Herman Cain On Torture: Waterboarding, Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Not Torture

It took Cain less than a minute to come out against "torture," but in favor of torture during the GOP debate in South Carolina Saturday night.

"I do not agree with torture, period," Cain said, in response to a reader question. But asked about waterboarding in particular, Cain elaborated, "I agree that it was an enhanced interrogation technique. I would return to that policy. I don't see it as torture, I see it as an enhanced interrogation technique."

Michele Bachmann Bachmann explicitly supported Cain's position, saying that if she were president, "I would be willing to use waterboarding."

Cain later said that he "would keep Gitmo open" and that he would allow enhanced interrogation techniques to be used on the detainees there "because they are terrorists."

Cain said on Friday that if he loses the presidential bid, he would happily settle for the role of Secretary of Defense. But upon being asked how he will know when to overrule his generals as president, Cain dodged the question and said his strategy will be to surround himself "with the right people" and "ask them for alternatives."

"I feel that I'll be able to make that assessment when we put together the cabinet and all the people from the military, et cetera," he said. "Because I'll have a multiple group of people offering different recommendations, this gives me the best opportunity to select the one that makes the most amount of sense."

Comments

[RepublicanDepression]

12:05 AM on 11/16/2011

The liberal media needs to stop attacking Cain on foreign policy!

If Cain says that waterboarding is not torture, then waterboarding is not torture!

How can you even argue with a candidate so well informed about foreign policy on Libya, China's nuclear program, and Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan.

I can say without fear of contradiction that no other candidate in the GOP (Greedy One Percent) knows as much as Cain about Ubeki-beki-beki-stan-stan.

[Spike5]

06:32 PM on 11/14/2011

I wonder if Cain would be quite so positive that water boarding is not torture if he gave it a try himself.

Shouldn't personal experience be a requirement for anyone who is claiming that it is not?

[rickwar]

08:54 AM on 11/14/2011

Come on Herman! Real torture? Eating a cardboard godfathers pizza and having you deliver it!

[camelias and sweet tea]

08:03 AM on 11/14/2011

One thing Cain does well..He says one thing in the first half of his answer and then does a total about face in the last half...He IS sooo good at that. Of course that does not make he a good Presidential candidate, just saying..he can manipulate well.

[satyrday]

07:56 AM on 11/14/2011

We don't need waterboarding.

Let's just force our enemies to continually watch the GOP debates, until they tell us what we want.

[IR0N TIGER]

02:36 AM on 11/14/2011

These guys are so funny... we got more targets overall and more high value targets in obama's 1st year than Bush's entire 8. By the second year it wasn't even discussion worthy and then Obama ordered the strikes on 3 of the top 4 targets - INCLUDING the Primary OBL.

In spite of this, they talk as if he has failed in this area entirely.

They are just a funny bunch of salespeople aren't they?

**side note: The narrative has shifted to the right again, now WB is ok!

[ur2nutty4me]

02:09 AM on 11/14/2011

"Herman Cain Weighs In On Torture"

Was his pizza not enough.........................

[Shrank]

10:57 PM on 11/13/2011

Herman Cain said that he doesn't view daughter-boarding as torture. He considers it to be an "enhanced sexual harassment technique".

[wcswimmerr07]

12:41 AM on 11/14/2011

Nice.

[Charles Burrris]

10:11 PM on 11/13/2011

"Truth is treason in the empire of lies." -- Ron Paul.

The establishment elites in New York and Washington, D.C. (and their complaisant media talking heads at Fox News, MSNBC, CBS, ABC, CNN) are afraid of presidential candidate Ron Paul and his ever-increasing support among the GOP base, independents, and disillusioned Obama Democrats.

These Wall Street/DC elites and their GOP shills Mitt Romney, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, are not champions of freedom or liberty, or of small government or anything they say is their platform. They are crony corporatists of the worst sort. They are fascists who hate Ron Paul and his defense of the Constitution, civil liberties, free market capitalism, and the rule of law. "Equal justice to all, special privileges to none" is a principle abhorrent to these elites.

The Republican leadership has absolutely no intention of ending torture or abortion, ending nation building abroad or America’s imperial wars. They don't care about small government or reducing taxation. It's just rhetoric to get their shills elected. They want to keep business going as usual, with more massive spending and bailouts for their bankster friends and corporate cronies, more campaign contributions to grease the Republican machine.

Ron Paul is a threat because he actually believes in first principles and strictly following the Constitution. He exposes the Republican leadership for what they are - utter liars and barbarians without civility, compassion, and human decency.

[Jeannette Lacey]

02:49 PM on 11/15/2011

I am not a Paul supporter - but I admire him. What I find interesting is the way he is treated by his own "party"...they talk about him as if he were insane on Fox. At least he has his OWN ideas and isn't afraid to tell us what they are, regardless of how "popular" the views may or may not be. I agree with him on foreign policy; but on this issue the rest of the GOP crew talks like some kid playing video games; real lives, war, death, torture are not "real".

[Charles Burrris]

07:27 PM on 11/15/2011

Thank you Jeanette for your honesty and candor.

If more people had your open mindedness or disinterested reflection toward critical thinkers such as Ron Paul (and a host of other contemporary topics and public-policy issues) the world would be a much better place.

We live in an era of institutionalized envy and barbarism where character and courtesy are dead.

Arrogant and boorish behavior is celebrated everywhere in a cult of conformity to non-conformity, where Lady Gaga and the bizarre array of hubristic GOP presidential candidates -- Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman -- are considered the norm, and Ron Paul (and his "Golden Rule" foreign policy) the aberation or deviation.

Civility, Albert Jay Nock observes, is the recognition that how we conduct ourselves – our respect for the humane consideration and rights of others – is what distinguishes us from the robot on the one hand, the savage on the other.

Unfortunately the majority of Americans are still trapped in "the cave" Plato described thousands of years ago in The Republic. They never think outside the box (whether it is the TV set or the computer monitor in front of them).

Most people, as Thoreau pointed out, continue to live lives of quiet desperation.

Accordingly our national civic life and the electoral political choices these persons make, reflects this non-rational aspect of human behavior.

[RepublicanDepression]

12:07 AM on 11/16/2011

The Republican Establishment has been hard at work stealing Ron Paul's nomination. Look at the hit pieces that Fox does on him.

The only question is whether his supporters will vote for the Republican establishment candidate after he steals Ron Paul's nomination.

[Abstrakt27]

09:57 PM on 11/13/2011

He also doesn't believe he ever "harassed" any women.

[Spike5]

06:33 PM on 11/14/2011

And even more remarkable, he believes that he is qualified to be President.

Delusional all the way.

[free thinker 3-5-7]

09:53 PM on 11/13/2011

So if I see a goat as a donkey is it really a donkey!?!?

[kooldalai]

11:19 PM on 11/13/2011

No, it's an a_s_s....like a certain GOP candidate whom shall remain nameless....O.K., you forced it outta me...Cain.

[free thinker 3-5-7]

07:30 PM on 11/14/2011

Ha Ha

[stephan67]

09:38 PM on 11/13/2011

A Christian who likes torture? I think he hears voices in his head.

[DUSAA-1775]

09:24 PM on 11/13/2011

Cain says that he is in favor of water-boarding and the Liberals goes absolutely bonkers. No where near this amount of hand wringing and ranting when Obama assassinates US citizens and foreign leaders.

[free thinker 3-5-7]

09:53 PM on 11/13/2011

proof please???

[DUSAA-1775]

10:35 PM on 11/13/2011

Seriously? If you are not aware of the assassinations of Bin laden and Al-Awlaki then you have far too much historical lapses for me to even begin to help you.

[Abstrakt27]

09:59 PM on 11/13/2011

He got Bin Laden, something Bush could never do. Cry me a river.

[TBera12]

09:16 PM on 11/13/2011

OMG--so much for loving your enemies... Why are Christians so venomous to hurt people?

[Charles Queen]

08:21 PM on 11/13/2011

Being a disabled nam vet I know all to well what our enemy's do to our people when captured and it's a whole lot worse than water boarding or making someone stay awake for countless hours.I agree with herman.Unfortunately Herman willl not make it this time eventhough he's brining in the campaignbucks.To much has sirfaced and it's hurt him badly as far as running for president.He won't make it now.I liked the guy personaly although I would not have voted for him as president because he lacks experience in to many important subjects and we have all seen what putting a totaly inexprienced and unknowledgeable in the wh has done.Perhaps he can get a place in the next presidents admin.I think he coud really play a very valuable part if he was offerd a place

[kooldalai]

11:34 PM on 11/13/2011

First let me say thank you for your service to the country; however, I must respectfully disagree....John McCain who was captured and tortured during the Viet Nam war spoke against waterboarding and other forms of torture. I think when people have a terrible experience, they take one of two positions...either that want others to hurt too or they wouldn't wish their pain on their worst enemy. Herman Cain is not the one.

[Charles Queen]

11:51 PM on 11/13/2011

Thank you very much so,it is greatly apreciated.I also respect you'r views on the subject.It's good to have an open mind and take in what others have to say about it all.Great learning tool needless to say.Herman actually should not have said anything about it seeing as he did not serve,he has never seen what go's on in wars and how prisoners are treated either.I mean if he had actual experience that would be one thing but he doesn't and never did so he really doesn;t know what go's on behind the closed doors