Sam Donaldson Spars With Liz Cheney Over CIA Torture Investigation (VIDEO)

Sam Donaldson and Liz Cheney spiritedly debated the decision by Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether or not torture occurred during CIA interrogations of terrorist suspects. Cheney took the position that this matter had already been investigated, with the conclusion being no illegal activity had taken place.

Donaldson countered that the investigations had been undertaken by the Bush Justice Department, an agency that became notoriously political during Bush's administration, and that a fresh investigation is needed.

WATCH:

Comments

[bandit6765]

Wow a lot of you seem to forget about the innocent people killed on 9/11. I understand the point of view that we shouldn't torture innocent people but lets look at two points:

1. These people were not U.S. citizens.
2. They were military combatants who were captured in a military setting.

I suppose we should have just killed them right there and then on the field of battle rather than taking them prisoner ?

American lives and security should not be taken lightly.

[goodpyr]

Bandit 6765.
It's your claim that it's alright to torture military combatants?When you capture them they become
prisoners and fall under the protection of the Geneva Convention.
We weren't Japanese citizens so it must've been okay for the Japenese to torture us,right?

[VOLTRON]

They don't consider waterboarding torture, but let's see how well they would handle it happening to them. Let's see then if they would consider it torture.

[Anthony Anderson - Huffpost Blogger]

I dont get why they even have her on, except to expose the blatant sheep mentality and absolutism of the cheney/bush mindset.

She is an intellectual peon, and the other people at the table know it. If her daddy wasnt a part of the illuminati, she wouldnt be there.

[cornelison]

She can't win an argument by telling the truth.

[swimbiker]

When does she plan to start telling the truth?

[freedomfighter1]

I am fed up with the people who always find it in their hearts to defend Bu sh and Che ney for their crimi nal acts. If one of us 'common' people vio lated the law, there would most definintely be punishment. And that cliche 'the ends justifies the means'...well that little ditty wouldn't work for US now would it? How can a person acheive the vice presidency and use it to hide in the shadows and violate the law? I thought Cheney was to use that job to be a good example to the American people. Instead he helps drag our name through the mud with every ill egal act he condones.

[eilish]

He did really well in the federal government for 40-odd years making money through big oil. All he had left was uber power and really, really enjoying hurting people.

[lwilkerson50]

denicci1977

- Thank you for that comment. You are right. If they didn't do anything wrong, then what's the problem?

I mean they have been preaching that what they did was needed, if they are truly telling the truth, let the investigation begin, come out and let us know how much it actually helped us.

Because (from my understanding) they got creditable info before 9-1-1 and messed that up.

[gevan]

In Cheneyworld there is NO LAW that can't be broken in the interests of protecting the lives and forturnes of the American peoples. This pinnacle of moral relativism is not to be trifled with by mere mortals of the Sam Donaldson variety.

[demofem]

The truly frightening part of that for me is that Cheney seems to genuinely believe that he and his like-minded 'troops' are qualified to make the call about which laws to obey, as though individual people can just wing it if they think the nation is threatened. Apparently, for them, the Constitution, the rule of law, traditional national norms and values, the Geneva Conventions, the Nuremberg trials, the ICC...it's all been just a long useless process of left-wing, lilly-livered naval-gazing when real men can just make these momentous decisions about torture and life and death by a gut feeling they have about who might be harboring information. So far, I haven't heard Cheney rule out ANYTHING if he thinks it's in the interests of protecting Americans from harm. I wonder if there IS anything he wouldn't think we should do? Anything that would be too low? And if that's the case, he's messing with the very DNA on this country, trying to change us into a people and a culture that we are not and should never want to be. And don't get me started on the daughter...

[regularmess]

Torture should never be sanctioned or codified. There is no discussion. It's like we're rehashing arguments of whether gravity exists or something--very weird. It's been so long, but does anyone remember this? http://thehappeningstory.blogspot.com/. Give it 6 minutes and it'll change your mind.

[tweedledeedumb]

If you don't let other people talk it mans your telling the truth ....right???

[Hephaistion]

As Prof. Turley says : torture is a war crime against the Geneva Conventions and will attract the condenmnation of the ages. It will live in the historical record with the Salem Witch Trials, the Spanish Inquisition, the Witchcraft Craze of the 11th and 12th centuries.­....etc...­.. and those simpletons who even discuss whether "it worked....we got information" don't get the point.
It doesn't matter whether it worked; the usurpation of the law has been used as a matter of policy by the State; do the citizens of the USA understand the enormity of that ?

[BuckCarson]

That's real cute and valid. The question is whether torture occurred. The waterboarded three people and gave the others second hand smoke. Please give us a break with your platitudes.

[lammassu]

You're kidding right? You're actually trying to vindicate torture caused by a department of the Federal Government? Sorry, Buck this elephant isn't going away until there's a REAL investigation by people OTHER than those responsible for ordering the CIA to torture in the first place.

[jules23]

Firstly, all the appropriate sources say waterboarding is torture. If it wasn't torture than why use it? *Yawn*

Secondly, if you bother to do any reading on what was done, at Gitmo or Abu Ghraib, you know that prolonged stress positions, gut punching, sleep deprivation, restricted diet, mock executions, stripping prisoners naked, threatening them with dogs, all occurred. These are all forms of physical and psychological torture, especially when done for prolonged periods of time. If these things weren't why don't the police use these same techniques when investigating criminals? There have also been reports of rape.

An investigation into this is crucial for the USAs moral standing in the world, for the next few decades.

[toddag]

The US had prosecuted people for torturing prisoners by waterboarding. The laws have not been changed. Therefore, being a society that abides by the rule of law, we must recognize that the legal precedence has been established defining waterboarding as torture.

[DakotaMinnesota]

Wow, that's quite an attention-defecit attitude you have there. Those little waterboarding sessions formed the basis of our invasion of Iraq, which has now killed thousands and drained billions of dollars from our economy.

[LLeGrande]

Waterboarding is a war crime. It was a war crime during WWII. The United States executed Japanese officers who conducted waterboarding for this crime. The Nuremberg Trials found guilt for waterboarding in the European theater of war, and executed those guilty of waterboarding.

Waterboarding has been defined as a war crime for a very long time. The commission of this crime in only one instance is punishable by death. It is in United States laws. It is in the Geneva Convention. President Reagan spoke harshly about the practice when he signed a treaty that the U.S. abides by regarding prohibiting waterboarding.

The functionaries at the CIA always worried about being called to account for this crime. Their day is closer to arriving now. And, those responsible for the policies of waterboarding are also guilty of war crimes.

We better start getting used to this concept: War crimes were committed by the United States during the Bush Administration. Period.

[jorgec]

Well, the laws of the Geneva Covention didn't seem to be in place when they be-headed Americans! Exactly who condemned that!

[jules23]

What on earth is the point you are trying to make??? Anyone who was caught decapitating americans would surely be prosecuted or disappeared to Gitmo. No one is spreading love for the terrorists here. Is the basis of your argument, that we are fighting a stateless enemy who doesn't follow the law, therefore Americans don't have to follow the law? This is an extremely superficial argument.

[demofem]

EVERYONE condemned that. Because there are depraved people who do evil things isn't a reason to join them in their depravity. I come from a military family, and I'm quite sure my father did not fight to protect a nation so that we could torture people. He did it to protect a nation that is BETTER than that.

[swimbiker]

Everybody condemned it---that's who.

[rickkkkk]

Everybody condemned it. If turnabout is fair play, we should behead a few of their guys... or not! They are trying to drag us down to their level. We must never give up the high moral ground here... oh, Cheney already did. We didn't win WW2 by scaring the Germans with threats of torture, we offered German soldiers a shower and a hot meal so thousands surrendered who otherwise would have been shooting at us.

[terramartom]

Of course arrogant/ spinless Liz Cheney would disaggree.
Her Dad could soon be going to prison from all the hidden information when it comes to light.
GOOD!

[TheAbidingDude]

Why are there so many shows with so many disingenuous guests? Seriously why does Keith Olberman continue to give Rush and Rush Jr. (Glen Beck) all that air play. Why do we constantly air dribble about Chuck Grassley and all the other "know nothings" who continue to spout lies and get air time.

It is entertaining to a point but then it becomes tragedy when "Deathers, Birthers, granny killers, forced abortions, medicare robbers, socialized medicine, rationed care, torturing, political hacking ammunition marking, gun banners spout anything outlandish and get a crowd of conspiracy nuts yelling (for now violence later) and screaming.

We elected a good man to the office of president who sees challenges and seeks solutions even though he knows he must run a gauntlet of dark politic strewn with rocks of deceit. They wailed about the bailout and as imperfect as it is the economy is better and much of the money is coming back with interest yet not much is remembered about the barrage of hate Barack endured over a mess he did not create.

Now it's Health care and the only question facing congress is whether we help those in need of health care get treatment and keep their home at the same time. I'd prefer the US not become another Calcutta of old with people dead on the streets and a caste system that says the majority shouldn't even try to live in decent conditions because they don't deserve it.

[imsosure]

Cheney ought to be fitted with a muzzle.

[carl99e]

Looks like Daddy has gotten her and her husband some good jobs at the government. She is just trying to pay back the favors. Unfortunately, she may ruin her own future by doing so. It is her prerogative to do so. But you gotta love the Cheney's whom I affectionately call America's First Family of Crazy!!!

[1nessinall]

can any body explain to me why she gets on these shows....... oh, and why we should take her word on anything