Since the GOP led congress in 2006 covertly passed legislation (H.R. 6054) giving President Bush immunity from being prosecuted for war crimes, he apparently feels safe using a free hand in such matters.
Senator John McCain, himself a victim of torture while a POW in Vietnam, was reportedly appalled at the White House announcement. According to Bush spokesman Tony Fratto, the newly established authorization procedure is fairly simple. An official determines that waterboarding is needed during an interrogation. The CIA director confirms the need and submits a “plan” to the Attorney General, who then declares it legal and submits it to the president, who of course endorses it.
After CIA director Michael Hayden disclosed for the first time that we have indeed used waterboarding on captured prisoners, concerned members of Congress demanded that a criminal investigation be started. The Bush administration has defiantly stated that it does not consider waterboarding a crime and the Justice Department has made no effort to initiate any kind of investigation.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jet in Columbus
I don't think I've ever heard of government sponsored insanity... until now
2 - Colcannon
Why is this news? Waterboarding is old news and the fact that it's used on our soldiers in training only makes good sense.
In fact, you miss the main point of this whole controversy. We train our soldiers to be waterboarded because the barbarians we're fighting use those methods. Yet we don't want to use the same measures against them? That's what's crazy.
3 - Jet in Columbus
You're right, I'm a fool and way behind the times-- thanks for pointing that out. If it weren't for the fact that the official made the comment two days ago I'd fell like a complete idiot.
thanks again
jet
4 - Jet in Columbus
You know what, I retract that last comment. In the last 3-4 hours such sites at Reuters, ABC News, the Washington Post and CNN have all published articles on this situation.
If I'm behind the times and this is old news, it's nice to see I'm in such good company.
5 - Matthew T. Sussman
"In the last 3-4 hours such sites at Reuters, ABC News, the Washington Post and CNN have all published articles on this situation."
On waterboarding. Not on the subject that our soldiers are waterboarded in training. Which is old news.
6 - Jet in Columbus
Thanks Matt, I knew I could count on your support
7 - Dave Nalle
I hadn't actually explicitly heard that our soldiers were waterboarded in the past, but I knew they were trained to resist torture, so waterboarding them makes perfect sense.
My take on this would be a bit different from Jet's. i would consider it irresponsible of the military NOT to waterboard soldiers.
Dave
8 - Jet in Columbus
By all means let's ignore the fact that Bush is defying laws he himself signed into existance and the supreme court that he inserted the head of...
...not to mention international opinion of his administration.
9 - Clavos
International opinion is against our waterboarding our own soldiers in training?
It's none of their effing business.
I suppose "international opinion" would include such international paragons as Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, the Sudan and the UN?
Yaawwwnn.
10 - Jet in Columbus
Adverse international opinion is why our great "coalition" is shrinking daily and such countries a Great Britian and Australia are threatening to pull out.
11 - Dave Nalle
International opinion is worth only as much as the international entities involved are worth to us, and if they aren't backing us they aren't worth a hell of a lot.
Dave
12 - Jet in Columbus
Oh sure Dave, they just hold the notes that Bush ran up on our national debt credit cards especially China.
13 - REMF
"International opinion is against our waterboarding our own soldiers in training? It's none of their effing business."
Fuckin' right, man! We're the only ones allowed to stick our nose in other countries business.
14 - Jet in Columbus
Of course you're right, after all look at the self-righteous dirt bag we have running the country.
15 - Dave Nalle
Oh sure Dave, they just hold the notes that Bush ran up on our national debt credit cards especially China.
So? Holding US debt means that the Chinese have no choice but to be predisposed to back us up. They can't afford not to. And they have NO grounds to complain about any kind of human rights issues. Give me a break.
Dave
16 - Clavos
"after all look at the self-righteous dirt bag we have running the country."
Don't worry, Jet, we'll have a brand new self-righteous dirt bag soon.
17 - Jet in Columbus
Oh goodie
18 - STM
Jet: "Adverse international opinion is why our great "coalition" is shrinking daily and such countries a Great Britian and Australia are threatening to pull out."
I can't speak for the Poms, but in Australia, it's got nothing to do with adverse international opinion and far more to with adverse internal opinion.
It's not that we don't believe in fulfilling our alliance obligations to the US, or even that we don't like America because we do, but the people who elected this government (and that was a majority), elected them knowing their platform was to set a timetable to pull our troops out of Iraq.
In other words, we decided, not international opinion. I'd say Australians couldn't give a rat's arse about international public opinion when it comes to doing what it thinks it should do.
That's why we were in Iraq in the first place. But it's probably now run its course.
You might notice that even though we are at the arsehole end of the planet and therefore not a part of NATO, we are punching well above our weight in Afghanisatn at a time when many other countries who should be pulling their weight aren't.
So there's no suggestion that Afghanistan is a lost cause in our minds or I'd imagine the collective mind of the government at this point.
None of us here with half a brain have forgotten what we saw on 9/11, or in Madrid, or the London Underground, or in Bali. Americans shouldn't lose sight of the fact at any stage that what they are facing is a grave threat to their society.
Still, I don't agree with waterboarding when a good whack in the head, that time-honoured inducement to talk, would probably work just as well. Waterboarding IS bad news, IS inhunmane, and DOES diminish the US administration in the eyes of the world if it's true, but I'd assume the CIA has got to the point where they think desperate times demand desperate measures, even though it doesn't make it right.
19 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
So the Catholic Inquisition is back, I see, albeit without the priest and the doctor on hand when "the question" is applied.
I'll have to remember this when I see good old Yankees coming to occupy my homeland with their self righteous scumbag of a president giving orders to our mendacious whiny pigs who allegedly hold power here....
You good Christians still haven't lived down your savage past - you're still practicing it. Uncivilized savages is the only term to describe you.
Feh!
20 - Jet in Columbus
We're bitter today is see...
21 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
After listening to an evening full of how evangelical "allies" of Israel are busy trying to steal Jewish souls - another sign of the false civilization of Christianity - reading your article just left me disgusted, Jet.
The term is not bitter. No, I sit on my hilltop here in the Shomron and look at you (not you personally) with contempt.
It's a sick, sad world, badly in need of Redemption.
22 - Jet in Columbus
The question becomes whose definition of redemption applies...
23 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Ah, you raise an interesting question, Jet. I could answer you here - and take the discussion away from medieval methods of torture adapted for the US Armed Forces and move it towards issues of technology, prophecy and what a messianic world could look like - hijack your article, in other words - or write my own. Take your pick. I ain't fussy.
24 - Michael J. West
We train our soldiers to be waterboarded because the barbarians we're fighting use those methods. Yet we don't want to use the same measures against them? That's what's crazy.
That's right! It's absolutely insane to suggest that we don't want to become JUST LIKE "the barbarians we're fighting." Who would DARE to believe that we should be above the kinds of tactics that terrorists use?
25 - Jet in Columbus
But Mike, Bush has been talking to Jesus, and he knows he's right!