Boehner: Memos Outline "Torture Techniques"

While cable news outlets and major newspapers continue to use euphemisms such as "harsh interrogation tactics" to describe the Bush administration's approach to intelligence gathering, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) used a more succinct term Thursday: "torture."

"Last week, they released these memos outlining torture techniques. That was clearly a political decision and ignored the advice of their Director of National Intelligence and their CIA director," Boehner said at a press conference in the Capitol.

The techniques discussed include waterboarding, slamming detainees into walls, and depriving them of sleep for up to 11 days.

Boehner argued that a discussion of such torture techniques was "inappropriate," as it could tip off U.S. enemies to the tactics used and "denigrate" the United States and its allies. Torture is illegal under U.S. and international law.

"This is another sideshow here in Washington," Boehner said about the ongoing discussion about torture. "When it comes to what our interrogation techniques are going to be or should be, I'm not going to disclose, nor should anyone have a conversation about what those techniques ought to be. It's inappropriate. All it does is give our enemies more information about us than they need."

Two reporters pressed Boehner about his assertion that the discussion wasn't appropriate. "Shouldn't the American public know what's being done in their name?" asked one. "Shouldn't they have an idea?"

Boehner paused. "Let me take a deep breath here," he said. "We're talking about terrorists who are hell bent on killing Americans. All right?"

"Alleged terrorists," noted the reporter.

"And 3,000 of our fellow citizens died. And there were techniques that were used by Americans and our allies around the world that helped keep America safe," Boehner said. "I'm not going to allow our professionals and our allies around the world to get denigrated because they were working to keep our country safe."

Regarding his use of the T-word, Boehner spokesman Michael Steel writes, "It is clear from the context that Boehner was simply using liberals' verbiage to describe these interrogation techniques. The United States does not torture."

Ryan Grim is the author of the forthcoming book This Is Your Country On Drugs: The Secret History of Getting High in America

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Comments

[Mrphd2b]

12:13 PM on 04/26/2009

Salon.com:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/24/democrats/
Friday April 24, 2009 08:01 EDT
Democratic complicity and what "politicizing justice" really means

It has to do with the most central premise of the American system of government: that we are a nation of laws, not men, and all are equal before the law. People like John McCain argue that only "banana republics" prosecute former political leaders, but the reality is exactly the opposite. As the Western world has spent decades pointing out, the hallmark of an under-developed, tyrannical society is the very same premise we have embraced: that political elites are free to break the law with impunity and never suffer the consequences that ordinary citizens do.

The many roads of inquiry into the Bush administration's abusive "interrogation techniques" all lead to one stubborn, inconvenient fact: Torture is not just immoral but also illegal. This means that once we learn the whole truth, the law will oblige us to act on it. . . . The rule of law is one of this nation's founding principles. It's not optional. Our laws against torture demand to be obeyed -- and demand to be enforced.

[rhubardpi]

09:55 PM on 04/26/2009

I do believe that enforcement of the law is in reality optional for whomever is in charge....depending on how well they can finesse the obvious, and public outcry.

[rhubardpi]

10:08 PM on 04/26/2009

I should add I worked for the IRS Collection Division for 28 yrs and I can assure you they often let delinquent taxpayers get away with murder. I told this to former IRS Commissioner Rosotti in person, he said he did not believe it could happen. I told him I had taxpayer case reviews at my desk that proved what I was telling him. His response?? He turned and walked away. On 1-28-09 I sent a letter re this,( with copies of actual taxpayer cases to back up what I claim) to Obama, Geithner, IRS Commissioner Paulson, Sen Enzi and SenTester. I have not heard back from anyone to date.

[Mrphd2b]

12:11 PM on 04/26/2009

Salon.com:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/04/24/democrats/
Friday April 24, 2009 08:01 EDT
Democratic complicity and what "politicizing justice" really means

The inability of so many people (both Republicans and Obama-loyal Democrats) to view the need for prosecutions independent of political considerations is a potent sign of how sick our political culture has become. The need for criminal investigations is motivated by one simple, consummately apolitical fact: serious and brutal crimes were committed at the highest levels of the government, ones that left a trail of many victims. A country that purports to live under the rule of law has no choice but to treat its most powerful members who commit serious crimes exactly the same as ordinary citizens who do so. That has nothing to do with Republicans or Democrats.

It has to do with the most central premise of the American system of government: that we are a nation of laws, not men, and all are equal before the law. People like John McCain argue that only "banana republics" prosecute former political leaders, but the reality is exactly the opposite. As the Western world has spent decades pointing out, the hallmark of an under-developed, tyrannical society is the very same premise we have embraced: that political elites are free to break the law with impunity and never suffer the consequences that ordinary citizens do.

[dzent1]

02:36 AM on 04/26/2009

These guys have absolute balls of brass!

I think ANYONE who advocates for this type of distinct inhumanity should be forced to undergo each of their prescribed techniques before it can be made policy by the government. I'm sick of these guys and their unquenchable desire/willingness to take down the rest of us if we don't play it their way.

Republicans are now a distinct minority, and it is no less than their despicable behavior as a group deserves. Media - quit enabling these miserable, self-obsessed professional grousers, They're desperate to keep attention focused anywhere but on the disasters they themselves caused.

Attorney General Holder, please find and prosecute these constitution-perverting miscreants. I'm pretty sure you know who they are.

[citizensrus]

01:18 AM on 04/26/2009

I want George W Bush prosecuted for his crimes. All of his criminal misdeeds..dating back to deserting his military service during war time.
His enablers brought us to this point in American History.

[jcole]

12:41 AM on 04/26/2009

The republican party have been doing that for years fear and smear, big business is the ruler if the republican party, the rhetoric that the republican use or the same rhetoric that the communist propaganda party used, i wrote a blog last week on that same subject, you can find my blog at http:// jcolemanpoliticalopinions.blogspot.com, the republican message have lost it's steam, people understand now that these people are out to take over America, this is what Carl Rove thought, as long as we can keep America at war we can keep power, that was their goal, but it did not work this time, America is wakeing up.

[Mark Twaine]

12:20 AM on 04/26/2009

I am reminded of a question by the picture of House Minority Leader John Boehner with Cantor in the background: Are these two a pair? i.e. couple?

[phoenixbc]

12:12 AM on 04/26/2009

As always, Boehner mischaracterized the issue, in order to politicize it. The memos didn't disclose what we did. We've known about the torture since the first photos from Abu Ghraib were released in 2004. The memos tell us that the justification given for the torture (i.e., that we obtained helpful info from the suspects) was incorrect at best, and, at worst, a lie. How on Earth Boehner thinks that helps our enemies is beyond logic. If nothing else, our enemies believe that we are so Godless that we'll kidnap and torture suspects regardless of whether it actually saves innocent lives. Our enemies, as well as our friends, have been in fear of us and now have greater reason to be.

The fallout which Boehner and others fear has nothing to do with our enemies. It has only to do with the reckoning that those responsible hopefully will face, now that the policies of some in the prior Administration have been revealed. While I am sure that Rep. Boehner had nothing to do with those policies, he surely is fearful of yet another round of Republican losses in the next election. He has voiced no condemnation of the torture. It would be inconvenient for him to put the Golden Rule before politics.

[wordvarc]

11:29 PM on 04/25/2009

Obama should release all the torture memos,
identify all the justice and executive branch torture memo players,
take an advisory vote from congress on whether or not to investigate,
then throw the decision regarding torture investigation to the minority party.

We'd then call the GOP...
"The Torture Party."

[Mark Twaine]

12:25 AM on 04/26/2009

They are already the tax cut, teabag, torture party.

[berrycooda]

08:48 PM on 04/25/2009

LOOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS.....

WORKED IN WW2 AND NEEDS TO BE ADOPTED IN 2009.

Our economy is in dire shape and apparently this is to take the heat off that with
all this discussion in the papers and on TV.

Wonder what some of the VETS think about this as they are in the V.A. hospitals
with their legs and arms blown off and suffering terrible injuries from roadside bombs.
Why not talk about how brave our MILITARY is and stop running American in the ground.

[jcole]

10:01 PM on 04/25/2009

Our military people are doing the job they were asked to do, and they are doing a great job, that is not the point, our country is suppose to be a nation of laws, a nation of morals, so if we break the law and treat people inhumane that are in the custody then the moral fabric of the country makes us less safe, Mr Boehner and Cheney have said that we did torture our enemies, so tell me what should we do, overlook war crimes, what if our enemies have one of our people in custody and committed a war crime against our soldiers, would that be all right.

[citizensrus]

01:18 AM on 04/26/2009

Bush had no problem outing Valerie Plame. There's your loose lips.

[Hawaii5-0]

08:37 PM on 04/25/2009

Boehner knows it is torture, so let's stop calling it anything else but torture. It was torture when we prosecuted others for doing it.

[jcole]

10:05 PM on 04/25/2009

that is the question, are we American's a nation of laws or are we a nation of hypocrites.

[citizensrus]

01:23 AM on 04/26/2009

The Republican party is a cult, or a criminal gang. One or the other...they take their marching orders down to the words they use. Nothing is independent. They repeat the party line verbatim.
Knowing what they are, how they operated, continually exposing the mass response they give..will prevent the effect they want to have.
It is torture..and when they it isn't, we continue to use the wordl torture.
The tragedy in America is the media is owned and operated by the same people who own and operate the Republican party and have owned and operated the U.S. for the last 30 years.
We were warned by one who would know.
Beware the Military-Industrial Complex. The rest of Eisenhower's speech is also worthwhile to remember. The cost of war.

[jjgg5]

08:26 PM on 04/25/2009

I am an Ohioan who lives next to Boehner's voting district. I am seriously thinking about moving so that I can vote against in the the next election and have more credibility in the community to campaign for his Democratic rival. The country can no longer afford dim witted, elected politicians. Boehner is increasingly embarrassing to the hard working people of Ohio.

[jcole]

10:23 PM on 04/25/2009

I lived in his district and it's one of the poorist district in Cincinnati Ohio, we were under represented by his leader ship, we only saw him two or maybe three times a year, around election time. the city have not changed much in twenty years.

[citizensrus]

01:24 AM on 04/26/2009

I hate to see poor people vote Republican because they bought the propaganda.

[tiredofit10]

07:36 PM on 04/25/2009

who else agrees with me that Boehner looks like he hits the sauce a wee bit too much. Seriously, he looks like a drunk.

[berrycooda]

08:49 PM on 04/25/2009

takes one to know one....

[SJeffH]

05:27 PM on 04/26/2009

Anyone ever catch him in a smile?

[wordvarc]

07:34 PM on 04/25/2009

GOP = the Torture Party.

[tahoegal]

06:00 PM on 04/25/2009

Oh Boehner, thanks for taking time out of your tanning booth and having your hairpiece styled to regale us with your opinion on the release of these torture documents. If this country cared what you thought, the GOP would be in the majority right now. To quote Megan McCain, you've had your time now either cooperate or go away.

[jcole]

10:40 PM on 04/25/2009

He is not going to cooperate and i don't think he is going to go away, and he drinks black beer aand j and b scotch whiskey.

[Cilantro33309]

03:50 PM on 04/25/2009

We are more likely to be killed by our fellow Americans by a long shot, than killed by a terrorist.

That said, imagine someone is drowning. Now imagine you can't help.

Now imagine someone is forcing that person to drown and you still can't help.

Now imagine the person forcing the drowning is saying he's doing it for you.

Torture is a crime, and no one will EVER do that in my name.

[jcole]

10:44 PM on 04/25/2009

BUT THEY DID, DICK CHENEY AND RUMSFLED DID IT AND LIED ABOUT IT, BUSH DID NOT HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING HE WAS JUST THE PUPPET.