Helen Thomas: Bush shares blame for torture tactics

[babylonsister]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/nov05election/detail?blogid=14&entry_id=38939

Bush shares blame for torture tactics


Shock and shame is the only way to react to the latest revelations of the Bush administration's brutal interrogation of suspected terrorists.

As the world now knows, torture techniques -- approved by President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld -- were exposed in four memos released by the Justice Department under a court order obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Much as President Obama wants to move on and to forget the unsavory history of the preceding administration, he has to face up to its ugly reality.

The Bush administration's legal memos revealed that almost anything went when it came to dealing with the captives in U.S. hands, including water boarding -- a mode of simulated drowning, slamming prisoners against walls and placing a prisoner fearful of insects in a box crawling with caterpillars.

What sadist in our government thought of such barbaric tactics and in our name? Who are these people?

Interrogators apparently could do anything to humiliate the captives, who had never been charged, tried, or convicted. The interrogators were CIA agents and one wonders whether they all put their consciences in a blind trust.

snip//

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, branded the disclosures in the four legal memos as "chilling.'' He has proposed a special commission to look into the many remaining questions.

And did Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld consider themselves above the law when they condoned such practices reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition?

The answer is yes --obviously.

[ananda]

1. Bush admin like Spanish Inquisitors!

Go Helen!

Don't mince those words, honey!

[Baby Snooks]

2. No, no, no...

http://blogs.chron.com/txpotomac/2009/04/helen_thomas_a_tortured_defens.html

The problem according to the bubbas is we don't understand the world. We don't watch enough Chuck Norris movies. And we need to watch Walker: Texas Ranger every day. To remind ourselves that, well, that might makes right. Wave the flag, grab a beer and pop the old DVD in. Life is good.

Without doubt Chuck Norris is on the top ten list of reasons why Texas is so scary. Governor Goober is number one. The favorite Bush lapdogs, John Cornyn and Kay Bailout-Wall-Street-But-Let-Main-Street-Eat-Cake Hutchison are number two. Chuck Norris is number three.

[MasonJar]

3. I love you, Helen. These actions by the Bushista may exceed the cruelty of the

Spanish Inquisition.

[Lerkfish]

4. although blaming little boots for torture is like blaming ronald mcdonald for bad hamburgers: CHENEY

is the mastermind here. they both should be waterboarded, along with Yoo and Gonzales and Rumsfeld, but I think we all know that there isn't enough wattage in little boot's brain to even come up with any of this.

[glitch]

6. No we don't -- Clinton said don't underestimate Bush.

It doesn't take a lot of smarts to hire torturers. IMO Bush epitomizes "low, evil cunning".

[Lerkfish]

10. well, point taken, but I think we should all realize this is CHeney's and RUmsfeld's baby

[glitch]

12. Can't agree. He's up to eyeballs in it.

So are Cheney and Rummy and plenty of others but Bush doesn't get a free pass because he plays a fool on tv.

[Lerkfish]

14. sorry, I wasn't giving him a pass, I was saying he didn't orchestrate it.

[dccrossman]

5. K&R

Helen Thomas is a national treasure.

[glitch]

7. Yikes! Look at all the creepy comments under her article.

Helen's got the freeps riled again. :applause: K & R

[vinylsolution]

8. Keep up the great work, Helen....

... We're with you all the way!

The rest of the groveling corporate media isn't fit to lick your boots.

[jtrockville]

9. Say it like it is Helen! TORTURE TECHNIQUES

Straight up!

[L. Coyote]

11. "four memos released ... under a court order obtained by the ACLU"

Support the ACLU, and give credit where credit is due.

Thanks go to the ACLU.

[TankLV]

13. Umm - bush* & cheney are the AUTHORS of the TORTURE policy

and were the chief CHEERLEADERS...!!!