括水刑、吊刑、强迫灌食和性侵犯等。他认为,美国政府对其施加的酷刑比他所犯下的罪行更严重。他最终与政府达成认罪协议,以换取减刑和公开讲述自己遭受酷刑的经历的机会。在量刑听证会上,他向陪审团陈述了自己的经历,并请求陪审团以同情和理解的态度聆听。陪审团最终判处他26年监禁,但考虑到他遭受的酷刑,七名陪审员联名写信请求上级对Majid Khan从轻发落。 Dana Chivas讲述了Majid Khan的故事,并分析了美国政府对其施加的酷刑与Majid Khan所犯下的罪行之间的关系。她指出,Majid Khan的案例是关塔那摩监狱首次将受害者所犯下的罪行与美国政府对其施加的酷刑进行比较并作出判决的案例。她还探讨了Majid Khan的极端主义倾向与其身份认同的迷茫以及母亲去世后对人生意义的追寻之间的关系。她认为,Majid Khan的故事揭示了美国政府在反恐战争中所犯下的错误,以及酷刑对受害者身心造成的巨大伤害。 Ira Glass介绍了Serial播客关于关塔那摩监狱的两集内容,并强调了这些故事对美国理解新闻的方式带来的改变。他指出,这些故事讲述了关塔那摩监狱中发生的事件,以及对美国理解新闻的方式带来的改变。他认为,这些故事是每一个美国人都应该听到的。

Deep Dive

Chapters
Majid Khan, raised in Baltimore after moving from Pakistan, grappled with his identity as a teenager. His radicalization stemmed from the Palestinian issue and a confluence of personal struggles, leading him to join Al-Qaeda and report directly to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.
  • Khan's initial motivation for joining Al-Qaeda was the Palestinian issue, not an inherent hatred for America.
  • A combination of identity crisis, his mother's death, and exposure to extremist ideologies at the mosque contributed to his radicalization.
  • Khan's understanding of the world was simplistic, viewing it in terms of oppressed vs. oppressor.

Shownotes Transcript

For years, Majid believed that if he could testify in court about what happened to him when he was held in a CIA black site, a judge and jury would give him a break. Finally, he got a chance to see if he was right.

  • Prologue: Ira talks about the exciting new series that Serial is doing about Guantánamo Bay. We’re airing two of those episodes on the show – one this week and one next. (2 minutes)
  • Act One: Majid Khan struggled with his identity when he was young. And then he realized exactly who he wanted to be – a member of Al Qaeda, carrying out orders for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He did bad things. But are the things that the U.S. Government did to him worse than his actual crimes?  (38 minutes)
  • Act Two: Majid finally gets his day in court. At his sentencing hearing, he describes to the jury what his interrogators did to him. (20 minutes)

Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org)