Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

HELEN THOMAS: Bush shares blame for torture tactics
SFGate: Politics Blog ^ | 4/22/9 | Helen Thomas

Posted on 04/22/2009 4:47:36 PM PDT by SmithL

Shock and shame is the only way to react to the latest revelations of the Bush administration's brutal interrogation of suspected terrorists.

As the world now knows, torture techniques -- approved by President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- were exposed in four memos released by the Justice Department under a court order obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Much as President Obama wants to move on and to forget the unsavory history of the preceding administration, he has to face up to its ugly reality.

The Bush administration's legal memos revealed that almost anything went when it came to dealing with the captives in U.S. hands, including water boarding -- a mode of simulated drowning, slamming prisoners against walls and placing a prisoner fearful of insects in a box crawling with caterpillars.

What sadist in our government thought of such barbaric tactics and in our name? Who are these people?

Interrogators apparently could do anything to humiliate the captives, who had never been charged, tried, or convicted. The interrogators were CIA agents and one wonders whether they all put their consciences in a blind trust.

For all that, Obama's first inclination was to let bygones be bygones and not be burdened by the Bush administration's questionable past.

But bowing to pressure from Democrats and many outraged Americans, Obama has begun to cave. Earlier this week, he raised the possibility of an investigation of the former administration's actions in the aftermath of the 9-11 terrorist catastrophe. Obama now says it should be up to Attorney General Eric Holder to decide whether those Bush administration lawyers who formulated the legal guidance on torture should be prosecuted. But the president does not think those who followed the legal guidance should be held accountable.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: barackobama; bds; bho2009; bho44; blame; bush; democrats; dims; dumbocrats; helenthomas; interrogation; liberalmeathead; newsbabe; obama; rats; senileoldbat; torture; whosyourmamma
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-72 next last
Click the excerpt link for the rest of the story and a picture of the writer.
1 posted on 04/22/2009 4:47:37 PM PDT by SmithL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SmithL

> Click the excerpt link for the rest of the story and a picture of the writer.

nah. That would be the most severe torture tactic imaginable.


2 posted on 04/22/2009 4:49:47 PM PDT by max americana
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

ugly, sick ,and stupid is no way to go through life mam


3 posted on 04/22/2009 4:49:50 PM PDT by woofie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

No pictures please!


4 posted on 04/22/2009 4:49:51 PM PDT by MPJackal ("From my cold dead hands.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

“Click the excerpt link for the rest of the story and a picture of the writer”

Now,that would be torture!


5 posted on 04/22/2009 4:49:55 PM PDT by Batman11 (Chicago, Land of Lincoln who freed the slaves and Land of Obama who enslaved the free.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

I wish this nasty old bag would retire.


6 posted on 04/22/2009 4:50:21 PM PDT by CaptRon (Perdicaris alive or Raisuli dead)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Helen Thomas...torture...too easy.


7 posted on 04/22/2009 4:50:31 PM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia (Stop the wanton destruction of innocent squirrels!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
You want torture? This is torture!


8 posted on 04/22/2009 4:51:09 PM PDT by library user
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Go away Helen


9 posted on 04/22/2009 4:51:27 PM PDT by yldstrk (My heros have always been cowboys--Reagan and Bush)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

has anyone questioned what “torture” was practiced by administrations previous to Bush?

I dont think there was ever no “torture”


10 posted on 04/22/2009 4:53:06 PM PDT by woofie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: library user

UGHHH!!!!

Thanks, I just ate.


11 posted on 04/22/2009 4:53:26 PM PDT by benjibrowder (I keep praying for hope and change, but I open my eyes and Obama is still President.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: library user

That was the visual equivalent of waterboarding.


12 posted on 04/22/2009 4:54:17 PM PDT by andy58-in-nh (You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

She must be the pin up gal at Gitmo


13 posted on 04/22/2009 4:55:07 PM PDT by jersey117
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
I would like to bring Helen Thomas before the Human Rights Tribunal.

Using the new, ridiculously low threshold of what defines “torture” that has been implemented by the Liberals, I believe that the printing of this article constitutes “torture,” and should bring about immediate arrests.

14 posted on 04/22/2009 4:55:20 PM PDT by TitansAFC (The retarded 1950s GOP of today still thinks the public wants statesmanlike losers. We want fighters)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

She won’t be happy unless she can be the Madame Defarge at W’s execution.


15 posted on 04/22/2009 4:55:29 PM PDT by 668 - Neighbor of the Beast ( AR2, Overdue! = American Revolution II...Overdue.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
If any of the terrorists saw this waiting for them in the Guantanamo Interrogation Room, they'd not only talk, they'd sing like canaries to avoid any attention from this old crow.


16 posted on 04/22/2009 4:55:45 PM PDT by LostInBayport (When more than 98% of the Republicans on Capitol Hill vote against a bill, it is not bipartisan.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Oooh, they should have put those guys in a cell with Helen, not with a caterpillar


17 posted on 04/22/2009 4:56:12 PM PDT by silverleaf (We live in interesting times: now the entire IRS works for a tax evader)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL
Helen! Helen! Helen!

Just seeing or hearing YOU is torture - far worse than waterboarding.

18 posted on 04/22/2009 4:57:07 PM PDT by reg45 (Be calm everyone. The idiot child is in charge!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

Maybe I am missing something here.

Our enemies torture us for info when they capture our guys, right?

Torture of the enemy has saved American lives, right?

I realize that what I have said is politically incorrect, but is it not true?


19 posted on 04/22/2009 4:57:08 PM PDT by Clarence (back to lurking now...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: library user
Torture? I GOT YOUR TORTURE RIGHT HERE

Photobucket

20 posted on 04/22/2009 4:57:56 PM PDT by McBuff
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-72 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson