Cookie Monster: Adorable Children’s Show Star, or Hardened Guantanamo Interrogator?
- Michelle Obama and Jill Biden briefing Cookie Monster and others on the latest interrogation techniques
A recent documentary produced by Al Jazeera has made explosive accusations implicating such beloved Sesame Street characters as Big Bird, Cookie Monster, and Elmo. While it was widely reported in 2008 that the U.S. Military tortured terrorism suspects by repetitively exposing them to heavy metal songs such as Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” it appears that U.S. officials have since expanded their enhanced interrogation techniques and now force detainees to wear headphones playing Sesame Street songs for hours or even days on end.
The documentary, entitled Songs of War, follows award-winning composer Christopher Cerf as he learns that many of the Sesame Street songs he composed for educational purposes were used to torture detainees. ”In Guantanamo they actually used music to break prisoners. So the idea that my music had a role in that is kind of outrageous,” Cerf says. ”Of course I didn’t really like the idea that I was helping break down prisoners, but it was much worse when I heard later that they were actually using the music in Guantanamo to actually do deep, long-term interrogations and obviously to inflict enough pain on prisoners so they would talk.”
As Moazzam Begg, a former detainee at Guantanamo Bay and Bagram explains, “The music was so loud. And it was probably some of the worst torture that they faced.”
Other torture victims were witnessed leaving the interrogation chambers screaming “No, I can’t tell you how to get…how to get to Sesame Street!!!! I’ve never even heard of this Sesame Street of which you speak!!! I swear on Allah, I cannot tell you how to get to Sesame Street!! Please, stop asking me!!”
One former detainee, who asked to remain anonymous, told reporters “The grouchy one, he was the worst. Always popping out of trash cans to frighten us.”
Other detainees claim that some of the interrogators would actually restrict food intake as a means of torture. As one stated, “The big blue one, he would always take my food. Some of the nicer guards would give me a cookie if I was hungry, but the big blue monster would come and take it away, screaming ‘Me want cookie! Me eat cookie! Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom!’ One time, the monster even ate my shoe. It was horrible.”
Photo attribution: USO/flickr
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Appellate attorney, admirer of funny people, Dolt.
Latest posts by Linda (The Daily Dolt) (see all)
Tracey
June 4, 2012 at 10:03 am
It could be worse. They could be subjecting detainees to "It's a Small World After All" over and over in multiple languages. That's definitely cruel and unusual.
Linda the Dolt
June 4, 2012 at 10:13 am
Yep, "Small World" definitely has to be the #1 most irritating song, or at least the one that gets stuck in your head the most easily.
Henrique
June 20, 2012 at 6:33 pm
Chinese Restaurant-Style Sesame ChickenINGREDIENTS:2 (6 ounce) skinless, blneoess chicken breast halves1 tablespoon soy sauce1 tablespoon real maple syrup1 tablespoon dry sherry1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger root1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder2 tablespoons sesame seeds3 tablespoons all-purpose floursalt and pepper to taste1/2 teaspoon peanut oil4 leaves red leaf lettuce rinsed1 large tomato, cut into wedges DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut chicken into about 1 inch X 2 inch pieces.In a large nonporous glass dish or bowl, combine the soy sauce, maple syrup, sherry, ginger and five spice powder. Mix together. Add chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cover dish and refrigerate for 20 minutes, turning once, to marinate. After 20 minutes, drain chicken, reserving marinade. Boil reserved marinade in a small saucepan for 5 minutes to remove risk of bacteria.Meanwhile, spread sesame seeds out evenly on an aluminum foil-lined cookie sheet. Bake in the preheated oven, to toast, for 10 minutes or until slightly browned.Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. In a shallow dish or bowl combine flour and salt and pepper to taste. Dredge chicken in seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Brown chicken pieces in oil for about 1 minute each side. Spoon boiled marinade over chicken, reduce heat and saute all together for 1 more minute or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.Remove chicken pieces from heat and roll in toasted sesame seeds. Rinse and dry lettuce leaves; line serving platter with leaves and spoon chicken on top. Garnish with tomato wedges and serve. Baked Sesame ChickenINGREDIENTS:2 tablespoons soy sauce1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds2 tablespoons all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon salt1 pinch ground black pepper4 skinless, blneoess chicken breast halves2 tablespoons butter, melted DIRECTIONS:Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).Place soy sauce in a 9 13 inch baking dish. On a piece of wax paper, mix together the sesame seeds, flour, salt and pepper. Dip the chicken pieces in the soy sauce to coat, then dredge in the sesame seed mixture. Arrange in baking dish in a single layer, then drizzle with melted butter.Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for approximately 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and tender and juices run clear. Baste with drippings once during cooking time. Garnish with extra sesame seeds if desired, and serve.
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