How many times did Bush tell us the U.S. doesn't torture? He lied.

[kpete]

Now, top Bush official who approved waterboarding says it isn't legal
by Joe Sudbay (DC) · 2/14/2008


Too late. The Bush legacy as a 21st century torturer is already cemented, but we've got a flip flop on waterboarding:

A senior Justice Department official says laws and other limits enacted since three terrorism suspects were waterboarded have eliminated the technique from what is now legally allowed.

***************************

"The set of interrogation methods authorized for current use is narrower than before, and it does not today include waterboarding," Steven G. Bradbury, acting head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, says in remarks prepared for his appearance Thursday before the House Judiciary Constitution subcommittee.

"There has been no determination by the Justice Department that the use of waterboarding, under any circumstances, would be lawful under current law," he said.

It is the first time the department has expressed such an opinion publicly. CIA Director Michael Hayden stopped short of making a similar statement in testimony about waterboarding before Congress last week.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/14/AR2008021400223.html
..........................

How many times did Bush tell us the U.S. doesn't torture? He lied.

more at:
http://www.americablog.com/2008/02/now-top-bush-official-who-approved.html

[bdamomma]

1. of course he lied, has he ever been up front with us?

NO.

http://www.turnmaineblue.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=769

this little snip tells it all, and apparently we are still doing it. I find it highly insulting that * thinks he has to protect the American people, this is a fallacy, he is supposed to protect the Constitution, but apparently he doesn't care about that GD piece of paper. The man needs to be arrested.

On 5 October 07, our president, Geroge W. Bush said:

I want to say something else. There's been a lot of talk in the newspapers and on TV about a program that I put in motion to detain and question terrorists and extremists. I have put this program in place for a reason, and that is to better protect the American people. And when we find somebody who may have information regarding an -- a potential attack on America, you bet we're going to detain them, and you bet we're going to question them -- because the American people expect us to find out information -- actionable intelligence so we can help protect them. That's our job.
Secondly, this government does not torture people. You know, we stick to U.S. law and our international obligations.

Thirdly, there are highly trained professionals questioning these extremists and terrorists. In other words, we got professionals who are trained in this kind of work to get information that will protect the American people. And by the way, we have gotten information from these high-value detainees that have helped protect you.

And finally, the techniques that we use have been fully disclosed to appropriate members of the United States Congress. The American people expect their government to take action to protect them from further attack. And that's exactly what this government is doing, and that's exactly what we'll continue to do.

[HereSince1628]

2. The Cheney admin is trying to make sure it doesn't get the water torture

from federal prosecutors during the war-crimes investigations that will be launched by the next Democratic Administration.

It's OK for Neconazi's to do it, but you couldn't trust it in the hands of unAmericans. :eyes:

[CoffeeCat]

3. Actually, Bush didn't lie...

Have you noticed that whenever the heat is turned up on torture, and
Bush is asked to comment, that his response is always, "America does
not torture. We do not torture."

This isn't a mistake.

Gonzales and Bush redefined what torture is. They literally re-wrote the
formal, United States policy on torture.

Torture in America is now defined as any act that causes organ failure
or death. So, any action not causing organ failure or death, is just
fine, and it not torture.

Furthermore, the United State's torture definition has a caveat. If
a United States government official is engaging in any action against
a detainee (ANY action at all) for the express purpose of "extracting
information), that action cannot be construed as torture. Those actions
are not torture (no matter what those actions are, if "information
extraction" is the sole reason for engaging in those actions.

That's the current legalese on torture.

So therefore, Bush isn't lying.

Isn't that sick?

[Lugnut]

4. And yet he's still there. n/t