Bush Accepts McCain's Ban on Torture

Associated Press ^ | 12/15/05 | jamese777

[jamese777]

White House Agrees to McCain Torture Ban Move Comes After House and Senate Back Language By LIZ SIDOTI, AP

WASHINGTON (Dec. 15) - After months of resistance, the White House has agreed to accept Sen. John McCain's call for a law specifically banning cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of foreign suspects in the war on terror, several congressional officials said Thursday.

The congressional officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they did not want to pre-empt an expected announcement later in the day at the White House, possibly by President Bush and McCain.

These officials also cautioned the agreement was encountering opposition in the House from Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Wednesday, in a symbolic move, the House endorsed the Senate-passed ban. Approved 308-122, the procedural vote in the House puts political pressure on negotiators - but does not require them - to include the ban and another provision standardizing interrogation techniques used by U.S. troops in a final wartime military spending bill.

[dalight]

well.. to some extent I would like to agree, but self interest says that you support the non-RINO when a good and winning alternate candidate steps forward, but otherwise, the RINO's come from districts that elect them, so that often the choice is a seat with a shaky R or a seat with a shaky D. But as we saw with the mayhem that followed Jeffords defection, R or D matters.

[who knows what evil?]

If he does beat Hillary, he will do it without my vote.

Ditto. The people of the state of Arizona should hang their heads in shame for electing this %$#@! to the U. S. Senate.

[oceanview]

OK, so you are finally convinced this is happening.

I don't "blame Bush" in the sense that he is directly responsible for proposing this - clearly he wasn't. this is a major political defeat for the President, he had to cave because he didn't have the votes in his own party to win this, or even to get a compromise.

I don't know what to do, how to stop McCain, why a guy like Allen, if he wants to be president, didn't go to the right of McCain on this and make him think twice about the political reprecussions for the primaries.

[jeremiah]

Interrogate them then kill them to cover your tracks....sounds logical to me.

[TheForceOfOne]

I agree.

The so called majority in Congress is nothing more than a Achilles heel for the president, us, and the movement. The Republicans in Congress need to be called to task and held accountable for their actions.

I am not one to blindly say the president is right no matter what, but I do believe that what Congress had done so far needs to be taken into serious consideration when seeking answers for why this type of thing happens. It may feel good for some to just bash the president and move on but it solves nothing.

As long as we have this type of majority, it might not matter which conservative or Republican we elect in '08.

There were some exemptions in the wording of this agreement.

[oceanview]

that would be my operational mode if I had this job - either kill them when we discover them (like we did with the AQ #3 recently in Pakistan). or capture them, interrogate them with extreme prejudice for a short period of time, then close the books on them.

[eeriegeno]

Let's remember that Kerry's running mate, Joe Lieberman, in 2004 was second choice. McCain was first!!! Nuff said about this lunatic.... I don't want him on my side......

[TheForceOfOne]

I understood this was happening but I wasn't going to take the AP's word on what the context of the agreement was because I don't trust any of the MSM.

I like Allen too, there are a lot of games being played by those who plan to run in '08. McCain thinks he won today but he just shot himself in the foot. Hillary tried to triangulate the war and it blew up in her face. I expect this type of BS to escalate as we draw closer to '08.

Gitmo may become a ghost town as terrorists are interrogated on the field of battle and shot afterward. It makes no sense bringing them home and giving them equal rights under the Constitution.

[oceanview]

McCain knows he isn't going to get conservative votes in the general election, he has to get votes from moderates and even democrats to make up for that.

what he is betting on is that no one enters the primaries to the right of him, no candidate who also has the "juice" to actually be president (in other words, if Gary Bauer enters the primaries to the right of McCain, that doesn't count) is going to materialize, and he is going to get the nomination because "there is no one else" and then can win the general election without much conservative support. he obviously knows he is sticking it in our eyes over issues like this, the judicial deal, campaign finance, etc.

I agree with you last point - it no longer makes sense to take any POWs in this conflict and send them to Gitmo (or anywhere).

[MinorityRepublican]

Gitmo may become a ghost town as terrorists are interrogated on the field of battle and shot afterward. It makes no sense bringing them home and giving them equal rights under the Constitution.

This whole thing is Bull$hit. Now we are just going to let the Iraqis interrogate the terrorists. We will claim no involvement.

[pollyannaish]

Not so far, although I heard the AP story mentioned at the top of the hour news. At least I'm paying attention. ; )

[pollyannaish]

But...not reading to the end of the thread.

Bush must not have been able to override the veto. This is very disappointing.

[oceanview]

and the AQ people we have captured? what do we do with them? this bill effectively means the US itself can hold no prisoner in the war on terror. why bother, so we can give them US criminal trials? so the ACLU can litigate their every whim as being "inhumane" treatment?

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Do you really think 'Rat control of government would shrink spending?

That's a question that commonly goes unanswered by Bush bashers.

[nyconse]

I hear McCain was all set to go...before others who should go first. But he was told there would be repercussions and scandal if he did so that's when he let others go first. My Dad said he did thingsduring captivity that if he didn't have family connectons, the guy would have been charged. He hated McCain. My Dad was a Republican who never voted for a Democrat. Also, this dislike has nothng to do with the McCain of the present (Dad's gone for over 10 years now). This goes back to when McCain first became a Senator.

[TheForceOfOne]

All McPain did was to show he is weak on terror, I bet he was all giddy thinking he won some brownie points for the '08 elections.

I'm not sure who McPain thinks he impressed with this anti-Torture agreement. Most of us believe in the ticking bomb theory in which the information must be obtained over any cost to the terrorists well being. The terrorists are willing to die just to blow something up (full of innocent people) in the name of Allah.

The president has been hampered by a weak Congress full of Republicans who don't want to lead or be the majority. I think I would be very angry and frustrated if I knew what the president had to deal with when making decisions where Congress Republican support was absolutely necessary to press the issue. We never hear the whole story, there are always back room deals and promises being made by Congressmen that I believe care about more their own deals than our protection or the better of the country.

Everyone complains about the border and other issues pointing the finger squarely at the president but what is Congress doing? Nothing, a big fat nothing. If everyone says the president will not veto anything then why don't Congress Republicans use that to their advantage and push the issues we all want addressed such as adding thousands of more border patrolmen?

McPain had the votes from what I understand so what could the president do other than veto the McPain agreement and watch as the Congress over wrote his veto.

We have to start making Congress accountable, they will still be there when the presidents second term is over and they will still be doing the same old song and dance.

[xrp]

Do you really think 'Rat control of government would shrink spending?

If you seriously think you have to ask that question of any FR veteran, then you should never point your web browser to FR again.

Of course a Democrat led government would not shrink spending. Apparently the Republicans won't either!

Yes, I am a Bush basher. Other than blowing up the terrorists and tax cuts (which I'll pay for about 5-10 years from now) he really hasn't done much good that will last.

[Stellar Dendrite]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WhistlingPastTheGraveyard]

Interesting...

[Barney59]

From my "public" perspective it's a setback for GWB, who knows their behind doors agreements and strategy (is that an oxymoron?)...

Al Cayda and his buddies are high-fiving in the rat holes on this one...

...Just one opinion in the hinterlands...