Klaus Barbie: A Case Study

Klaus Barbie, the “Butcher of Lyon”, infamously known for his torturous interrogation tactics, was one of the many men who was sought after by the CIA to perform horrendous acts as demanded by the organization. With such a vile history of killing numerous Jews during the Nazi era, it raises the question as to why a criminal like Barbie would end up employed by the CIA. Interestingly, while most legitimate forms of employment require individuals with felonies (non-violent drug charges included) to tick off the box confirming that they have been convicted of a crime, subjecting them to discrimination and lack of opportunity for employment, men like Barbie are not only granted employment but also granted protection for his complicity with the
Therefore, with solely the interests of the state in mind, the working class suffers the consequences, while the ruling class benefits substantially. Consequently, the law, as written by the state/ruling class is utilized to govern and disempower mass populations, while protecting others. Truly, who can rule the state if only the state has the power to create and enforce the law? As presented in the readings, there has been great disregard for the law by the CIA. Evidently, this disregard is demonstrated through various corrupt acts performed by the CIA and its
(Farrell 1997). It also enabled the CIA to protect criminals like Barbie Klaus and suppress criminal investigations (Cockburn and St. Clair 1999: 111). Like Barbie, many other intelligence officers were granted exemption from prosecution (Cockburn and St. Clair 1999: 110). Clearly, through providing protection for these individuals despite all their wrongdoings, it can be argued that the law does not apply to everyone and grants those who fulfil the interests of the state exemption from legal criminal status. Thirdly, the CIA maintained complete denial about their involvement with the drug