Posted on 10/30/2007 5:42:55 AM PDT by Former Military Chick
WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 — Six years after the Bush administration embraced harsh physical tactics for interrogating terrorism suspects, and two years after it reportedly dropped the most extreme of those techniques, the taint of torture clings to American counterterrorism efforts.
The administration has a standard answer to queries about its interrogation practices: 1) We do not torture, and 2) we will not say what we do, for fear of tipping off future prisoners. In effect, officials want Al Qaeda to believe that the United States does torture, while convincing the rest of the world that it does not.
But that contradictory catechism is not holding up well under the battering that American interrogation policies have received from human rights organizations, European allies and increasingly skeptical members of Congress.
The administration does not acknowledge scaling back the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret detention program, perhaps to avoid implying that earlier methods were immoral or illegal. President Bush has repeatedly defended what the administration calls “enhanced” interrogation methods, saying they have produced invaluable information on Al Qaeda. But the administration’s strategy has exacted an extraordinary political cost.
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Since last year, military interrogators have been bound by the new Army Field Manual, which prohibits all physical coercion.
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In a PBS interview with Charlie Rose last week, General Hayden, the C.I.A. director, complained about negative press coverage of the agency’s interrogation practices. “What puzzles me is to why there seems to be this temptation, almost irresistible temptation, to take any story about us and move it into the darkest corner of the room,” General Hayden said.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Certain interrogation techniques are required depending on the situation. Let's not ham string the folks.
But Mr. Bond said conversations with C.I.A. interrogators had convinced him that some legal but tough tactics could work on recalcitrant suspects. “Coercion has opened the dialogue,” he said.
On the other hand, congress could get off their but and move forward on their own. They have a responsibility as well. But, no, they pass the buck to. Dem's are just weak all the way around.
This whole torture thing stinks like the whole wiretapping thing: polisies it’s common knowledge we’ve had for years, suddenly brought to light and used against a war effort by the very people who know we’ve used them for years.
Um...policies. Not enough coffee.
I understand that High Tea in the late afternoon, especially when served with crumpets, really gets them to sing. There’s absolutely no need to use nasty physical coercion.
When KSM was captured in Pakistan, the words out of his mouth were
“I’ll talk to you guys in NY after I talk to my lawyer”
For me, this is a foolish PC nonsensical move that will get Americans killed.
I’ll pick capture by the US over capture by the peaceful followers if Islam any day.
I don’t have any problems with torturing captured terrorists for information. Heck, I don’t have any problems with executing captured terrorists by torture.
The only potential problem I have is with the government’s definition of “terrorist.”
It’s not a “taint”...it’s the ‘Rats up their usual tricks, endangering everyone in order to score political points against President Bush, while offering ammunition to the hate-America crowd.
First there was NOT and has not been TORTURE. Anyone who says that putting a pair of panties on the head of someone is torture, or making someone hungry or no sleep or a cold room is a dumb a.
All Democrats who say there were torture are TRAITORS and need to be in jail so they can taste first hand the torture in US jails put them in with a large man and they will know torture.
I want Jack bauer in charge
The question then becomes "do we tell" or "do we keep this secret"?
If "we tell" the NYT is going to accuse us of torture. If "we keep this secret", the NYT is not going to tell anyone anything.
Gosh this is a tough choice. Let me think ~ the bomb goes off when?
Do the boobs at the times really think the American public gives a damn about torturing terrorists
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