Fresh Air -Interview of Jane Mayer 7/15/08

Fresh Air -Interview of Jane Mayer, author of "The Dark Side: the inside story of how the war on terror turned into a war on American ideals

The war on terrorism has had devastating social and political costs, and it is the United States government — not foreign enemies — that has caused much of the damage, says investigative journalist Jane Mayer.

Mayer's new book is The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals. In it, The New Yorker writer contends that the policy implemented after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks promoted an agenda that sought to increase presidential power. Further, many of the Bush administration's strategy decisions violated the Constitution and impeded the pursuit of terrorists.

The Dark Side also exposes a secret report issued by the International Committee of the Red Cross that described some CIA interrogation techniques as torture, which allows the possibility of criminal prosecution of Bush officials.