Rumsfeld Backs Iraq Interrogation Methods

Yahoo! News ^ | 5/12/04 | Ken Guggenheim - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON -

Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld defended military interrogation techniques in Iraq (news - web sites) on Wednesday, rejecting complaints that they violate international rules and may endanger Americans taken prisoner.

Rumsfeld told a Senate committee that Pentagon (news - web sites) lawyers had approved methods such as sleep deprivation and dietary changes as well as rules permitting prisoners to be made to assume stress positions.

Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also noted that the rules require prisoners to be treated humanely at all times.

But Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill. said some of the approved techniques "go far beyond the Geneva Convention," a reference to international rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war.

Rumsfeld spoke after two weeks of controversy provoked by photographs of American military personnel abusing prisoners in Iraq. An American was beheaded in a videotaped execution posted to a militant Islamic web site on Tuesday — a killing that captors said was revenge for the abuse of Iraqis in the Abu Ghraib prison.

The Defense Department is conducting multiple investigations into the abuse, and congressional hearings are under way, as well. At the insistence of lawmakers, the Pentagon arranged for members of Congress to view photos and videos during the day. They depict the abuse, including examples of prisoners forced into sexually humiliating poses.

Durbin noted that one American GI was missing in Iraq, his whereabouts unknown. Given the circumstances, he asked Rumsfeld, "wouldn't it help if there was clarity from you and from this administration that we would abide by the Geneva Convention when it comes to civilian and military detainees unequivocally?"

Expanding his question to include detainees in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Guantanamo Bay, he asked whether such a declaration would "also serve to help American prisoners" held captive.

Rumsfeld replied that the Geneva Convention applies to all prisoners held in Iraq, but not to those held in Guantanamo Bay, where detainees captured in the global war on terror are held.

He said the distinction is that the international rules govern wars between countries but not those involving groups such as al-Qaida. "Terrorists don't comply with the laws of war. They go around killing innocent civilians," Rumsfeld added.

[NormsRevenge]

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appears before the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee on Capitol Hill Wedensday May 12, 2004 to discuss defense appropriations. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)

[NormsRevenge]

Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, left, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Richard Myers, right, testify, Wednesday, May 12, 2004, before the Senate Defense Appropriations committee in Washington. (AP Photo/ Ron Edmonds)

[George Smiley]

Rumsfeld ought to throw some of that liberal codswallop right back at their Sanctimonius Personages.

"If only one life is saved because of what we did then the effort will have been worthwhile...

[cake_crumb]

Durbin is a troublemaking dork to the nth degree. He was also acting as though Taguba had never written a report or gave testimony for hours yesterday.

[finnman69]

Noooooooo, not the comfy chair!

[Buffalo Bob]

... methods such as sleep deprivation and dietary changes as well as rules permitting prisoners to be made to assume stress positions

Sounds exactly like my life in Platoon 177, Parris Island Boot Camp!!uuuuhhhraaaah!

[mudblood]

We can't let PC arrogance stop us from achieving our goals - to defend those arrogant PC bastards from dirty bombs, suicide bombers, mass-murderers, etc.

[antivenom]

"Terrorists don't comply with the laws of war. They go around killing innocent civilians," Rumsfeld added.

And as I recall...imprisoned islamic dogs LIKE to masturbate and throw their ejaculation...ask the guards at Gutanamo Bay...the Islamic DOGS like to SPIT at that captors...ask the guards at Guatanamo Bay...

Seems to me IF they like to masturbate...let them do it OFTEN...that way they are SPENT and have nothing to throw at the guards...I say...if the prisoners like to USE their ejaculations as a way to get a gurads attention...let the guard control that issue.

As for SPITTERS...pretty damn HARD to spit through a hood.

As for items in the prisoners BUTTS! WELL I am sure these poor little prisoners like to "carry things" into jail via their anuses. The prisons here do a COMPLETE body cavity search...I say from NOW on find HUGE men with BIG FAT FINGERS with hang nails to do anal exams on these islamis dogs...and when you find a prisoner who is PACKING a souvenir up his arse...use a chem light to poke around up there to LOOK FOR MORE!

I am so FURIOUS!

[George Smiley]

Durbin is the emotional and intellectual embodiment of the colloquial version of his first name.

[Piranha]

Rumsfeld replied that the Geneva Convention applies to all prisoners held in Iraq, but not to those held in Guantanamo Bay, where detainees captured in the global war on terror are held. He said the distinction is that the international rules govern wars between countries but not those involving groups such as al-Qaida.

Or Hamas, or Fatah, or Islamic Jihad, or Al Aqsa Brigade, or even the PLO or the PA.

[AnalogReigns]

This isn't about the expected hyper-partisan hyper-ventilating by the hypocritical democRats. For a cabinet level official to be so ridiculously deaf to the international political ramifications of this scandal is breath-taking. Rumsfeld is indeed an honorable man, but the wrong man at this time for Defense.

I really hate siding with the 'Rats, however, Rummy HAS to go--not just for the sake of Bush, but for the sake of the entire country. We have to prove to the world, we're taking this serious, and not just pinning it on a few low-level hillbilly NCOs.

Call the 'Rat's bluff......How about putting Powell up for Sec Def--he won't be the pussycat the 'Rats think he will be....and then we can put an actual conservative in charge of State. Maybe then that conservative will clean house.

[aft_lizard]

The arab press is already playing this as if he approves of the abuse too.

[festus]

This is why I like Rummy .....

[NormsRevenge]

Kerry Names Replacements for Rumsfeld

[PISANO]

The SAD TRAGIC REALITY is that the Abu Gharib prison infractions will be a MAJOR STORY for much longer than the HORROR of Mr. Berg's decapitation. A couple more days and his death will be forgotten, and the drip drip drip of photos, news articles BLAMING the SECDEF and GW, everyone EXCEPT those that actually did the infractions. The MP's charged will be interviewed and their SAD story will come out, and they will blame everyone in the COC, rather than accept responsiblity for their actions.

The LEFTIST MEDIA will do all it can to keep Abu Gharib in the news. We can't control the MEDIA, not even with the TRUTH.

[GarySpFc]

Nonsense! Rumsfeld is by far the sharpest man for the DoD job. The Democrats are not after Rumsfeld, but Bush.

[Old Sarge]

For a cabinet level official to be so ridiculously deaf to the international political ramifications of this scandal is breath-taking.

For a Cabinet-level official to have to get permission from the international politicians to wring intelligence out of a few sand fleas - THAT very notion is breath-taking.

SecDef takes his orders from National Command Authority, and NOT from an international focus group. That was the standard under WIlliam the Impeached.

As fas as Colon Bowell is concerned: we had enough damage to fix form him, when he was CJCS. To put Colon Bowell in charge at Defense will almost be as bad as if Kerry himself were there.

I agree with you about cleaning house at State - too many Clintonistas still there - but passing the guidon to Colon Bowell would be dead wrong.

[Robe]

Rummy HAS to go

BS, Rummy doesn't have to go anywhere

Rummy isn't going anywhere

Appeaser the terrorist/appease the Dems

Same thing!!

[Steven W.]

how dare Rummy when those terrorists deserve lcd plasma high definition tvs in their cells!