Cain And Bachmann Praise Waterboarding

[Lakhota]

By Benjy Sarlin

Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann aggressively defended the use of waterboarding, while Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman condemned torture as immoral and illegal.

Asked specifically about waterboarding, Cain tipped his hand. “I don’t see it as torture,” he said. “I see it as an enhanced interrogation technique.”

Bachmann issued an enthusiastic appeal to putting the now-banned method back into America’s interrogation playbook.

Paul rebutted the two on legal, moral, and pragmatic grounds.

Huntsman agreed with the Texas Congressman.

GOP Candidates Split Over Torture | TPM 2012

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Better just to shoot them like they shot bin Laden

 

[Teals_Of_Wonder]

And what did Queen Pelosi say about waterboarding in 2009? Oh wait, I recall she went into a brain freeze flustering episode when she needed to find her answers in a shuffle of paperwork.

 

[truthsaga]

Follow the rule of law

 

[Rocko]

I do too. I don't believe its torture, but frankly I'd like our government to torture terrorists, so they can obtain information that saves American lives. I also don't believe we should be making our techniques so public.

I don't believe for a second, when these leftist politicians try to explain to us torture doesn't work. I've never heard anything more patronizing in my life.

 

[R.C. Christian]

So far we have:

Torture = good.
Lack of transparency = double good.

How is this any different than the sitting presidick you GOP zombies loathe?

 

[Teals_Of_Wonder]

Nancy Pelosi would of treated those involved with 9/11 the same way the Inquisition treated their spies with that Classic "Comfy Chair Sketch" from Monty Python.

 

[Lakhota]

Terrorists are trained to withstand torture and provide deceptive answers.

 

[Rocko]

So far we have:

Torture = good.
Lack of transparency = double good.

How is this any different than the sitting presidick you GOP zombies loathe?

Terrorists are not lawful enemy combatins. They are not protected with Geneva rights. My opinion, get the information from known terrorist, by any means possible, and we shouldn't let them know what to expect.

Waterboarding lost much of its effectiveness, because the terrorists know they're not going to drown, because they now know what to expect.

 

[Jroc]

CIA Memo: Waterboarding Saved Los Angeles from Terrorist Attack

It seems that Barack Obama’s statement that enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding does not make us safer, just isn’t true. Imagine that!

The CIA is now confirming it’s claims made in a May 30, 2005 Justice Department memo that the use of ‘enhanced techniques’ of interrogation on al Qaeda leaders Khalid Sheik Mohammed (KSM) and Abu Zubaydah, which included the use of waterboarding, caused them to reveal actionable intelligence that allowed the U.S. government to stop a planned attack on Los Angeles. You can read that CIA waterboarding memo here.

Before he was waterboarded, KSM was asked about future planned attacks on the United States, he ominously told his CIA interrogators, ‘Soon, you will know.’

After KSM was waterboarded a wee bit he decided to become cooperative, providing intelligence that led to the capture of key al Qaeda allies like Abu Zubaydah who also enjoyed enhanced interrogation techniques. The information gathered from both KSM and Abu Zubaydah through waterboarding and other techniques, led to the discovery of the KSM plot called the ‘Second Wave’.

The ‘Second Wave’ attack planned by KSM, stopped by the use of enhanced interrogation techniques, would have hijacked a jetliner and crashed it into U.S. Bank Tower, formerly the Library Tower in Los Angeles which happens to be the tallest building on the West Coast. It is quite safe to say that without enhanced interrogations, there could be a hole in the ground in Los Angeles to match the one in New York.

Additional information obtained from KSM also led to the capture of Riduan bin Isomuddin, better known as Hambali, and the discovery of the Guraba Cell, a 17-member Jemmah Islamiyah cell tasked with executing that ‘Second Wave.’ Oh, and Zubaydah? He gave up detailed information regarding al Qaeda’s ‘organizational structure, key operatives, and modus operandi’ and identified KSM as the mastermind of the September 11th attacks.

And just for the record, KSM, Zubaydah, and a third terrorist named Nashiri were the only three persons ever subjected to waterboarding by the CIA. Other terrorist detainees were subjected to some of the other ‘enhanced techniques’ such as slapping, sleep deprivation, dietary limitations, and temporary confinement to small spaces — but not to water-boarding. Maybe worse then all, it has also been reported that they were tortured by watching Britney Spears videos and listening to the Barney song for hours. We’re just horrible!

During the Bush years, enhanced interrogation techniques were used including waterboarding judiciously and rarely. The CIA confirms the use of those measures prevented a terrorist attack on the city of Los Angeles. We were safer for eight years under President Bush’s watch thanks to his courage and leadership because he made it a priority and a committment to all of us (even those far left loons who want him prosecuted) after September 11th. We can no longer say that under the Obama administration.

CIA Memo: Waterboarding Saved Los Angeles from Terrorist Attack » Right Pundits

 

[R.C. Christian]

So far we have:

Torture = good.
Lack of transparency = double good.

How is this any different than the sitting presidick you GOP zombies loathe?

Terrorists are not lawful enemy combatins. They are not protected with Geneva rights. My opinion, get the information from known terrorist, by any means possible, and we shouldn't let them know what to expect.

Waterboarding lost much of its effectiveness, because the terrorists know they're not going to drown, because they now know what to expect.

I think you might find that this sentiment is very, well, open to debate. Moreover, the term "terrorist" is too broadly used. I can't help but wonder when a common dissenter will be labeled as a terrorist and treated the same. This government has already given carte blanche to destroy American citizens who were not enemy combatants so it isn't too much of a stretch to imagine your that your average white male with right wing views (me) and a vast gun collection (me again) could be treated the same. Just sayin'.

 

[Lakhota]

Terrorism Detainees: Geneva Convention Common Article 3

 

[Mr. H.]

Make that Cain, Bachmann, and Mr. H.

Word.

 

[Rocko]

Terrorists are trained to withstand torture and provide deceptive answers.

So if we say pretty please, that will work better?

Common sense tells anyone, you put a gun in someone's mouth, they're going to talk. Make them afraid for their life and wall a. Oh, but Barney Frank says that's not true, so I believe him.

 

[R.C. Christian]

At some point just because something is "lawful" doesn't mean it is right. Ultimately, you'll lose part of your soul when the ends justifies the means. Torture, in general, doesn't feel remotely like an American ideal to me. There are so many things the U.S. could do to not put themselves in a position that they would have to consider torture without succumbing to the will of a few terrorist scumbags.

 

[Lakhota]

Senate Intel Chair: Torture Did Not Lead To Bin Laden In Any Way | TPMDC

Torture Doesn?t Work, Neurobiologist Says?By Scott Horton (Harper's Magazine)

Torture Doesn't Work - The Daily Beast

Torture is not wrong, it just doesn't work, says former interrogator - Telegraph

Top Interrogation Experts Agree: Torture Doesn't Work → Washingtons Blog

John McCain: Torture doesn't work - The Denver Post

 

[alan1]

Five to one baby, one in five
Mr Obama will not be held to task by the media with the same question.
It makes good fodder for the media to attack conservatives with though.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8USRg3h4AdE]Obama's Promise to immediately close Guantanamo - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bAFITGnjrg]The Doors Five to One - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Rocko]

At some point just because something is "lawful" doesn't mean it is right. Ultimately, you'll lose part of your soul when the ends justifies the means. Torture, in general, doesn't feel remotely like an American ideal to me. There are so many things the U.S. could do to not put themselves in a position that they would have to consider torture without succumbing to the will of a few terrorist scumbags.

To me the distinction between terrorist and lawful enemy combatant, is terrorist are targeting civilians. The whole purpose of a government is to ensure protection of its civilians, so I think an end justifies the means mentality is appropriate in this case, and by that we're not succumbing to any terrorist scumbags.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

“I do not agree with torture, period,” Cain said to start the exchange. “However, I will trust the judgment of our military leaders to determine what is torture and what is not torture. That is the critical consideration.”

Bachmann issued an enthusiastic appeal to putting the now-banned method back into America’s interrogation playbook.

“If I were president, I would be willing to use waterboarding,” she said. “I think it was very effective.”

Ignorant fools, military leaders don’t determine what is legal or illegal, that’s the sole purview of the courts.

Paul rebutted the two on legal, moral, and pragmatic grounds.

“I think it’s uncivilized, it has no practical advantages and its really un-American to accept on principle that we will torture people that we capture,” he said.

Huntsman agreed with the Texas Congressman.

“This country has values, we have a name brand in the world,” he said. “We diminish our standing in the world and the values that we project which include liberty democracy, human rights, and open markets when we torture.”

It’s good to see some republicans understand the doctrine of the rule of law, at least in this case.

 

[Lakhota]

By Senator John McCain

But this must be an informed debate. Former Attorney General Michael Mukasey recently claimed that "the intelligence that led to bin Laden . . . began with a disclosure from Khalid Sheik Mohammed​, who broke like a dam under the pressure of harsh interrogation techniques that included waterboarding. He loosed a torrent of information — including eventually the nickname of a trusted courier of bin Laden." That is false.

CIA Director Leon Panetta told me the trail to bin Laden did not begin with a disclosure from Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who was waterboarded 183 times. The first mention of Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti — the nickname of the al-Qaeda courier who ultimately led us to bin Laden — came from a detainee held in another country, who we believe was not tortured. None of the three detainees who were waterboarded provided Abu Ahmed's real name, his whereabouts or an accurate description of his role in al-Qaeda.

In fact, the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on Khalid Sheik Mohammed produced false and misleading information. He specifically told his interrogators that Abu Ahmed had moved to Peshawar, got married and ceased his role as an al-Qaeda facilitator — none of which was true. According to the Senate intelligence committee, the best intelligence gained from a CIA detainee — information describing Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti's real role in al-Qaeda and his true relationship to bin Laden — was obtained through standard, noncoercive means.

More: John McCain: Torture doesn't work - The Denver Post