Questioning Terrorists -- With Compassion
"I am absolutely convinced (banning waterboarding) was the right thing to do," said President Obama at a recent press conference, "not because there might not have been information that was yielded by these various detainees who were subjected to this treatment, but because we could have gotten this information in other ways (emphasis added), in ways that were consistent with our values, in ways that were consistent with who we are."
Once upon a time, critics of the Bush administration's alleged used of "torture" often argue that it simply does not work. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, for example, once said, "Experts agree that you do not obtain reliable intelligence through using these tactics and you diminish our reputation in the world, which hurts the cooperation we need to collect the intelligence we need to protect the American people."
Over the objection of his CIA director, the President publicly released the so-called torture memos. They described the allegedly abusive interrogation techniques used by the Bush administration. But the President's national intelligence director, Adm. Dennis Blair, recently wrote a memo to his staff. "High value information," he wrote, "came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qaida organization that was attacking this country." When Blair's memo was released, that quote had been deleted.
The Blair memo also said, "I like to think I would not have approved those methods in the past, but I do not fault those who made the decisions at that time (emphasis added), and I will absolutely defend those who carried out the interrogations within the orders they were given." Not exactly string 'em up, trial to follow. The document release also deleted that quote.
The CIA recently said it stands by a 2005 Justice Department memo on "enhanced interrogation" techniques — including waterboarding — used on al-Qaida leader and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, which caused him to reveal information that allowed the government to thwart another attack. This 9/11-style attack — called the "second wave" — planned to crash a hijacked plane into a building in Los Angeles.
Former Clinton administration Deputy Attorney General and current Attorney General Eric Holder, in a 2002 interview, said, "One of the things we clearly want to do with these prisoners is to have an ability to interrogate them and find out what their future plans might be, where other cells are located." The Geneva Conventions, Holder noted, place restrictions on interrogations. Holder argued that if we want our own prisoners treated well, we should treat the detainees humanely and in a manner consistent with the Geneva Conventions. But he pointed out, "It seems to me that given the way in which (these terrorists) have conducted themselves, however, that they are not, in fact, people entitled to the protection of the Geneva Convention. They are not prisoners of war."
Who said the following?
"Although I am personally opposed to the use of torture, I have no doubt that any president — indeed any leader of a democratic nation — would in fact authorize some forms of torture against a captured terrorist if he believed that this was the only way of securing information necessary to prevent an imminent mass casualty attack." — Alan Dershowitz, op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal, Nov. 7, 2007.
Who said the following?
"Every one of us can imagine the following scenario: We get lucky; we get the No. 3 guy in al-Qaida, and we know there's a big bomb going off in America in three days and this guy knows where it is. We have the right and the responsibility to beat it out of him." — former President Bill Clinton, Sept. 24, 2006.
Obama, after conceding that the "enhanced interrogation" techniques produced valuable and perhaps lifesaving intel, says we could have gotten it in other ways. Such as … ?
—Make the terrorist stand on one leg for 4 1/2 hours and sing, in Farsi, "Do the Hokey Pokey."
—Tell the terrorist that Dick Cheney just flew into Pakistan for a little bird hunting.
—Tell the terrorist that Osama bin Laden decided to pack it in, hired the William Morris Agency and plans to host a reality show called "Dancing With the Mullahs."
—Tell him that Osama bin Laden's No. 2, Ayman al-Zawahri, has converted to Judaism.
—Threaten to give him two front-row tickets to a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game.
—Paste on the terrorist's prison cell ceiling a Photoshopped picture of Helen Thomas in a thong bikini.
—Tell him that Cat Stevens has returned to Christianity and that Flavor Flav has become a Muslim.
—Make him sit through an entire Joe Biden speech.
The campaign and election ended. Obama won. He serves as commander in chief in the real world. If a terrorist refuses to divulge information that could save hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of lives, what, pray tell, "other way" does the President envision?
Larry Elder is a syndicated radio talk show host and best-selling author. His latest book, "What's Race Got to Do with It?" is available now. To find out more about Larry Elder, visit his Web page at www.LarryElder.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
CREATORS SYNDICATE COPYRIGHT 2009 LAURENCE A. ELDER
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Sir;....The unfortunate fact if we are a virtuous people is that we cannot conquer the world... The fortunate fact if we are virtuous people, is that world conquest is not a virtuous act worthy of a virtuous people...Shall we torture to win??? What if winning is not what we want to do, and the price of winning is not one we want to bear...I have known pain...Most of us have survived some great pain... We have the consolation that most of our great pain can be laid upon fate, or God; and not at all upon the hatred of our fellow human beings...To deliberately take a person who must rely upon your honor for his well being, and torture him for any reason is a crime against humanity...Is there a justification???Of course...Injustice is always justified, usually in advance, but inevitably... Justification does not make it just...A just act justifies itself...We do not need to trouble explaining helping a little old lady across the street...All those acts we know on an emotional level are wrong must be justified, defended, explained, and sweetened up with a false hypothesis... Perhaps not losing is better than winning... What we must do to win enrages them all...What we must do to win shames us all, and dishonors us to such an extent that we will not have peace with them...If we are practicing total war, then roll out the nukes... There is no excuse for that either, but if we show ourselves to be without honor we will suffer war with those Muslims until they nuke us, and we nuke them back... We could have peace with them...We have had peace before, but we have changed, and now winning means more than honor, freedom and justice... What if they have a just cause... What if they feel their just cause justifies all they do against the powerful satan??? What ever motivates them, we can easily protect ourselves from them... But to have commerce, and to have their oil we give them money to spend, and that brings them here where they are a danger to us...We make their war against us possible and desirable... And when we show ourselves to be inhuman we justify all they do in the pursuit of our destruction...Thanks...Sweeney
Comment: #1
Posted by: James A, Sweeney
Thu May 7, 2009 7:14 PM
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Taxpayers know that terrorists shouldn't be treated with compassion and absolutely shouldn't have any kind of special treatment! Didn't these terrorists feed our soldiers bread and water (if anything at all), strip them down, let them lay on concrete, no clothes, and no blankets, and America is 'supposed to be civilized?' TAXPAYERS DON'T THINK SO! I suppose folks have forgotten 9/11! As someone said "when in a war for the safety of America, destroy everything in site!" It doesn't take a rocket to figure that our so-called leaders no longer have the backbone for any war! Their thinking is "we'll just shake hands, smile, hand them billions of dollars, and everything will go away!" I hate to be the one that told you so but "Americans, who fought in previous wars, know that in a war, this is what it is "A WAR" and in order to protect Americans, we're going to have to go back to the 'eye for an eye' and 'a tooth for a tooth' if America is to survive!" Our grandparents fought for America and at no time did they turn 'spineless' and make statements like 'we'll make them like us!' After the arrest of the 'grinning' pirate and his 15 minutes of fame, just the thought of our government saying 'no more waterboarding', 'no more inhumane punishment', I would like to ask "Why the 'hello-dolly' not! Do you idiots think these pirates and terrorists are just out for a 'ski on the waters?' Politicians have lost it! These terrorists, and also the ones already living on American soil, are bent on killing all Americans and taking over or haven't you air heads figured this out yet? Taxpayers know that "AN EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH" means just that, so stop trying to 'paint a rose colored garden' for these killers. INCIDENTALLY, prisons are too good for these people and Taxpayers' money shouldn't be used to keep them up, even the Arizona 'tent city' is too good for them! As for OBAMA LITERALLY 'SHAKING AND EXTENDING HIS HAND & TELLING CHAVEZ & CASTRO' = 'I'M NOT TALKING JUST TO BE TALKING' IS GOING TO MAKE THESE DICTATORS LOVE HIM AND AMERICA, HE'S OH SO MISTAKEN. THESE PEOPLE MAIM, RAPE AND KILL THEIR OWN KIN, AND HE THINKS THEY'LL SPARE HIM AND AMERICA? GIVE ME A BREAK! TAXPAYERS are saying "Obamas' radical and socialist changes are more than can be tolerated; therefore, look for the Tea Parties to increase and all politicians pay to be cut to $12,000.00 yearly! Or, sell them a one-way ticket to the foreign countries they've sold America to, taking all assets to pay off the trillions they've borrowed without Taxpayers' consent! Gitmo looks better for them everyday, doesn't it? Americans know these terrorists hate our guts and I keep remembering the statement "we'll bring America to its'' knees, and we'll never left a finger!" WAKE UP, AMERICA, BEFORE ITS' TOO LATE!
THE FOLLOWING WAS SENT TO ME AND I'M FORWARDING IT ALONG! ================================================================================ There was a Pied Piper who said, “We live in the greatest country in the world. Help me change it!” *And the people said, “Change is good!” Then he said, “We are going to tax the rich fat-cats,”…*And the people said “Sock it to them!” “and redistribute their wealth.” *And the people said, “Show me the money!” And then he said, “Redistribution of wealth is good for everybody” *And Joe the plumber said, are you kidding me?” And Joe's personal records were hacked and publicized. *And one lone reporter asked, “Isn't that Marxist policy?” And she was banished from the kingdom! Then someone asked, “With no foreign relations experience, how will you deal with radical terrorists?” And the Pied Piper said, “Simple. I'll sit down and talk with them and show them how nice we really are and they'll forget that they ever wanted to kill us all!” Then the Pied Piper said, “I'll give 95% of you lower taxes.” *And one, lone voice said, “But 40% of us don't pay ANY taxes.” So the Pied Piper said, “Then I'll give you some of the taxes the fat-cats pay!” *And the people said, “Show me the money!” Then the Pied Piper said, “I'll tax your Capital Gains when you sell your homes!” *And the people yawned and the slumping housing market collapsed. And he said, “I'll mandate employer- funded health care for EVERY worker and raise the minimum wage.” *And the people said, “Gim'me some of that!” Then he said, “I'll penalize employers who ship jobs overseas.” *And the people said, “Where's my rebate check?” Then the Pied Piper actually said, “I'll bankrupt the coal industry and electricity rates will skyrocket!” *And the people said, “Coal is dirty, coal is evil, no more coal! But we don't care for that part about higher electric rates.” So the Pied Piper said, “Not to worry. If your rebate isn't enough to cover your expenses, we'll bail you out. Just sign up with ACORN and your troubles are over!” Then he said, “Illegal immigrants feel scorned and slighted. Let's grant them amnesty, Social Security, free education, free lunches, free medical care, bi-lingual signs and guaranteed housing.” *And the people said, “Ole`! Bravo!” And they made him King! And so it came to pass that employers, facing spiraling costs and ever-higher taxes, raised their prices and laid off workers. Others simply gave up and went out of business and the economy slowed even further. Then the Pied Piper said, “I am the Messiah and I'm here to save you! We'll just print more money so everyone will have enough!” But our foreign trading partners said, “Wait a minute. Your dollar isn't worth what it was. You'll have to pay more.” *And the people said, “Wait a minute. That's not fair!” And the world said, “Neither are these other, idiotic programs you've embraced. You've become a Socialist state and a second-rate power. Now you'll play by our rules!” *And the people said, “What have we done?” But it was too late. If you think this is a fairy tale, open your eyes and ears. It's happening RIGHT NOW!
Comment: #2
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Fri May 8, 2009 5:17 PM
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Mr. Elder, we weren't even close to the hypothetical Clinton posed during the torture period, or any of the other Hollywood movie-type story lines you seem attracted to. Unfortunately, for the average taxpayer waiting in the herd to be fleeced, the more a purveyor of empty words like you can package the confidence game in Hollywood themes, the closer will be the shave. All of that hype about the new "war on terror" was just a variation on the Bush-Cheney fantasy theme that got us into Iraq. All the FBI, CIA, and the others had to do to prevent 9/11 was their job, and to stop making their inter-agency contests of secrecy and one-upmanship a higher priority than protecting the public.
=================================================================================== Any time some politician starts talking about a war on something, you should know it's a guaranteed loser, a fig leaf for the fact that we're about to enshrine a new cottage industry whose main purpose is to continue on into perpetuity. Think "war on drugs."
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Although, sadly, President Obama seems to be marching right down the same tragic path as the person he has succeeded, he got it exactly right when he said we could have gotten the information in other ways besides torture. If anybody really cared to answer the question as to whether torture works over other methods, they would have compared the quality of information gathered using different methods in something resembling a scientific approach. But the torture crowd didn't do that. Didn't need to because they have God on their side. Just like the terrorists have Allah. The two groups really are just about indistinguishable, although I do believe I detect a tad less desire on the part of the former to actually put their own lives on the line to back the easy-flowing words.
Comment: #3
Posted by: Masako
Sat May 9, 2009 9:26 AM
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Mr masako?: why haven't you mentioned some of those scientific approaches??Ms. deLong I love you..Mr. Sweeny: Same old prattle.
Comment: #4
Posted by: gary
Sun May 10, 2009 2:38 PM
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Re: Shirley deLong I said it once before today about someone...I wish I could write like that. You're great.
Comment: #5
Posted by: gary
Sun May 10, 2009 2:41 PM
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Re: gary
Thanks, Gary. I'm glad God gave me common sense and the ability to think past tomorrow! I write because, after being in business, I see where the politicians have ruined America with Nafta, Cafta, Freddie, Fannie, AIG, Auto companies, non-profit organizations, social, welfare programs, and others who'take' money that don't belong to them, for the American worker and their families. It truly makes me very angry that our children and grandchildren won't be able to have a job let alone buy a loaf of bread. Every Taxpayers, that has a job at present, needs to make it known that "Tax Tea Parties" will override the politicians hype and put an end to their 'tax & spenders!'
May God Bless all of us. Again, thanks, Gary.
Comment: #6
Posted by: Shirley deLong
Wed May 13, 2009 4:48 PM
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