In yet another story alleging an intentional falsehood from the Bush Administration given to the public and Congress, the Washington Post is reporting that Bush Administration officials began laying the foundations for a torture program using waterboarding long before there was any request or inquiry from field interrogators — a direct contradiction of what the Administration has been saying for years.
The Senate has evidence that the torture program was initiated in the summer of 2002. Yet, the administration claimed that it only began to look at waterboarding and torture after field commanders requested the authority months later. The evidence most directly contradicts William J. “Jim” Haynes II, who served as Defense Department general counsel under Donald Rumsfeld and was a long nominee for the federal bench — barred by opposition of civil liberties groups. Haynes told a Senate panel in 2006 that the request for tougher interrogation methods originated in October 2002.
Haynes described his personal anguish when confronted with the request: “Many people struggled over that question, I struggled over that question.” However, memos now sow that Haynes ad other officials were eagerly soliciting ideas for the torture program in July 2002.
Haynes is scheduled to testify this week. While the democrats have blocked any effort to bring charges over torture or impeachment proceedings, they may now be confronted with the question of perjury and obstruction.
Notably, for those who decried the opposition of Haynes for the federal bench, this disclosure should now given them pause as to his qualification for that (or any) legal position of authority.
For the full story, click here.
Amen to that rcampbell!
Jill
First of all, protecting the Constitution is always good for the country. The Supreme Court did its duty where the President and Congress sought to undermine the very authority of the document. The Presidential oath deals solely with the Chief Executive’s responsibility to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.
The President’s actions, with willing and unveiled complicity from an all too compliant GOP-held Congress, have deliberately sought to circumvent existing laws, treaties, American tradition and conventions regarding torture, imprisonment, habeus corpus, search/seizure and wiretapping. These aren’t isolated or random events. These are all part of the administration’s far grander strategy to create a patently un-Constitutional uber-President with powers outside any Congressional or Judicial scrutiny. And that’s just NOT what America is about.
The majority on the Supreme Court followed the law and applied a strict interpretation of the Constitution. One would think righties would applaud such adherence to the Founders’ document and intents. They certainly did not intend for the Constitution to be viewed as just another annoying hurdle in their quest for more power.
The invasion and occupation of Iraq was a necessary component in this plan. It provided a vehicle for the administration to declare itself on a war footing. We’re a country at war. That provided the first layer unto which they added that since we’re at war, the President has available to him certain extra latitude with the law.
Russ,
What evidence are you basing your claim on that most people don’t agree with the Supreme Court’s ruling on Habeas Corpus? Or is your claim just as accurate as Cheney’s claim that China is drilling oil off the coast of Cuba? Don’t let the facts get in the way of your agenda.
russ:
Keep clicking your heels together and saying “I’m not on 2008 anymore” and maybe you’ll get back to 1950 America, or wherever it is you came from. Take Toto niblet with you.
So the vast majority in America don’t agree with the Supreme Court ruling on Gitmo and still you lunatic lefties think this is a good election issue?
Sure a lot of wacko Keith Olbermann type lefties here. Wonder why; Mr. Turley is not as far left as you, he only plays he is to get on National TV.
Don is easy to understand. He’s someone who believes the nonsense parleyed by the pundits after 9/11 to wit: Now this changes everything!
He’s just one of those pseudo “tough guys” that thinks he’s being manly by identifying with torture as a “tough guys” response. The lie is in the fact that there is nothing “tough” about being a torturer, it is work for those who need to bully to cover up for their own inadequacy.
It is long proven that torture doesn’t work except to obtains answers to what the torturer already believes to be true. Literally thousands of years of history have proven that torture begets the answers torturers want, rather than uncover sought after truths.
The only conclusion that I can draw by the insistence of this administration and its minions to contravene American ideals by this barbarity, is that this is really about a need for vicarious sexual sadism. I’ll bet that initiation into Skull N’ Bones is a bizarre psycho-sexual ritual highlighted by sadism, with homoerotic overtones. As for Cheney and the neocons, how many of them suffered the “Stockholm Syndrome” on their respective schoolyards?
This may be of interest to some. It concerns immunity from Bull Crap. Guess someone thinks it’s important.
14 Impunity for US War Criminals
in Top 25 Censored Stories for 2008
Source:
Congressional Quarterly, November 22, 2006
Title: “A Senate Mystery Keeps Torture Alive—and Its Practitioners Free”
Author: Jeff Stein
http://public.cq.com/public/20061122_homeland.html
Student Researcher: Marley Miller
Faculty Evaluator: James Dean, Ph.D.
A provision mysteriously tucked into the Military Commission Act (MCA) just before it passed through Congress and was signed by President Bush on October 17, 2006 (see story #1), redefines torture, removing the harshest, most controversial techniques from the definition of war crimes, and exempts the perpetrators—both interrogators and their bosses—from prosecution for such offences dating back to November 1997.
“…A President Gore would have done exactly as our President Bush has done to protect the country. You know it is so….”
I’m quite certain tat is NOT so. This is yet another example of typical neocon Bull Crap of saying any outrageous lie often enough that one dimensional thinkers will accept it. I see you’ve accepted it too.
Everyone I know who now calls themselves “independent” does so because they’re correctly embarrassed for having supported this failed administration in ’00, ’04 and their, John McBush’s, ongoing debacle in Iraq. Most plan to vote for Obama to punish the GOP for what they sense is a betrayal of trust.
And FYI, if you’re tired of hearing from the looney left about anything, now would be a good time to start visiting another site as we’re mostly very proud loony lefties here.
Don et al,
I got enraged when I read your response to the proof being disclosed that torture was and maybe still is being done in our name. Your prediction that Gore would have done the same thing is total BS. Mespo was correct with his label of “swami”. It is also amazing that Clinton is still being brought up to provide cover for the crimes of the Bush Administration. First of all, Rendition is bad, but rendition and Torture are even worse. Add to that, holding prisoners without being charged and without counsel and what you are seeing is a predetermined campaign to torture people not for their information, but for additional punishment. Does it bother you that the torture and maltreatment is being blamed on underlings when it was ordered at the highest levels? Does murdering detainees by our agents bore you? Maybe you just need some more drugs to get you motivated to actually care that your President, ( I know you say you are an Independent, but I like Mespo don’t believe you) is breaking Federal Law and International law and we still don’t have Osama Bin Laden?
don:
“No, don is an independent that is sick of hearing from the looney left about torture Bull Crap…
….
A President Gore would have done exactly as our President Bush has done to protect the country. You know it is so.”
*******************
I get it you’re an “independent” ’cause who wants to be associated with the Repubs right now anyway? Plus, you’re a swami who can predict not only the future, but what would have happened. No mere mortals these neo-cons. Is there an “S” on your chest too?
Really good position, don.
Take the blinders off. We are in some deep S*&^.
Gyges,
So true!
don,
I also wanted to ask you when Americans became so craven that our highest value became “safety”, so high that we’ll tear up our constitution by our own cowardice. Who needs foreign terrorists anyway?
Jill
Don,
I’m with you, what could be more boring? People have been misusing their positions of power for all of recorded history. Can’t we find something new to complain about? Do we really need to rehash all this “basic human rights” business again? They’re only capturing and people that have a different culture then us anyways, so who cares?
Anyway it’s not like there’s a historical pattern of leaders starting off by torturing foreigners and people on the fringes of society and then gradually instituting a regime based on fear.
don,
It does not matter to me which party people who endorse torture are from. From everything I can see, both republicans and democrats let this go down. So I really want to know why you think torture is Bull Crap. Would you have objected to Gore torturing people? How does torture protect the United States?
Jill
no, don is an independent that is sick of hearing from the looney left about torture Bull Crap…
Never heard you complain about Clinton’s rendition programs did we?
A President Gore would have done exactly as our President Bush has done to protect the country. You know it is so.
Don apparently is one of those America-haters we read about all the time on right wing blogs.
Standard Operating Procedure (Hardcover)
by Philip Gourevitch (Author), Errol Morris (Author)
I just heard about this book on the BBC. It documents how the orders to torture came from the highest level. It also examines the effect on the low level people who were tried for engaging in “harsh” interrogation techniques.
No professional interrogator would request the use of torture to achieve her or his aims. I am just wondering why cheney and bush et al were so keen on their counterproductive sadism. If they wanted information, this is the least likely way to get it, so what’s going on here?
I hope congress keeps the grandstanding to a minimum and grills Haynes. Real sanctions would be a nice bonus.
don,
I’m very sorry that our nation’s cruelty to others doesn’t bother you. It should. These are not the actions of an honorable nation.
Jill
Yawnnnn.