Posted on 06/16/2005 11:38:05 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
The White House said a senator's comparison of American interrogators at Guantanamo Bay to Nazis, Soviet gulags and Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot was reprehensible and a disservice to those serving in the military.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said it is "beyond belief" that Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin would compare treatment of dangerous enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay to the death of millions of innocent people by oppressive regimes.
"Our men and women in uniform go out of their way to treat detainees humanely, and they go out of their way to uphold the values and the laws that we hold so dear in this country," McClellan said.
Durbin, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, made the comparison during a speech on the Senate floor Tuesday after reading an FBI agent's report describing detainees at the Naval base in Guantanamo Bay as being chained to the floor without food or water in extreme temperatures.
"If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime Pol Pot or others that had no concern for human beings," Durbin said.
Said McClellan: "I think the senator's remarks are reprehensible. It's a real disservice to our men and women in uniform who adhere to high standards and uphold our values and our laws."
A Durbin spokesman said Wednesday that the senator did not plan to apologize for the comments. The senator issued a statement saying it's the administration that should apologize "for abandoning the Geneva Conventions and authorizing torture techniques that put our troops at risk and make Americans less secure."
Human-rights groups and other congressional Democrats have accused the administration of unjustly detaining suspects at Guantanamo. Amnesty International recently called the prison "the gulag of our time" and some Republicans have questioned whether it should remain open.
I cannot believe this traiterous scum of a man, had the audacity to show up at the homecoming of my unit from Iraq.
Perhaps he was there to celebrate the death of the three
"NAZIS" in out unit who gave their lives in defense of his freedom to be an a$$hole.
Please Mr. President, you cannot let this stand.
That would require Durbin to grow two things he doesn't have.
Whooaaa, I thought it the headline said "castrates" Durbin. That would be real cowboy diplomacy and no one is more deserving than Durbin.
Exactly. Bush laced into the Dems as "obstructionists" the other night but far stronger words are needed about treason on the Left (and accomodation from RHINOs). The White House must return fire and with disproportionate force.
Thank you for your service.
No, because they don't have the MSM covering for them.
"Turban" Durbin calls Camp Delta a "death camp." Nobody has yet been killed at Camp Delta. But millions of babies have been slaughtered in our country's abortion clinics with the connivance of Durbin's Democrat party.
How can something be "very true"? Are there degrees of truth? (Sorry, philosophy major!)
Correct. The GITMO detainees are indeed not covered by the Geneva Convention. But they are in some kind of "Gray Area", legally speaking. And as we all know, liberal-democrats love to wallow in "Gray Areas". So I guess Sen. Durbin is happier than a pig in sh-- right about now.
The bottom line is that the Democrats are taking a huge risk by playing the Gitmo card. Their party is already considered "soft" on crime. If they don't already have a reputation of being soft on terrorism, they soon will.
If so they will go out of their way to emphasize that Islam is a religion of peace. Yea, that peaceful arena in the Sunni Triangle that this president won't wipe out ergo our men get killed in the name of political correctness.
I've heard only that Roberts' willingness to release seven names from the documents Dems had requested was rejected by Dodd. Dodd raised the bar again. Roberts realizes dems are not interested in getting the info.
It's just the "Two-Party Cartel". I'll bet they all can come together to vote in a pay raise.
My mistake! lol
Dems will continue to be elected, the goal today is for a US Senator to ask for Durbin to resign, if, a big if, that request were to be picked up by international media then our enemies would at least know that some here will not cave to them.
Thanks...BTW..what happened to the Cantwell amendemtn..
Include our security with our open borders & tell us that he will close them. Finally tell us that no more is Islam a religion of peace. ( I can fantasize can't I?)
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