Torture: A real reason for bitterness

April 13, 2008 · Posted in Bush Administration 

While CNN and the other Sunday talking heads obsess over the ‘bitterness’ speech, and the Clinton/McCain campaign continues to flog it, let’s talk about the real reason to be bitter: President George Bush ADMITS he knew about torture authorization after his top advisors got together and discussed in excruciating detail how best to carry it out.

During an interview with ABC News last Thursday, President Bush admitted that he knew that “The Principals” discussed and approved the torture of so-called “high value” al Qaeda suspects:

“Well, we started to connect the dots in order to protect the American people.” Bush told ABC News White House correspondent Martha Raddatz. “And yes, I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.”

Think about this when you hear those trial balloons for Condoleeza Rice to be the VP candidate with McCain (wouldn’t THAT be an incredible irony?):

The high-level discussions about these “enhanced interrogation techniques” were so detailed, these sources said, some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed — down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic.

These top advisers signed off on how the CIA would interrogate top al Qaeda suspects — whether they would be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or subjected to simulated drowning, called waterboarding, sources told ABC news.


Dear World,

Please accept my sincere apologies as an American citizen for the leadership of our country. Understand that he and his cabal were not the choice of the majority of Americans, but that he stole leadership by way of an electoral coup that each and every voter should remember in the upcoming November election.

As an American, I’m ashamed that anyone in a leadership position in this country would dare to consider abandoning the Geneva conventions in favor of choosing — in DETAIL — known torture techniques to gain information about enemy plans.

What al Qaeda did on 9/11/2001 was reprehensible. Still, that didn’t give our leaders free reign to engage in inhuman and intolerable physical abuse of other human beings in the name of “war”.

Once again, I emphasize that Mr. Bush and his gang appointed themselves to this position without the approval of the majority of Americans. We are now horrified to discover that his lack of regard for human rights in the name of oil has extended so deeply into evil acts.

Sincerely,

Karoli

I cannot imagine anyone sitting around a table deciding how long prisoners should be waterboarded, how naked they should be, how deeply humiliated they should become. I cannot imagine anyone sitting around a table figuring out how to instruct their soldiers to execute such orders. I cannot imagine the craven depths of depravity it took to smugly approve such acts and then admit them coldly and without regret.

Still, it happened. And I’m bitter about it. I’m bitter that my citizenship has been abused in such a fashion, that such a stain has been applied to the word American. And I’m most bitter about the fact that in a day and age of near-instant information, the fact of Bush’s direct approval of TORTURE has been ignored in favor of Clinton/McCain spin by the press, cable news, and broadcast news.

This evil man has disgraced us all. And for what? This wasn’t about retribution for 9/11. It never has been. It’s been his quest for oil, for riches, for control of the Middle East. Count on it. He sold our humanity for 30 barrels of oil.

Bitter? You’re damn right I’m bitter.

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Comments

  • Bruce,

    No argument with your statement about our wrongs not justifying theirs. This is absolutely true.

    On the other hand, their wrongs do not and should not justify ours. There is no evidence for the efficacy of torture, and prisoners have died at our hands. Prisoners with friends, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and so on.

    In Iraq, there is no evidence of any link to 9/11. And the fact is that we destabilized their lives and brought destruction to their country, and yes, I do believe it was for 'oily motives'.

    Moreover, by asking our soldiers to carry out despicable acts of torture, we are compromising their peace of mind, and possibly even sanity.

    This is not right, and shouldn't be tolerated, in my opinion.

    I loathe what was done on 9/11, but that is still not justification for what we are doing now.
  • I thank you for and agree with your sentiment and apology. Our leadership has not lived up to our ideals and should be held responsible on the world stage and by history.
    I must however add to your statements.
    While the means are not justified, we can NOT forget some of these operative planned for or directly murdered our friends and family members. Our wrongs do not justify theirs. And while the oily ends may be suspect, our troops are attempting to provide the citizenry with a safe, stable environment to raise their children and live their lives. No more or less than we want, and are fighting for in our electoral process. And while our rhetoric may be derisive the threats, torture and murder of Iraqi's by their own people is reprehensible.
  • Very Good Post Karoli;

    I think your right about the Oil thing.

    LOL

    There two ways to fight evil
    1. become nothing - then since you are nothing there is nothing else hence no evil.
    That will not work in the physical evil world.

    2. You must know your enemy .... Geneva conventions.. al Qaeda have not use for the Geneva conventions unless sawing off heads while alive in now in the rule books.

    Become your enemy......being passive will not work here.... Get off the path Defeat the Evil ...when evil is gone and cannot hurt my family, friends, citizens and country... then you jump back on the path....because sometimes turning the other cheek does not make it happen.



    Cheers
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