Comments on: The Bybee Memo Can’t Be Used for Good Faith Defense on Water-Boarding

By: Newsguy

Newsguy — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:58:11 +0000

The torture policy was an admission by the Bush administration that they believed our American ideals and standards of civilized conduct would not work. In other words, Bush and company didn’t truly believe in the American ideals established by George Washington when he ordered his troops not to torture captured British soldiers. The world took note and admired us for it.

People who support torture do not really understand our Constitution and how this country is supposed to work. Yes, we are outraged. And comparisons with terrorists is not valid. It simply suggests that we should allow terrorists to set the agenda, that whatever they do, we can do better. Nonsense. And it IS ignorant to suggest that this should be the case.

By: thatguy1967

thatguy1967 — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 12:33:37 +0000

So let me get this straight. All of you are outraged by the United States government use of interrogation methods? I suppose holding someone under water or putting them in a box with an insect could be considered as brutal as cutting someone’s head off while they are still alive, flying a fully loaded jet full of innocent people into a high rise building (also full of people), driving a car packed with explosives into a tourist hotel…etc etc.

I only wish you all had as much compassion for human life when it comes to aborting babies as you do for an international terrorist.

Ignorant.

By: lokywoky

lokywoky — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 23:27:21 +0000

I still think the best possible solution is an independent prosecutor. Outside the justice department. Outside our rabidly partisan Congress. Someone who is strong enough to go after everything (like Ken Starr *gag*) and someone of impeccable integrity who can resist the slings and arrows from both parties when the going gets tough.

By: billindc

billindc — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 21:08:13 +0000

Hmmmm…I think your point is well taken. A lawyer I know in town says that while the words of Obama’s statement suggest a blanket pass, actually there are civil and criminal avenues left open to drive a truck through. One example noted above is that Obama specifically noted that those who “in good faith” followed the OLC memo recommendation would not be prosecuted. I think it defies belief to think that he didn’t know that the memos themselves clearly show that that didn’t happen.

As I’ve been saying elsewhere, I think this release and statement were created over the objections of the CIA in order to create political space to investigate and prosecute. Look at the immediate results? Instead of putting it to rest the White House has re-energized calls for Congressional hearings and provided a whole raft of thus far unknown and horrific detail. Remember that the end result of this investigation is very likely to end up at the doorstep of the guys who were VP and President just a couple of months ago. Obama is cautious, canny and calculating (Spiro is rolling in his grave). If it’s going to go there you can bet he wants the public entirely behind it.

By: snoboysdrift

snoboysdrift — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:20:33 +0000

want to know how many devils can dance on a pin??

By: perris

perris — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:12:24 +0000

jim white points out, this is drowing;

This is full evidence that the CIA medical staff knew that waterboarding is actually drowning, not simulated drowning: “With the waterboard, the interrogators use potable saline rather than plain water so that detainees will not suffer from hyponatremia and to minimize the risk of pneumonia.” Pneumonia is only a risk if the water is getting into the lungs. This is an admission that water is getting into the lungs. That is drowning.

have a read, an excellant diary

By: tjbs

tjbs — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:01:46 +0000

Thank you for dealing with this sickening mess.
I believe they used a hose from a faucet thereby giving the torture traitor the ability to cause instant death by how much he opened the faucet.
The torture tapes, like any good porn tapes, have been copied and somewhere someone has a copy of them.

By: Hmmm

Hmmm — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 02:25:18 +0000

Not to get all hopeful and stuff, but WHEREAS Obama has only said that those CIA interro-torturers who relied on the OLC memos in good faith will get a pass; and WHEREAS as per this post we know that lots of the interro-torturers went way beyond the memos’ already grossly distended permission envelope; NOW THEREFORE aren’t the second, probably rather large, group of said interro-torturers currently just plain bare-assed vulnerable to prosecution? Making this yet another “make me do it” moment?

(Restating the Probably Painfully Obvious Since Forever, — Hmmm.)

By: Mary

Mary — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 22:36:01 +0000

13 – Good for Taguba.

By: Arbusto

Arbusto — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 20:58:42 +0000

Yep, in an attempt to show that individual bad actors did what they did while protecting the CIA, Contractors and the Army.

Our current crop of Dr. Mengele wannabes are now defended and imdemnified by order of the Pres. Your tax dollars at work.