PoliticalChic
Diamond Member
Sure.
Let's make believe this never happened:
1. WASHINGTON President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that waterboarding authorized by former President George W. Bush was torture and that the information it gained from terror suspects could have been obtained by other means. "In some cases, it may be harder," he conceded at a White House news conference capping a whirlwind first 100 days in office.
The president also said he was "absolutely convinced" he had acted correctly in banning tough interrogation techniques including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, and in making public the Bush administration memos detailing their use on terrorist suspects. ...Obama has come under heavy criticism for his actions from former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans. They have urged Obama to release memos they say will show the tough methods were successful in obtaining information.
Obama told reporters he has read the documents Cheney and others are referring to but said they are classified and declined to discuss their details. In a White House exchange with House Republican leader John Boehner last week, Obama said the record was equivocal.
Obama says waterboarding was torture
2. "I have been consistent in my strong belief that no Administration should allow the use of torture, including so-called 'enhanced interrogation techniques' like water-boarding, head-slapping, and extreme temperatures. It's time that we had a Department of Justice that upholds the rule of law and American values, instead of finding ways to enable the President to subvert them. No more political parsing or legal loopholes. I cannot support Judge Mukasey unless he clearly and unequivocally rejects techniques like water-boarding."
Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Obama: "I Cannot Support" Mukasey Without Clarity On Waterboarding
3. On Aug. 24, 2009, US Attorney General Eric Holder that, at the behest of President Barack Obama, he had appointed a special prosecutor to probe the interrogation techniques administered to detainees by CIA operatives during the George W. Bush administration.
Aug 31, 2009
In a wide-ranging interview with FOX News Sunday's Chris Wallace yesterday, former Vice President Dick Cheney outlined why investigating the legality of decisions made by a previous administration will do more than just create morale problems for America's national security personnel -- it will ensure that every single presidential decision will be open to long-term legal consequences.
Aug 25, 2009
US Attorney General Eric Holder announced Monday that he has launched an investigation into the methods used by CIA operatives who interrogated suspected terrorists during the Bush Administration ...CIA Interrogation Probe -- Tracking Obama's CIA Interrogation Probe
4. Obama Can't Let Go: May Investigate GITMO Interrogations
From Justin Quinn, About.com Guide April 22, 2009
President Barack Obama can't seem to move on from the 2008 presidential election. He seems determined to continue his campaign against the Bush administration.
Obama released select documents Monday from his predecessor's National Security Files, which detailed the somewhat harsh interrogation techniques allegedly used against enemy combatants housed at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Obama followed up the release of these documents by saying he couldn't rule out investigations and/or prosecutions of the top Bush officials who signed off on the use of the techniques.
Obama seems to forget that it was under the previous Democratic administration that the attacks of 9/11 were planned and the terrorists provided entry to the US.
While it may be convenient for Obama to divert attention from his administrations many early mistakes by trying to refocus the nation's attention on the Bush administration, Obama really should concentrate on keeping America safe and fixing its many problems. Investigating Bush officials solves nothing and only creates more division on Capitol Hill -- something Obama the presidential candidate promised he wouldn't do.
Obama Can't Let Go: May Investigate GITMO Interrogations
5. Something the president forgot to mention last night, when he claimed credit for the most significant achievement to date in our nations effort to defeat al Qaeda. The president owes some thanksand apologiesto the men and women of the CIAs interrogation program.
So Guantanamo detainees provided the key intelligence that allowed the CIA to track down bin Laden. But not just any Guantanamo detainees. It turns out the detainees in question were KSM and Abu Faraj al-Libi, the man who succeeded KSM as al Qaedas operational commander, when the 9/11 mastermind was captured in 2003. Obama Owes Thanks for Bin Laden Operation to CIA Interrogators « The Enterprise Blog
So...how does the President share the credit and make up for the threats he made to the careers and efforts of Bush administration officials, and interrogators at Gitmo?
When does he offer the 'Sorry, Guys'?
Let's make believe this never happened:
1. WASHINGTON President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that waterboarding authorized by former President George W. Bush was torture and that the information it gained from terror suspects could have been obtained by other means. "In some cases, it may be harder," he conceded at a White House news conference capping a whirlwind first 100 days in office.
The president also said he was "absolutely convinced" he had acted correctly in banning tough interrogation techniques including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, and in making public the Bush administration memos detailing their use on terrorist suspects. ...Obama has come under heavy criticism for his actions from former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans. They have urged Obama to release memos they say will show the tough methods were successful in obtaining information.
Obama told reporters he has read the documents Cheney and others are referring to but said they are classified and declined to discuss their details. In a White House exchange with House Republican leader John Boehner last week, Obama said the record was equivocal.
Obama says waterboarding was torture
2. "I have been consistent in my strong belief that no Administration should allow the use of torture, including so-called 'enhanced interrogation techniques' like water-boarding, head-slapping, and extreme temperatures. It's time that we had a Department of Justice that upholds the rule of law and American values, instead of finding ways to enable the President to subvert them. No more political parsing or legal loopholes. I cannot support Judge Mukasey unless he clearly and unequivocally rejects techniques like water-boarding."
Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Obama: "I Cannot Support" Mukasey Without Clarity On Waterboarding
3. On Aug. 24, 2009, US Attorney General Eric Holder that, at the behest of President Barack Obama, he had appointed a special prosecutor to probe the interrogation techniques administered to detainees by CIA operatives during the George W. Bush administration.
Aug 31, 2009
In a wide-ranging interview with FOX News Sunday's Chris Wallace yesterday, former Vice President Dick Cheney outlined why investigating the legality of decisions made by a previous administration will do more than just create morale problems for America's national security personnel -- it will ensure that every single presidential decision will be open to long-term legal consequences.
Aug 25, 2009
US Attorney General Eric Holder announced Monday that he has launched an investigation into the methods used by CIA operatives who interrogated suspected terrorists during the Bush Administration ...CIA Interrogation Probe -- Tracking Obama's CIA Interrogation Probe
4. Obama Can't Let Go: May Investigate GITMO Interrogations
From Justin Quinn, About.com Guide April 22, 2009
President Barack Obama can't seem to move on from the 2008 presidential election. He seems determined to continue his campaign against the Bush administration.
Obama released select documents Monday from his predecessor's National Security Files, which detailed the somewhat harsh interrogation techniques allegedly used against enemy combatants housed at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Obama followed up the release of these documents by saying he couldn't rule out investigations and/or prosecutions of the top Bush officials who signed off on the use of the techniques.
Obama seems to forget that it was under the previous Democratic administration that the attacks of 9/11 were planned and the terrorists provided entry to the US.
While it may be convenient for Obama to divert attention from his administrations many early mistakes by trying to refocus the nation's attention on the Bush administration, Obama really should concentrate on keeping America safe and fixing its many problems. Investigating Bush officials solves nothing and only creates more division on Capitol Hill -- something Obama the presidential candidate promised he wouldn't do.
Obama Can't Let Go: May Investigate GITMO Interrogations
5. Something the president forgot to mention last night, when he claimed credit for the most significant achievement to date in our nations effort to defeat al Qaeda. The president owes some thanksand apologiesto the men and women of the CIAs interrogation program.
So Guantanamo detainees provided the key intelligence that allowed the CIA to track down bin Laden. But not just any Guantanamo detainees. It turns out the detainees in question were KSM and Abu Faraj al-Libi, the man who succeeded KSM as al Qaedas operational commander, when the 9/11 mastermind was captured in 2003. Obama Owes Thanks for Bin Laden Operation to CIA Interrogators « The Enterprise Blog
So...how does the President share the credit and make up for the threats he made to the careers and efforts of Bush administration officials, and interrogators at Gitmo?
When does he offer the 'Sorry, Guys'?