"Terrorist Propaganda Photos:" GOP Unveils New Phrase For Detainee Torture Photos

The Plumline:

Get ready to hear Republicans and conservative opinion-makers using a new phrase to describe the unreleased photos of detainees that are at the center of a white-hot political war right now: "Terrorist propaganda photos."

Read the whole story: The Plumline

Comments

[Bronxdude]

Despite Cheney’s advanced state of delusion, republicans need to remember that Obama, McCain, and 130 million Americans voted to end the use of advanced interrogation techniques (torture). As an argument against torture, in the past 10 years, numerous convictions have been overturned because alleged perpetrators provided bogus confessions extracted during torture, i.e., police brutality. Oh, by the way, thousands of Nazi soldiers were held on American soil during WWII, so what’s the difference with Gitmo detainees being incarcerated at super-max prisons now. American prisons have long been considered cesspools of higher learning for criminals, and Gitmo detainees will no doubt devote their 23 hours per day of solitary confinement to figuring out how to escape, which is no different from what occurs in prisons today. Relying on fear and lies to scare Americans and muster support for their republican agenda, Cheney, Hannity, and Limbaugh preach that Gitmo detainees will freely walk American streets, and bailed-out American corporations and banks will be controlled by the Obama Administration, which will translate into increased numbers of loyal democratic voters for the next election cycle, with the result being that republicans will remain out of power, none of which occurred when Chrysler and New York City were bailed-out in the 70s.

[Bronxdude]

In the face of mounting pressure to expose the truth about torture and how America was duped into war, the ability of republicans to willfully suspend reality is impressive, yet frightening. Even though Gingrich continues to call for Speaker Pelosi to resign, republican minions refuse to revisit the facts surrounding Newt’s adulterous affair while he was simultaneously leading the charge to impeachment of Clinton for the same behavior. Clinton survived, while Gingrich was forced to resign in disgrace. Regardless of Cheney’s fear mongering, America will be hit again because our enemies are too many, and our resources too few. External (and internal) threats based on extreme ideology will produce causalities, just ask Israel, Spain, Great Britain, India, Germany, etc. If Bush and Cheney were so keen about keeping America safe, why were we hit nine months into the Bush Administration? Answer: The intel was ignored because the Neocons needed a reason to establish military bases in the Middle East. Since no administration (republican or democrat) will be able to keep us totally safe from terrorists (home-grown or imported), it’s simply unfair for Cheney to promote this as a benchmark of success. It’s like saying seatbelts will eradicate vehicle fatalities. America is a country of laws, a fact that gives us unprecedented moral standing in the world. Right or wrong, GIs responded brutally during WWII and Vietnam to revelations that fellow Americans were being tortured. No doubt Al-Qaeda will respond the same way.

[Bronxdude]

Halliburton (Cheney’s 401K) and KBR embody the dreaded military industrial complex Eisenhower warned about. Under no-bid contracts approved by a republican Congress, and disbursed with no oversight, KBR companies and subsidiaries were paid billions for shoddy construction work that resulted in soldiers being seriously injured and electrocuted; based on this fact alone, the republican party of no compassion should be renamed the party of greed and shame. So, why are KBR officials not facing indictment? Answer: from 2002 to 2006, these scumbags funneled millions in contributions to crooked and degenerate republican politicians (and their 504 organizations) to look the other way. No wonder republicans cringe whenever anyone mentions "truth commission." The republican expectation is that unethical and criminal activities committed while in office should never be investigated, because to do so would somehow diminish America’s creditability, which is the exact same argument put forth decades ago by republican pundits seeking to prevent Nixon and Reagan from being indicted. Whether Pelosi knew about water-boarding is irrelevant; where and when Obama travels on Air Force One is irrelevant; whether Bush and Cheney fabricated and manipulated intelligence to start a war is relevant; whether Bush authorized torture in defiance of the Geneva Convention is relevant; whether republican legislated deregulation led to America’s financial meltdown is relevant; and whether republican fear mongers are spreading deceit and concocting lies to scare Americans into blindly accepting an ineffectual, antiquated, exclusionary, and unrealistic conservative political agenda is very relevant.

[carolinecantoo]

Very relevant post:)

[osage]

REPUBLICANS ARE AMERICA’S ENEMY WITHIN

Republicans are practicing seditious DEMAGOGUERY and insurrectionary OBSTRUCTIONISM intended to destabilize our economy for purposes of political exploitation.

Republicans AREN’T making a sincere effort to STOP the bleeding THEIR incompetent leadership and failed policies created. Instead, they’re using conflicting economic theories as a smokescreen to conceal their subversive agenda, which is to cause President Obama and America to fail so they can blame Democrats for the consequences of THEIR calamitous mismanagement.

Republicans are preposterously professing that THEIR disgraceful political WHORING had nothing to do with the banking, real estate, stock market and employment catastrophes that resulted.

Republicans are trying to hamstring Democrats to prevent them from exposing the damage caused during a Republican presidency.

Republicans are offering controversial arguments they know no one can agree on to disrupt and prevent progressive change. They’d rather divide America and create political gridlock than endure the political consequences of effective Democratic governance. That’s how they gained power and that’s how they’re trying to retain it.

Republicans are not the LOYAL OPPOSITION. They are the ENEMY WITHIN whose personal priorities have eroded their moral and ethical standards to the point that treachery and betrayal are their preferred modus operandi.

It’s one thing to advocate their conservative beliefs; it’s another thing entirely to willfully sabotage America’s government because a successful Democratic presidency would not be vulnerable to the fears and hatreds that have produced and sustained the radical Republican corporatism and extremism that have poisoned and crippled America.

[helonias]

And violent rape is now referred to enhanced snogging

[brandnewstuff]

Why does the GOP hate American Constitutional Law and International Laws?

[osage]

THE REPUBLICAN POLITICS OF ILLEGAL POLICIES

Republicans are all about POLITICS and APPEARANCE, while thumbing their noses at LAWS and FACTS. The LEGAL arena is the last place they want to go, because they know they tried to subvert laws that were well-established with numerous precedents that clearly forbade waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics.

Why they wanted to employ these tactics is LEGALLY IRRELEVANT.

Whether they gained anything of value from these tactics is LEGALLY IRRELEVANT.

Believing that TORTURE is and always has been ILLEGAL, immoral and unacceptable is not an opposing policy view; it is a LEGAL FACT.

When the Karl Rove's of the world characterize WATERBOARDING/TORTURE as a "policy disagreement", they are ignoring the FACT that TORTURE is and always has been ILLEGAL, immoral and unacceptable per the U.S. Constitution, the Geneva Convention Accords and the moral, ethical and societal values of America, Americans and EVERY civilized society in the modern world.

Are we a nation of laws that are SELECTIVELY ignored, or are we a nation that enforces its laws so that no citizen need wonder if their rights are truly INALIENABLE?

[brandnewstuff]

The terrorist propoganda photos - created by the United States military --for propaganda- By The Way- article of geneva treaty-- Article 54 starvation-- Article 51 forbids using people as propaganda-

CIA Torture Program the Guilty Party. Do not place this anyone one else- but direction of accountbilty

[osage]

WHY IS OBAMA WHITE HOUSE MAKING THE SAME ARGUMENT TO IGNORE OUR LAWS THAT BUSH AND CHENEY MADE TO VIOLATE THEM?

I am a staunch Obama supporter, but I don’t believe its "looking to the past" to ENFORCE the LAW. Since WHEN is NOT enforcing the law an acceptable option in AMERICA? It is "IGNORING the LAW" to CHOOSE to ALLOW LAWBREAKERS TO GO UNPROSECUTED FOR THEIR CRIMES. Since WHEN is the POLITICAL ramifications of a required legal prosecution an acceptable or relevant argument?

WHERE does President Obama draw the line when it comes to IGNORING illegal acts? Is it EVERYONE in AMERICA who broke the law during Bush"s/Cheney"s reign; or is it ONLY those who were participants in AIDING and or ABETTING Bush and Cheney? Since WHEN is someone who aids and abets a crime not subject to CRIMINAL prosecution?

The precedents that President Obama would set in FAILING to hold Bush administration appointees and or employees LEGALLY ACCOUNTABLE for their illegal actions if FAR MORE DANGEROUS TO AMERICA’S FUTURE than whatever POLITICAL COST we'd pay.

Until Obama and Democrats find the political nerve/will to fully and publically investigate the innumerable crimes of the Bush/Cheney administration, Republicans will exploit TORTURE as a WEDGE ISSUE that will DIVIDE and DISTRACT Americans from the most serious economic and social issues of our time.

[dnegri]

The Republicans "answer" to reality: Just rename it. No wonder no one takes them seriously anymore.

[FGDinVA]

They seem to have a problem with reality in general - and the truth.

[omobob]

I disagree with the President. The photos should be released. The idea that they are "Terrorist propaganda" is absurd. The Abu Agrib photos were released years ago. It’s not like they don’t hate us already. We need to see these photos so we can begin to heal as a nation.

[osage]

BUSH'S “ENHANCED INTERROGATION” PROGRAM FAILED

Every time you hear a conservative repeat the canard that torture kept America safe, refer to this report as a handy rebuttal:

http://thinkprogress.org/why-enhanced-interrogation-failed/

TORTURE DOES NOT YIELD ACCURATE INTELLIGENCE

CONVINCING THE DUMBED-DOWN THAT WATERBOARDING IS ILLEGAL IS LIKE TRYING TO TEACH A LATTER DAY REPUBLICAN ABOUT EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY OR ECOLOGY

WATERBOARDING IS TORTURE

http://lawreview.wustl.edu/slip-opinions/waterboarding-is-illegal/

1. Torture Act

2. War Crimes Act

3. Prohibition on Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of Persons Under Custody or Control of the United States Government

4. Additional Prohibition on Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment

"The United States has enacted statutes prohibiting torture and cruel or inhuman treatment. It is these statutes which make waterboarding illegal. The four principal statutes which Congress has adopted to implement the provisions of the foregoing treaties are the Torture Act, the War Crimes Act,and the laws entitled "Prohibition on Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of Persons Under Custody or Control of the United States Government" and "Additional Prohibition on Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment." The first two statutes are criminal laws while the latter two statutes extend civil rights to any person in the custody of the United States anywhere in the world."

[truesteam]

These guys are so very incompetent and dangerous. How disrespectful of humanity.
You know have your political opinions, debate the merits of making the photos public. But, to irresponsibly throw out a term that would imply that these photos were staged? Journalists, I beg of you. Make him clarify.
Is he implying US soldiers would pretend they were torturing and treating prisoners inhumanely so that they would have photos that endangered their careers and standings as humans just so that 5/6 years down the road they could be used to make Bush/Cheney/Republicans look bad? Is he implying our troops would stage something to jeopardize our Country's reputation? Is he implying our troops are the enemy?
The journalists need to stop handicapping these guys. I feel sorry for Boehner too. He is not bright by any stretch of the imagination. But, stop enabling him.

[JJeff88]

Boehner is about 20 years behind the times.

Back then, it was fashionable for Mad Avenue to grind up a bunch of wheat and convince you to eat it by calling it "The Breakfast of Champions." Or get you to light a match to poisonous leaves contained in a paper cylindar and then inhale the smoke because "You've Come a Long Way Baby."

Know what my definition of Terrorist Propaganda is? When someone like Boehnert tries to call evidence of heinous activity by our government - a government that we, as a democratic society, voted for and who therefore represented us (and to many in the world "were" us) - something other than what it was: Torture plain & simple: something we should be ashamed of and need to set things right about.

[hollybork]

These retrograde Rethuglican politicians are attracted to torture rumors like flies attracted to garbage. Now they use it to get their fix of outrage publicity.

But the reality of what was done to prisoners in violation of law, treaty and American Military Justice Codes and custom didn't seem to bother them in the least, even though it was done in our name as Americans and their leadership was briefed on it. Now they holler?

It is beneath contempt that the Congress knew this was going on, and they thought it was just fine. There was press about it as far back as 2002. I wrote repeatedly to my Republican Senator who sat both on the judicial oversight and the foreign affairs committees about these issues from 2002 to 2008, but all I received in response was stupid form letters. NOW THEY ARE OUTRAGED? It makes me sick.

Thank God we finally got a change at the top. That and that alone has made the sociopaths and their enablers shake in their books, threatening doom and gloom if we proceed to investigate.

Thank God for Obama and his principles.