Posted on 02/09/2016 5:48:35 AM PST by doldrumsforgop
Sen. John McCain Monday slammed Donald Trump's comments over the weekend praising the merits of waterboarding, saying that that anyone who claims the extreme interrogation technique is a way to get useful information is lying.
"This is a near-death experience," McCain said on Fox News' "Outnumbered" program, which his daughter, Meghan, co-hosts. "They will tell that person who is administering that anything they want to hear."
During Saturday night's GOP debate and on several Sunday morning shows, Trump commented that if he becomes president, he would "absolutely authorize" waterboarding or "a hell of a lot worse."
"They're chopping off heads of Christians and many other people in the Middle East," Trump told CNN's Jake Tapper on the "State of the Union" program. "They're chopping heads off, they laugh at us when they hear we're not going to approve waterboarding and then they'll have a James Foley and others where they cut off their heads." McCain, who himself was tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, pointed out that the Geneva convention prohibits the technique, and there has been a 93-3 vote in the Senate to stop it.
Further, the Arizona Republican issued an official statement on Monday on the topic, quoting several experts who call the practice's outcome dangerous for American military personnel.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Has anyone reminded you lately John that YOU gave us Hussein? FUJM.
“He actually dodged the question not once but two maybe 3 times. I donât understand that because I thought Cruz for sure would be for that. I am not so sure he is really as strong as his words say.”
You must have watched some other debate.
In the one I watched, Ted said it was not torture but instead is an enhanced and vigorous interrogation technique and would consider its use in selective cases if really necessary.
Pretty clear answer.
“McCain, who himself was tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, pointed out that the Geneva convention prohibits the technique, and there has been a 93-3 vote in the Senate to stop it.”
I’m not a lawyer, nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but don’t both parties in a conflict have to be signatories to the Geneva Conventions in order to have those rules apply?
Secondly, if America’s survival as a sovereign nation was at stake, and actions violating these “rules” was the only means to ensure that survival do we break them, or simply go down knowing that “at least we followed the rules”?
Finally, aren’t we essentially the final arbiter of these rules? Please tell me what mechanism the ICC would use to enforce any ruling against a party like the US, Russia, or China.
That is true and that is why I referred to it as enhanced interrogation. I should have been more clear.
Torture is not effective. . .again, unless done in a way to ensure you receive accurate intelligence. . .won’t go into how that is done, but it does work.
Torture just to torture doesn’t work in getting anything actionable—and that is what McLame is thinking/feeling when he talks about the subject and recalls the NV experience.
Same can be said of various interrogation techniques. . .SERE is an excellent training environment to learn such things.
Asked whether he would bring it back, Cruz said he would not "bring it back in any sort of widespread use," noting that he co-sponsored legislation with Sen. John McCain "that would prohibit line officers from employing it, because I think bad things happen when enhanced interrogation is employed at lower levels.
"But when it comes to keeping this country safe, the commander in chief has inherent constitutional authority to keep this country safe," he said. "And so if it were necessary to prevent a city from, say, facing an imminent terrorist attack, you can rest assured that as commander in chief, I would use whatever enhanced interrogation methods we could to keep this country safe."
Other than mentioning the despised name of John McCain in his answer, what other problem do you have with it?
Light showers in ze mid-afternoon.
Let’s test it. Waterboard McCain and see if he tells the truth.
Who knows what he told the ChiComs. Was it decisive information that could ensure victory for the North. They DID win that conflict, hands down. Perhaps the ChiComs turned McCain. Perhaps he’s still their agent. Who can say.
The way the newspapers and TV report events is not necessarily the true history of events.
No dodging at all. He appeared to me to take care to be precise and unambiguous in what he said. While watching, I wondered if he might have been making sure he didn’t cross over into divulging classified information.
Here’s the question and his reply:
So Senator Cruz, you have said, quote, âtorture is wrong, unambiguously, period. Civilized nations do not engage in torture.â Some of the other candidates say they donât think waterboarding is torture. Mr. Trump has said, I would bring it back. Senator Cruz, is waterboarding torture?
CRUZ: Well, under the definition of torture, no, itâs not. Under the law, torture is excruciating pain that is equivalent to losing organs and systems, so under the definition of torture, it is not. It is enhanced interrogation, it is vigorous interrogation, but it does not meet the generally recognized definition of torture.
MUIR: If elected president, would you bring it back?
CRUZ: I would not bring it back in any sort of widespread use. And indeed, I joined with Senator McCain in legislation that would prohibit line officers from employing it because I think bad things happen when enhanced interrogation is employed at lower levels.
But when it comes to keeping this country safe, the commander in chief has inherent constitutional authority to keep this country safe. And so, if it were necessary to, say, prevent a city from facing an imminent terrorist attack, you can rest assured that as commander in chief, I would use whatever enhanced interrogation methods we could to keep this country safe.
I have told many a tale under the influence of Budweiserboarding.
lol
mclame was tortured too much. He now is an incompetent senile poster boy. His family should have him committed for the good of the family, of mclame and of the country. Who really cares what this former bad F4 pilot has to say about anything?
Get a tub of water and tell McWeasel “surf’s up!”
Get a tub of water and tell McWeasel “surf’s up!”
I believe that on top of being a scumbag, John McCain is truly stupid.
that’s how I remember it.
napscoordinator’s recollection is faulty.
Liberals, progressives, socialists, communists, jihadis and all other enemies of America and Freedom hang on his every word...
What did Cruz say about waterboarding, Naps? I either have forgotten or missed that part of the debate.
As do I.
Actually, compared to Trump’s blunt answer, Cruz’s remarks (as you’ve reported) are pretty lawyerly and evasive.
“This is a near-death experience,” McCain said on Fox News’ “Outnumbered” program, which his daughter, Meghan, co-hosts. “They will tell that person who is administering that anything they want to hear.”
See this is the problem when people have the logical fallacy of too few alternatives on the brain. Waterboarding is used to gain cooperation - not a confession. If a confession was the only possible end result McCain would have a point. But his point is blown by the fallacy of too few alternatives.
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