A tortured debate

Powerline ^ | August 16,2006 | Scott Johnson

[yoe]

Tom Bevan notes a report in the Guardian that torture may have been used to elicit information that broke up the air terror plot last week: (Agonizing over torture) And reader Dale Whitehouse notes the AP story reporting that an intercepted phone call was pivotal to detection of the plot as well:

Pakistani officials say Rashid Rauf’s arrest prompted an accomplice in the southern city of Karachi to make a panicked phone call to a suspect in Britain, giving the signal for the airliner plot to move forward urgently. The intercepted call was instrumental in foiling the bombing plot, officials say.

I would guess that the interception of that phone call came without probable cause or the blessing of a magistrate.

[yoe]

(John McCain (R., Arizona) has pushed an amendment through the Senate that would effectively bar all stressful interrogation techniques)

[muawiyah]

Time for the drugs then. And let's start with John to find out exactly what his motives might be.

[mtbopfuyn]

But, but we can't have Bush listening in on our phone calls!!!

[xzins]

I would guess that the interception of that phone call came without probable cause or the blessing of a magistrate.

The president of the United States is the commander in chief of the Armed Forces and is required by Constitution and oath to protect the US in real time.

I guarantee you that if this phone call had been brought before a magistrate and in the meantime airliners had been blown up, the media would blame the president. (unless it was a democrat president.)

[stopsign]

Torture should "never" be allowed... : ) <<< me

[Ready4Freddy]

FYI - the permalink to the blog entry is - http://powerlineblog.com/archives/015015.php - usually good to include that for a blog, makes it easier to find the entry. Thanks for posting this, yoe!