AP: Bush claims no recall of Iraq torture memo

AP ^ | 6.10.04

[ambrose]

Bush claims no recall of Iraq torture memo

The Associated Press

6/10/2004, 4:24 p.m. ET

SEA ISLAND, Ga. (AP) ? Addressing advice the White House got suggesting torture might be allowed for some terrorist interrogations, President Bush said Friday he ordered U.S. officials to act consistent with law and international treaties.

"What I authorized was staying within U.S. law," Bush said at the conclusion of the G-8 summit meeting here. The president said he doesn't recall seeing Justice Department advice about the conditions for such torture.

Asked repeatedly about it, Bush sidestepped a question about whether he thought torture was immoral, saying that his instructions were "to adhere to law. ... We're a nation of law" and "you might look at those laws."

The direction he provided was to "conform to U.S. law" and to act consistent with international treaty obligations, Bush said.

Administration officials say confidential Justice Department memos criticized by Democrats as laying the legal foundation for Iraqi prisoner abuses were aimed mainly at showing that international treaties banning torture do not apply to al-Qaida and Taliban prisoners.

Ashcroft refused earlier this week to release those memos to members of Congress.

The department's lawyers concluded that Taliban and al-Qaida fighters are not protected by the Geneva Conventions because they do not satisfy four main conditions of the treaty itself.

These include requirements to obey the laws of war, wear insignia recognizable from a distance and operate under the command of a responsible individual.

[ambrose]

Philosophical question to the forum:

Is the use of torture always wrong? Even if we captured a terrorist who planted a nuke in a major U.S. city, but we did not know its location?

[ECM]

Is this a rhetorical question as well?

[sinkspur]

Is the use of torture always wrong?

Given your scenario, no.

But, it may not work.

[EllaMinnow]

Not to me, not if it's effective. However, I don't think torture is as effective with those whose goal is to be martyrs as it is with those who want to keep living.

I just love the way reporters word their articles. It says "Questions were asked" when it should say "The White House travelling press corps, of which I am a member, made complete fools of themselves again today, badgering President Bush with irrelevant questions that we hope will result in a 'gotcha.'"

[cyberaxe]

Is the use of torture always wrong?

.....uhm, well.....

.....i consider having to get news from AP.....

.....torture.....

.....(and i bet W feels the same about answering their Q's).....

[smokinleroy]

The president said he doesn't recall ...

What was the exact wording? They're trying to paint him as Bubba!

[eureka!]

Stick, meet Dead Horse. Dead Horse, meet Stick.

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[COEXERJ145]

Considering the fact that the President probably sees thousands of documents every week, I doubt anyone could remember them all. Of course the media is continuing to beat a dead horse now using some memo by a Justice Dept. paper pusher.

[Lysander]

He is answering the question abou the use of torture like he answered the question about his cocaine use. Stating the truth, but not answering the question.

[cksharks]

What cocain use?????????????????????????????

[hobson]

He never answered that question. He simply said he wasn't going to go there.

[GSlob]

It is not a torture. It is admonitory persuasion. If they really meant torture, we would have seen (or heard about) something qualitatively different from underwear on heads and bodies on a leash.

[SUSSA]

If soldiers sodomizing prisoners with glow sticks isn't torture to you, what is it?

Americans aren't supposed to act like savages. We expect crap like this from the rag-heads; we shouldn't expect it or condone it from American GIs.

I don't care about most of what they did. But that is torture and if we condone it we are no better than the scum we are fighting.

President Bush condemned these acts. More Republicans should stand with him on this. Far too many are not.

[VaBthang4]

"Bush claims no recall of Iraq torture memo"

That is not what the President said.

[ambrose]

what did he say?

[VaBthang4]

"Is the use of torture always wrong?"

Man hell no! I'd cut the Pope's balls off if he knew about a terrorist attack and wouldn't come clean.

Ya gotta do whatcha gotta do.

They're either with us or against us.

[GSlob]

You have freepmail with the reply.

[kittymyrib]

There was a story on Fox today about the effort to get plastic surgery for the hundreds of soldiers that had their ears cut off as punishment by Saddam. And we're still beating that dead horse of getting naked with panties on their heads!

[VaBthang4]

""What I authorized was staying within U.S. law" The direction he provided was to "conform to U.S. law" and to act consistent with international treaty obligations, Bush said.

Ding!

[Torie]

Largely ineffectual torture, not authorized in specific cases at the highest levels, but applied wholesale on a ad hoc basis not vetted by the chain of command, cannot be justified. It is immoral.