Posted on 03/02/2009 8:46:06 AM PST by SolidWood
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder ruled out the use of "waterboarding" as an interrogation technique for terrorism suspects on Monday, calling it a form of torture that the Obama administration could never condone.
Holder's declaration underscored President Barack Obama's break with the former Bush administration's anti-terrorist policies, which were condemned by human-rights groups, civil liberties advocates and U.S. allies abroad.
"Waterboarding is torture ... My Justice Department will not justify it, will not rationalize it and will not condone it," Holder, who his heading a review of the treatment of terrorism suspects, said in a speech to the Jewish Council of Public Affairs in Washington.
"Too often over the past decade the fight against terrorism has been viewed as a zero-sum battle with our tradition of civil liberties. Not only is that school of thought misguided, I fear that in actuality it has done us more harm than good," Holder said.
"We cannot ask other nations to stand by us in the pursuit of justice if we are not viewed as being in pursuit of that ideal ourselves," he said.
One of the most widely condemned Bush administration practices was waterboarding, a form of simulated drowning, which the CIA has acknowledged using on three terrorism suspects before it said it stopped the practice in 2003.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
You realize of course that you are referring to a law for legal combatants, when we’re discussing illegal combatants. So no, there is no law governing water boarding as it relates to these terrorists. Water boarding is thus not an act of torture for these people under the law.
Let me get this straight.
The Justice Dept lawyers say ‘waterboarding’ is torture for enemy combatants but is perfectly legal for training US servicemen at Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training?
Our troops consent to being waterboarded.
In expectation that the enemy will do that and worse to them in the field. They PREPARE for it.
In the absence of the world decrying all instances of waterboarding, I suspect that our troops will still prepare for it to be done to them.
No, they found a more readily effective technique to get people to pay back taxes, Congressional confirmation hearing.
Our government would expose thousands of us to a terrorist attack rather that "get their hands dirty."
I don't know if it will be due to lax immigration policies, but there ARE members of Al Qaida in America, both those who came here to cause havoc (like the 9-11 hijackers) and those who've enlisted to train with Al Qaida AFTER the 9-11-2001 attacks (American born traitors).
Our nation has successfully prosecuted some of these traitors. None of them were executed as should have happened. We aren't talking about "hypothetical" enemies. We are talking about Americans who witnessed a massive terrorist attack on this nation and joined up with the OTHER SIDE.
My understanding of the court system is that any evidence obtained under torture is considered inadmissable. If my understanding is correct, does that mean if we bring, let’s say, KSM to trial in a fed court here, anything he told us under waterboarding is thrown out of court?
This statement is just what’s needed. The only problem is, I think Obama really might believe it.
So what about beheading, immolation, suicide bombing, or mutilation?
Oh, RIGHT, that’s what the “freedom fighters” do. We can’t condemn that...
Is this the marketing technique for Club Gitmo? Are we simply letting them know we will offer them 5 STAR accommodations at a beautiful Caribbean resort which includes fabulous meals provided to their own particular specification as well as all their personal and religious needs being met. All this at the stupid American taxpayer’s expense!
This “subject” has been in the news, more often than not, for 4 years!
What with the stupid CONgre$$ holding their BS “hearings” - literally torturing the good guys with ridiculous questions, and the continued criminal prosecution threats against President Bush and his administration I’m ready to waterboard the next moron that opens his mouth and utters the word torture or waterboard!
On October 3rd, 2005, after much grand standing, in particular by MeInsane, he introduced the McCain Detainee Amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill for 2005. Two days later the sInate voted 90-9 to pass the amendment which prohibits inhumane treatment of prisoners, including prisoners at Gitmo, by limiting interrogations to the methods detailed in the US military's Field Manual 34-52 on Intelligence Interrogation.
Several months ago over dinner with a recent SERE grad, I was “treated” to the explicit details of the waterboarding that he was subjected to during his training. He actually laughed at the idiots that think of it as torture. Frankly, I don’t give a damn if it qualifies as torture or child’s play, I’ve had enough! Enough with appeasing the terrorists!!!
I second that condemnation!
However, releasing killers and terrorists to prey on the civilian population is acceptable.
Frankly, I don’t give a damn if it qualifies as torture or child’s play, I’ve had enough! Enough with appeasing the terrorists!!!
I think it'd be a worthy debate whether or not to make it legal. As it stands, it seems to me it's not legal. There are a lot of subjective terms in the law, so people can bend it one way or the other, I suppose. It seems to me the thing to do is convince America it should be used, and pass a law. That'd end the debate, and it's the republican thing to do.
Then why does it work? Either the recipient thinks he is going to die, or else he is being subjected to so much pain that he cracks. Either way, that's torture, isn't it? If not, then why does it work? Why crack if it's just a splish splash in the bath?
Yes, the Obama Administration has resorted to inhuman torture. They stole my money and have sleep deprived me.
I think post 75 explained it best.
I think it'd be a worthy debate whether or not to make it legal.
Did you not read my post? It has been debated to death, which is torture in and of itself.
This “subject” has been in the news, more often than not, for 4 years!
What with the stupid CONgre$$ holding their BS “hearings” - literally torturing the good guys with ridiculous questions, and the continued criminal prosecution threats against President Bush and his administration...
It seems to me the thing to do is convince America it should be used, and pass a law.
Convince America??? They don't giving a flying rat's arse what "we the people" think or want. The most recent example of this would be the Porkulus Bill!
Again, did you not read my post?
On October 3rd, 2005, after much grand standing, in particular by MeInsane, he introduced the McCain Detainee Amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill for 2005. Two days later the sInate voted 90-9 to pass the amendment which prohibits inhumane treatment of prisoners, including prisoners at Gitmo, by limiting interrogations to the methods detailed in the US military's Field Manual 34-52 on Intelligence Interrogation.
THEY PASSED A LAW IN 2005!
Again, I think we should be waterboarding, if it's as effective as many people think it is. And of course, I don't think anyone should be prosecuted for this. I'm just saying that, in a nation of laws, we ought to be making 100% sure we're complying with the law (and changing the laws if necessary to meet our objectives).
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