With torture and detainees, Attorney General Michael Mukasey has never been viewed as much of a whoopee cushion. However, while speaking at the London School of Economics, Mukasey seemed to tell give a humorous example that seemed to put the Bush administration in the role of the sadist speaking to the al Qaeda masochist.
The whole point of the Mukasey statement was to explain that he really didn’t want to execute these individuals. However, he would never oppose execution based on the fact that they have been denied international or domestic rights of due process. Nor because they were tortured or denied access to witnesses and evidence. It is only because they would want death and we don’t want to make them happy.
“Because many of them want to be martyrs and it’s kind of like the conversation, you know, between the sadist and the masochist. The masochist says hit me and the sadist says no, so I am kind of hoping they don’t get it.”
What is most interesting about this statement is that the masochists are clearly the detainees which would make the sadist, President Bush. Now, that’s funny. He’s here ’till Thursday.
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