Four Leading Experts to Discuss the Use of Torture in Warfare at The New York Public Library, June 1st

Talk Presented with Carnegie Council on Ethics and International Affairs, Wednesday June 1st at 7:00 p.m.

New York, N.Y., May 16, 2005 - Despite the searing headlines about abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and Afghanistan, discussion about the use of torture has been conspicuously absent from public debate. On Wednesday, June 1 at 7:00 p.m., The New York Public Library, the Carnegie Council, and The New York Review of Books will co-host a moderated panel discussion on torture and modern warfare. The discussion, entitled "The Question of Torture" will take place in the Celeste Bartos Forum at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Tickets can be purchased for $10 through Smarttix (www.smarttix.com or by phone at 212.868.4444). The panel consists of four leading experts on this topic:

• Mark Danner, author of Torture and Truth: America, Abu Ghraib, and the War on Terror;
• Mark Bowden, Atlantic Monthly contributor and author of Black Hawk Down;
• Elaine Scarry, Professor of English at Harvard University and author of The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World;
• Darius Rejali, author of the forthcoming Torture and Democracy.

"The Question of Torture" will explore the over-arching question of whether fighting a "new kind of war" on terror justifies the use of torture. The event will include brief remarks from each of the panelists, a discussion, and, finally, a Q&A period with the audience.

About LIVE from the NYPL
LIVE from the NYPL is the new name for Public Programs at The New York Public Library. Events in the series include conversations, real debates, performances, readings, and more. Bookmark: www.nypl.org/live and email live@nypl.org.

###

Contact: Tim Farrell 212.704.8600