Cheney Admits Central Role In Torture For First Time

Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday that he was directly involved in approving severe interrogation methods used by the CIA, and that the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should remain open indefinitely.

Cheney's remarks on Guantanamo appear to put him at odds with President Bush, who has expressed a desire to close the prison, although the decision is expected to be left to the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama.

Cheney's comments also mark the first time that he has acknowledged playing a central role in clearing the CIA's use of an array of controversial interrogation tactics, including a simulated drowning method known as waterboarding.

"I was aware of the program, certainly, and involved in helping get the process cleared," Cheney said in an interview with ABC News.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[billmnt]

Bush's #1 accomplishment for 8 years is that he has stayed ALIVE and kept Cheney out of the White House. Let's count our blessings and move on!

[Wolf Larsen]

All in favor of waterboarding Cheney form a line and grab a pail of water......

No pushing please......

[PhilipTaylor]

Cheney seems to be begging to be indicted so Bush can PARDON HIM!

The Texas case is moving too slow to indict him so he jumped on this one!

[lungfish]

The man and his words have been rebutted and proved worthless, repeatedly. Why should we be surprised that these people, when confronted with their lies and their malfeasance, show no shame at all.
Gaffney's comments, like Cheney's and Bush's adequately demonstrate how wrong and how self serving these people really are.
I really hope that the Presidential Pardon is contained to prevent him from blanket pardoning the Administration for everything.....
At the same time, the people that Bush pardon's and the reson's offered will be the clearest indictment of the President and the issues that he believes are criminal....

[Opt1musPr1me]

I strongly believe that torture is an effective way of extracting information. For example, whenever my kids want to know who ate their Suzie Q's or fruit cups and they get no answer from me or their mom, they resort to blasting Jonas Brothers, Corbin Bleu and Miley Cyrus music until their mom caves and turn me in. I am then sent to the store to replace it only to come back to them watching high school Musical for the millionth time. Oouch!

[rf-hawaii]

Perhaps it's not a crime anymore. What does the Patriot Act say?

[Deidroni]

On Jan. 21,2009, America needs to ask the Obama Administration, specifically Attorney General Holder, when will the investigation/prosecution begin for war crimes by the Bush Administration?

[Tom Joad]

The truth is slowly creeping its way to the front. How long before we hear an admission that the GWOT (Global War on Terror) was really a Global War for Oil Tomorrow? It is remarkable that in its final days, these hoodlums are letting their tongues slip so blithely.

[donttasemebro]

So he admits to the war crimes he's committed. Good. Let the prosecution begin.

[daveincolorado]

So, who is going to arrest him for doing something illegal? I'm confused about this and Bush's admitted crime of authorizing illegal surveillance: who is going to step up and throw these guys in the klink? If you or I did this, we'd disappear so fast, nobody would remember us. But is Congress going to order the AG to arrest tehm? How can we get anything done about this?

[AnotherTry]

Obviously no one.

[sbvpav]

i ask you, is the ongoing blago msm obsession more important to we americans than this? the enormity of what cheney/ bush/gonzales did to this country and our moral standing, but more importantly our national security and safety is overwhelming!

[Sassafras63]

No...sadly, it's just apparently more important and titillating to the 24 hour cable news networks.

[FreeRange]

This man should be prosecuted and imprisoned for the rest of his life... at Guantanamo Bay, or if we close Guantanamo, at Abu Ghraib. Actually Abu Ghraib would be the best place for him... a little hair of the dog....

[flamom4obama]

Not sure why this comment is being flagged, but here goes again.

MSM needs to stop using the phrase "severe interrogation methods" when referencing "torture".

Please call it what it is so there are no questions about what our Govt has been eagerly participating in.

[gorgol]

From Olbermann show...After ww2, a WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL put to death some Japanese soldiers for WATERBOARDING PRISONERS.....

[MossyOak]

Watched a PBS documentary last night called "Torturing Democracy." It explained everything in gross detail, how Cheney and his War Counsel of DOJ lawyers got around all the laws, and how Bush signed a bill that prevented anyone involved in torture from being prosecuted, at least in the U.S courts. Lots of interviews with innocent tortured detainees.... There was a British lawyer interviewed after the documentary that basically said if the U.S. doesn't take care of Bush, the world court will. The documentary and a huge database of documents is available at

www.torturingdemocracy.org.

If you can stand to see the real story... I could not sleep last night, so it's not for the squeamish.

[IowaKid]

Chenny's reply "So"
Bush's reply "So What"

Is this what the republican party thinks of the american people? They seem to defend these guys tooth and nail.

[flamom4obama]

You're right.

Just for curiosities sake I've browsed the right wing sites looking for references to our V.P.'s confession regarding his premier role in supporting and initiating "severe interrogation methods" and guess what?! If you can find one it's not surprising to find congratulatory remarks applauding Cheney and Bush's actions. Sad. You would think that if the Left and Right can agree on anything it would be a universal denouncement of these tactics.