Posted on 09/17/2006 10:07:04 PM PDT by John Carey
Sen. John McCain held his ground Sunday in his running disagreement with the Bush administration over rules for CIA interrogations of terrorism suspects.
Article Tools Printer friendly E-mail to a friend N.H. RSS feed Available RSS feeds Most e-mailed Save this article powered by Del.icio.us More: Globe City/Region stories | Latest local news | Globe front page | Boston.com Sign up for: Globe Headlines e-mail | Breaking News Alerts Those responsible for Sept. 11 and subsequent terrorism attacks are "the most evil people in the world," he said, "but this issue isn't about them. This issue is about us."
The Navy pilot held captive for five years and tortured by the North Vietnamese said Americans will be captured in future wars, and the U.S. must not set a bad example by allowing harsher interrogation techniques than permitted by the Geneva Conventions.
Speaking to about 70 people at a reception, the Arizona Republican focused on the part of the conventions intended to protect prisoners who do not qualify for the broader protections accorded to prisoners of war -- an Army Special Forces soldier not wearing his uniform, for example, or a CIA officer taken prisoner by Iran.
"That's what we do not want, because Americans would be setting the precedent for changing a treaty that has been untouched by any nation for 57 years," he said.
Both administration officials and the small group of Republicans opposing the administration on the subject said during the weekend they are confident they can reach a compromise.
Though enemies such as al-Qaida flout the Geneva Conventions, as McCain's captors did, McCain said the United States must not. One of the things that sustained Americans in North Vietnamese prisons was the knowledge that "we come from a better nation with better values," McCain said.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
I start to think that the West sometimes is still trapped in their superiority complex. They still think that they're better than other. By allowing themselves to follow the rules, regardless what the other side is doing, the West thinks they're taking a higher ground. To some degree, this is like some one who is patronizing another person. The difference is, in this case, the other guy wants to kill you.
It seems a new Geneva Convention may be needed that would address this kind of situation. However, we know how a decision in an international forum is made. Especially in this case.
I don't want the US losing its legal argument in the long term, but neither do I want to give the terrorists the same rights as captures in conventional war have. If only the SCOTUS established that not all wars are under Geneva Convention...
Combatants that don't wear uniforms and don't follow any form of civilized code are not covered by the Geneva convention. So the problem isn't really with the Geneva convention. It is the fools who are trying apply the Geneva convention to these unlawful combatants that are not entitled to any such coverage.
John McCain is an egocentric, media prostituting, treasonous, lying s.o.b.
Otherwise, he's a great guy.
"Both administration officials and the small group of Republicans opposing the administration on the subject said during the weekend they are confident they can reach a compromise. "
Bush do what Bush should have done years ago with this loose cannon demon. He should take him to the woodshed, politically beat the crap out him and tell him Arizona isn't getting didle-squat as long as he continues to act like a pandering traitor.
Sit down and shutup you traitor!
All I am reading everywhere is the advice from McCain as an
ex-POW is more convincing than that from one like Bush.
It is so frustrating!
Really, I haven't seen that. I wish he would. This is just nuts.
It was merely a clip from one of his appearances on a Sunday show -- he alluded to a compromise.
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