Yes we ca...uh, hang on a minute...

Spectator Blogs (U.K.) ^ | January 23, 2009 | Melanie Phillips

[Schnucki]

President Obama appears to be maintaining in office his tactic cultivated during the election campaign of studied ambiguity. On day one of the New World Order, he set about destroying the Bush apparatus for fighting terrorism. That is indeed what he had said he would do. Accordingly, as expected he declared he would shut Guantanamo. But he went further and signed other executive orders designed to increase the rights of enemy combatants. One such order in particular has raised eyebrows. As Fox News reported:

The executive order says everyone in custody should be questioned under the Army Field Manual, which is intended for honorable combatants, meaning POWs in a military conflict. The rule would prevent trained interrogators at the CIA from using lawful interrogation techniques against terrorists who have been trained to withstand Army Field Manual techniques.

That does not just outlaw torture or ill treatment: it prevents them from being questioned using indisputably lawful methods. But now read on:

According to sources in the law enforcement community, the executive order on interrogation does not declare ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ to be torture; the order is silent on that. ‘This allows for a lot of flexibility, a lot of wiggle room,’ said one source.

While the administration has insisted on one interrogation standard, one source says they are thinking about assembling a group within the next 60 days to make recommendations on a set of separate techniques for the intelligence community to use. White House counsel Greg Craig acknowledged late Wednesday that the administration will have to establish a panel to make recommendations to address intelligence community concerns.

...The draft also appears to indicate that Obama will leave open a back door in the order ending the military tribunals. Obama has said he

[autumnraine]

Well, I can rest at night knowing if my family is killed by a terrorist, that no person was frightened or their heart raced too fast by having water poured on their face. Poor things, I’d hate for them to be put out or anything. /s

[messierhunter]

Great, so they can’t even use the comfy chair! Seriously, the more I read the more I think Obama wants us to be attacked. It’d be an opportunity for him to grab more power. He is putting us in danger, no question. The only question is whether he realizes it himself, I say he does.

[OneWingedShark]

Indeed.
Because the morally right thing to do is bend over and take it in the @$$... none of these silly “armed forces” providing an “armed defense” why, that’s all just code-talk for violence! [/sarc][/cynic]