Posted on 05/13/2011 6:59:54 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
This is getting really good. As noted below, John McCain in an Op ed this morning skewered the claim that the killing of Bin Laden vindicates torture. But just now, on the Senate floor, he uncorked a new broadside that is quite remarkable, taking direct aim at Bush apologists who are reviving this debate in order to claim Bin Laden’s death as part of the Bush legacy.
McCain amplified his case, and called on former Bush attorney general Michael Mukasey — whose recent op ed claiming torture led to Bin Laden has been widely cited by the right — to retract his claims. McCain’s speech is worth quoting at length:
“With so much misinformation being fed into such an essential public debate as this one, I asked the Director of Central Intelligence, Leon Panetta, for the facts. And I received the following information:
“The trail to bin Laden did not begin with a disclosure from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, who was waterboarded 183 times. We did not first learn from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed the real name of bin Laden’s courier, or his alias, Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti — the man who ultimately enabled us to find bin Laden. The first mention of the name Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, as well as a description of him as an important member of Al-Qaeda, came from a detainee held in another country. The United States did not conduct this detainee’s interrogation, nor did we render him to that country for the purpose of interrogation. We did not learn Abu Ahmed’s real name or alias as a result of waterboarding or any ‘enhanced interrogation technique’ used on a detainee in U.S. custody. None of the three detainees who were waterboarded provided Abu Ahmed’s real name, his whereabouts, or an accurate description of his role in Al-Qaeda."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Speaking of torture, if you haven't seen the movie "Unthinkable" with Samuel L. Jackson (probably his best performance since Snakes on a plane Pulp Fiction), check it out.
McCain is in the running to be Obama’s veep.
There has always been something psychological going on with McCain. In his acceptance speech he said that, before his POW experience, he used to do things just to draw attention to himself (I’ve linked that before). And he implied that he put those bad habits behind.
He didn’t. I agree he is jealous, or covetous of Bush and others. That’s part of what causes him to backstab, and he also still does things to draw attention to himself. He (and his lovely daughter) well understand that the way to stay in front of the TV cameras is to criticize and undercut Republicans and especially conservatives.
I think I know what we’ve got here.
John McCain has Legacy Envy.
Because Maricopa County is full of old senile retirees....that's why!
McCain is in the same worthless politician as ron paul.
The only fools who think he is relavent are useful idiots and the MSM.
Panetta is pulling a Clinton = “It depends on what your definition of ‘is’ is.”
No one is saying enhanced interrogation got the “name” of the couriers. What they got was the fact that OBL used couriers. It was reported that Kalid Sheik Muhammed only gave up that OSL used couriers. He didn’t know their names. Later the CIA found out the nickname of the courier. Then later still they found out the full name, and that led to the safe house.
So Panetta is parsing words so the libs don’t have to admit that waterboarding led to the couriers.
McCain has been insane for a long time. Go back to before his nomination in ‘08. There’s a lot of credible history of McCain as not bright, egomaniac, immature and unreliable. Breaking McCain by the Viet Commies would have been complete and he may very well be a real manchurian candidate. McCain would have been a hero if he had not returned from SE Asia but no one should trust McCain, he is an enemy for all of us!
“...came from a detainee held in another country. The United States did not conduct this detainee’s interrogation, nor did we render him to that country for the purpose of interrogation.”
Oh BS!! You didnt intend for him to be tortured, but they certainly could have. What a bunch of weasel words (no offense to actual weasels)!
Sure we did. McCain vs Obama? That was torture.
Greg Sargent, writing in the Washington Post, uses an anti-Republican op-ed to make anti-Republican remarks, under an anti-Republican title. What were the odds? Thanks SeekAndFind.
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