Torture '08: Leading Republicans All Support Water-Boarding

New York Times:

A central tenet of every leading Republican candidate's campaign for president is one simple and powerful idea: I alone can best defend the United States from the threat of terrorism.

And in recent weeks, three candidates, Rudolph W. Giuliani, Mitt Romney and Fred D. Thompson, have embraced some of the more controversial policies on the treatment of those suspected of supporting terrorism, backing harsh interrogation methods and refusing to rule out the use of waterboarding, a simulated drowning technique, on detainees.

Their public statements came as the debate over whether waterboarding is torture had threatened to derail the nomination of Michael B. Mukasey as attorney general after he refused to call the technique illegal.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[jollyroger]

At last we understand the "thrust" of the interrogation of Abner Louima.

That plunger handle up his ass was merely Rudy's version of the light stick used at Abu Ghraib...

[GWHayduke]

Yes, thank god for Rudy! Without his intensive interrogations, there would have been code violations all over New York City!

[olivia]

To vote for Republican after this a person would have to be pure evil.

[davrobi]

To defeat Bin Laden many in this administration have openly embraced the methods of torture by Hitler, Pinochet, Pol Pot, Galtieri and Saddam Hussein.

Who says?

Malcolm Nance, former Master Instructor and Chief of Training at the US Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape School (SERE).
Read his essay in the Small Wars Jounal http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2007/10/waterboarding-is-torture-perio/
to understand why torture does not help in gaining information from suspected terrorist, but only insures our enemies will torture our service members and agents if apprehended in future conflicts.
According to Mr. Nance, murderous abuses have occurred at Abu Ghraieb, Baghram and Guantanamo.
We have lost the moral high ground because of an Administration that does not uphold American values. Anyone who supports this administration's foreign policies, in my opinion, would have been just as supportive of Hitler's SS.

Additional commentary in:
http://lifebelowi10.blogspot.com/

[pzdoff]

The skeletons are going to get you Rudy.

[AKJM]

What would Ford have said? What do Bush I, Dole and other senior Repubs say to posing this question at all in "America?"

[emerywood]

The next thing you know, the Republicans will apply the same principle of torture to the common criminals here. In war, there are ethical considerations like concentrate on military objectives, spare civilian casualties and respect captured combatants. If we don't honor these principles, we are no different from Bin Ladin and his Al Queda gang.

[oldvet]

If they support water boarding and don't think it is torture, then they should all agree to undergo it, starting with Rudy, who as we all know is the toughest, meanest MOFO in the neighborhood.

[TLV]

What will we become if Giuliani is elected? I shudder to think:

"Mr. Kerik followed Mr. Giuliani downstairs to a dimly lighted room. There waited Mr. Giuliani’s boyhood chum Peter J. Powers, who was first deputy mayor, and other aides. One by one, they pulled Mr. Kerik close and kissed his cheek.
“I wonder if he noticed how much becoming part of his team resembled becoming part of a mafia family,” Mr. Kerik wrote. “I was being made.”
--David Kurtz

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/

[agedpov]

Before determining their stance on this issue, I believe each candidate (and House Representative, Senator, President and staff member) should have the courage to submit to this procedure as former Asst. Attorney General Daniel Levin did. Then we'll know whether it is torture or just intensive investigation.

[thegirlnextdoor]

Here's an idea - lets water board all of them and the one who can hold his breathe the longest gets the Republican nomination!

Or, maybe the one who has a heart attack first. The details of the winner and prizing we could decide later.

Let's show it live on tv. Let's add Ann Colter to the team. She'd probably look great wet in a t-shirt. I'll bet advertisers would line up and pay big bucks for a 30 second slot!

For freak's sake, what have we become?

[Kungfublood]

If the "top candidates" want to show how much they love humiliating actual innocent un-accused people as young as 6 years old such as were kidnapped and imprisoned in Cuba for over 3 years. I say let them torture their own children one after the other on FOX prime time news -Then we can all see how there moral fiber appears to be yellow in color and run down the center of their backs! Or maybe one of them might recall some long unused and much needed humanity.a­lthough I wonder how many kids would flee the country not trusting parental love over the dreams of avarice the parents seem to hold foremost.

[FlowerGirl]

Don't blame it all on the Republicans. The Democrats were there,too. Schumer and Feinstein gave their blessing to their fellow Jew. He must look good to them for some reason. And there is reason to believe that some other Democrats see the light now and kowtow to the same political gods.
The Neocons, having used up the Republican Party's good will, now switch to the Democrats for further action on their agenda.
What do they say this system is" The Two Party Whaat? Oh, yes, Swindle!

[eugenegerard]

Therefore All Republican candidates that believe in waterboarding are thugs, gangsters and fascists. 2+2=4

[Gary47]

They all do have their true colors. And they are polishing them up for the red-meat crowd. Truly disgusting, unpatriotic and uncivilized.