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Americans deserve truth
Published Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Americans deserve the five “Ws” when it comes to the Central Intelligence Agency — and ultimately our nation’s — use of torture tactics.
We must know “who” knew about this and “what” they know. “When” did they know it. “Why” was this allowed to continue, despite clearly violating international treaties and “where” is the accountability?
More and more information continues to surface about the tactics our government used against prisoners. Democrats want to deflect all the blame to the then-Republican led presidential administration.
No one wants to admit exactly what was known and who knew it.
The American people deserve answers on this. And anyone who is found guilty of condoning these acts of torture should be held accountable.
Some will say that during war we must take drastic measures. But at what cost? War should never be a justification for the same behavior we are fighting against.
There hasn’t been any evidence that torturing these prisoners helped provide any credible intelligence information.
We shouldn’t sacrifice our humanity and the principles that set us apart from al-Qaida in the first place.
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once wrote, “Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one.”
That is a warning that many of our elected leaders — Republicans, Democrats and all of those in between — appear to have failed to follow.
Now we must get answers to determine how far we have fallen.
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Comments
Posted by Noesis (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at noon (Suggest removal)
Torture??? You call putting a catepillar in a box with a guy torture? You call making somebody stand naked torture? Listening to loud music? Turning the heat down or the temperature up is torture? How is it torture when waterboarding is done to our own pilots and special ops guys in training?
And "There hasn’t been any evidence that torturing these prisoners helped provide any credible intelligence information."
Maybe that's because Obambi refuses to release that evidence... Since when do you classify information that didn't pan out?
You sure can tell when Crawford writes the editorials.
Posted by Noesis (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"There hasn’t been any evidence that torturing these prisoners helped provide any credible intelligence information."
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Are you sure about that?????
Dennis Blair, Obama's own national intelligence director, who said in an April 16 memo to his staff that "high value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding" of Al Qaeda.
Posted by AlisonMiller (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 12:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Why is waterboarding done to people in training?
Because it's a form of torture used by our enemies, right? To prepare our troops--so they'll know that they won't actually die when it happens to them?
You protest too much. It's getting a bit desperate.
Posted by AlisonMiller (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yawn.
If this mess was committed by a Democratic pres and VP, people would be pooping their pants with rage about bending the rules.
If you have to bend the law to do your job, then you are only effective until you get caught.
Posted by AlisonMiller (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 12:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And because I'm busy, I'll go ahead and respond to what is coming next--abortion, for the time being, is legal. Shooting Somalian pirates in the head, at the time it occured, was legal.
We don't consider torture legal.
That puts rule benders in a quandary though, doesn't it? What constitutes torture?
The military already has dealing with enemies figured out--it's in the Army field manual.
But they didn't use that, did they? They gave the CIA rights that they didn't really have before--detention centers and whatnot--without really doing their homework.
I don't care what happens to Dick Cheney. What a stupid mess. It's called the law--you follow it so garbage like this doesn't happen.
Posted by keta (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 1:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cheney's nervousness is easily measured by the number of times he appears on TV, talking about what a fine job the Bush administration did and how Obama's made us less safe. That just isn't done here, ex-executives insulting the new administration in front of TV cameras, in front of the world. It looks pathetic - a desperate attempt to rewrite history and stay out of trouble. Thank God he's our past, not our future.
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 3:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The only people who want this investigated are lunatic fringe liberals.
Posted by Noesis (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 4:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When people start demanding Clinton be investigated for his role in shipping terrorists to other countries for "questioning", when democrats start demanding accountability for the numerous democratic members of congress that knew about the "torture" then, I'll believe this is a non-partisan issue. Until that happens, you can just consider this just another partisan witch hunt.
Posted by Noesis (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Easy question for you gals... if waterboarding is so bad, why doesn't congress pass a law making it illegal???
And Alison, if we waterboard our troops to get them ready for torture, why don't we electrocute them too? How about breaking their bones?
Posted by keta (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 5:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Torture IS illegal, Noesis.
Posted by Noesis (anonymous) on April 29, 2009 at 9:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Not all torture is illegal Keta. If that is the case, why are we allowed to waterboard our troops in training. And you might say that listening to Karl Rove is torture to you but that doesn't mean you get to arrest him.
Again, if waterboarding is so bad, why not pass a law?
Posted by MasterChef (anonymous) on April 30, 2009 at 9:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
First, I've seen videos depicting waterboarding. Lets remember that at the time of torture these people have NOT been convicted of anything.
Even in our own justice system this type of torture of a CONVICTED prisoner would never be allowed. Doesn't matter if the guy is being asked names of top-level drug lords or we suspect the guy is guilty of holding a child and doing unspeakable things to her.
The US is not going to win over countries to our side by showing that we can be just as torturous as the terrorists we're fighting.
I'm sure NONE of the superbankers or wall street types will be tortured in the same way so that we can retrieve all they have taken. (And they just didn't take the money, they stole the retirement plans and benefits of hundreds of thousands of hard-working citizens.)
Posted by Noesis (anonymous) on April 30, 2009 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
First of all you need to define what torture is. MC might think police questioning of a suspect for 8 hours is OK while Keta might think it's torture.
To me, torture is extreme pain or permanent injury.
Back in 2001-2003, the CIA still allowed waterboarding... and, why has congress never made wateboarding illegal?
And MC, please stop with the stupid statements... 'The US is not going to win over countries to our side by showing that we can be just as torturous as the terrorists we're fighting."
Are you saying that what we do to the terrorists is just as bad as what they do??? Like throwing acid in girls faces for going to school? Shooting couples for having extramarital affairs?? Cutting their throats??? With idiotic remarks like that MC, nobody will take you seriously.
Posted by truthseeker (anonymous) on May 3, 2009 at 9:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree we need to know the answers to the 5 w's.
1. Where is the President's real birth certificate?
2. Why does he refuse to let it be seen?
3. What country was he really born in?
4. Who was the doctor that delieved him?
5. Which hospital does he claim he was born in ?
In my opinion if there is nothing to hide why doesn't
Obama produce his true birth certificate instead of
a certificate of live birth.
Posted by Oblique (anonymous) on May 6, 2009 at 12:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
All you who have never served in the military have NO clue what torture is or isn't. A frat house prank called a "swirley" is no more tortote than waterboarding. If you don't know what a swirly is just google it.
Torture my big ole butt!!
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