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The Waterboarding Trail to bin Laden
Wall Street Journal ^ | May 6, 2011 | By MICHAEL B. MUKASEY (Former Attorney General)

Posted on 05/06/2011 9:14:34 AM PDT by garjog

"But policies put in place by the very administration that presided over this splendid success promise fewer such successes in the future. Those policies make it unlikely that we'll be able to get information from those whose identities are disclosed by the material seized from bin Laden. The administration also hounds our intelligence gatherers in ways that can only demoralize them.

Consider how the intelligence that led to bin Laden came to hand. It began with a disclosure from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), who broke like a dam under the pressure of harsh interrogation techniques that included waterboarding. He loosed a torrent of information—including eventually the nickname of a trusted courier of bin Laden."

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: binladen; osamabinladenkilled; terrorism; torture; waterboarding
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The Obama administration has done serious damage to our future security.
1 posted on 05/06/2011 9:14:42 AM PDT by garjog
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To: garjog
"Very impressive score, sir...

"... but if we could finish planning your vacation."


2 posted on 05/06/2011 9:16:43 AM PDT by Travis McGee (Navy SEALs: They'll shoot your eyes out.)
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To: garjog

Just read an artilce on Christain science monitor...says they got the info from Mohammed AFTER the waterboarding stopped when they promised him cookies and milk and a rack of lamb.


3 posted on 05/06/2011 9:19:02 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: garjog

Interesting comments after the article. I look at it this way; if my family was being held by terrorists and the only way to save them was by torture of terrorist, I would highly recommend it!


4 posted on 05/06/2011 9:21:27 AM PDT by ohiogrammy (12)
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To: garjog

5 posted on 05/06/2011 9:23:02 AM PDT by ken21 (dem taxes + regs + unions = jobs overseas.)
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To: Sacajaweau

Do you have a link to this?


6 posted on 05/06/2011 9:23:46 AM PDT by Steelfish (ui)
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To: garjog

The libs’ll love this!


7 posted on 05/06/2011 9:25:02 AM PDT by therightliveswithus
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To: Travis McGee

http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/galleries/TMG8497577/Princess-Beatrices-royal-wedding-hat-goes-viral.html

obama war room photo


8 posted on 05/06/2011 9:25:42 AM PDT by ken21 (dem taxes + regs + unions = jobs overseas.)
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To: ohiogrammy

“if my family was being held by terrorists and the only way to save”

Think of the families that would have grieved over the loss of loved ones killed by terror attacks that were demonstrably prevented by the interrogations?

I keep thinking of the young guy here in Washington state who came home on 9 11 and got a voice mail from his beautiful fiance about how afraid she was the the black smoke outside.


9 posted on 05/06/2011 9:25:44 AM PDT by garjog
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To: garjog
Excellent column.

B T T T ! ! !


10 posted on 05/06/2011 9:27:36 AM PDT by onyx (If you truly support Sarah Palin and want to be on her busy ping list, let me know!)
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To: Steelfish

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2011/0505/Military-interrogators-Waterboarding-didn-t-yield-tips-that-led-to-bin-Laden?cmpid=addthis_reddit&sms_ss=reddit&at_xt=4dc387cf2183844c,0


11 posted on 05/06/2011 9:28:37 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Sacajaweau

That could be true. He told them so that they wouldn’t waterboard him again. He liked the cookies and lamb better than being waterboarded.

Either way, the harsh tactics worked.


12 posted on 05/06/2011 9:29:34 AM PDT by tirednvirginia
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To: ohiogrammy

It was proven during WWII that the enemy could find out anything they wanted within 45 minutes. When I was in the service, many years ago, they told us to consider what we knew and ask ourselves was it worth keeping your mouth shut because they’ll find out the info anyway.


13 posted on 05/06/2011 9:33:12 AM PDT by RC2
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To: Sacajaweau
From your link:

The opportunity to glean valuable intelligence from the leader of a powerful terrorist organization was lost, says retired Army Col. Stuart Herrington, a military intelligence specialist who interrogated generals under the command of Saddam Hussein and evaluated US detention operations at Guantánamo.

Notably missing is firsthand experience and knowledge of the interrogations in question. What a surprise.

14 posted on 05/06/2011 9:40:13 AM PDT by dirtboy
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To: ohiogrammy

to garjog- I believe Alan Dershowitz said much the same during the Bush years - his family merited any means necessary...not sure if he’s still on that bus though.


15 posted on 05/06/2011 9:43:29 AM PDT by Anti dote
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To: ken21

LOL, that war room photo is very quickly becoming a cultural icon.


16 posted on 05/06/2011 10:09:49 AM PDT by fhayek
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17 posted on 05/06/2011 10:14:53 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: Sacajaweau
Just read an artilce on Christain science monitor...says they got the info from Mohammed AFTER the waterboarding stopped when they promised him cookies and milk and a rack of lamb.

But one cannot discount the fact that he WAS waterboarded. Once the subject breaks, then yes, the info comes out without the need for further extraordinary measures. Perhaps the specific bit of intelligence did not come directly out of a boarding session but you cannot extrapolate that it would have come if the boarding had never been used.

18 posted on 05/06/2011 11:44:48 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (I asked the bartender for a bin Ladin, she said 'what's that? I said 'two shots then a splash.')
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To: NonValueAdded
Absolutely...No different than time out for a 2 year old.

The problem is it was approved and THEN disapproved along with "standing for a long time", sleep deprivation", etc etc

McCain agrees with the new rules...but you know damn well he does it with a wink, wink.

19 posted on 05/06/2011 11:54:38 AM PDT by Sacajaweau
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To: Sacajaweau

With all due deference to Sen McCain, he is not an impartial observer when it comes to torture for obvious reasons.


20 posted on 05/06/2011 11:57:08 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (I asked the bartender for a bin Ladin, she said 'what's that? I said 'two shots then a splash.')
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