Petraeus Says U.S. Violated Geneva Conventions - What Will Cheney and Rush Say?
A couple of days ago, I chronicled the quickening departure of some big military names from the Republican party, those concerned about the party moving even farther to the right a number of issues, including torture. What struck me at the time is that General David Petraeus came out against torture and for closing Guantanamo.
I was stunned, however, when he admitted today that the United States has violated the Geneva Conventions. Without saying specifically how we did (though it doesn't take much imagination to figure it out), Petraeus said on FOX News:
Question: So is sending this signal that we're not going to use these kind of techniques anymore, what kind of impact does this have on people who do us harm in the field that you operate in?
Gen. Petraeus: Well, actually what I would ask is, "Does that not take away from our enemies a tool which again have beaten us around the head and shoulders in the court of public opinion?" When we have taken steps that have violated the Geneva Conventions we rightly have been criticized, so as we move forward I think it's important to again live our values, to live the agreements that we have made in the international justice arena and to practice those.
This fits in very well with an explosive new video put out by VoteVets.org today, in which Jay Bagwell, who worked in counterintelligence in Afghanistan not only argues against torture, but says that detainees were brought in who had pamphlets portraying Guantanamo in them.
One has to wonder what Dick Cheney, Rush Limbaugh, and their crowd will say to this? In the past, General Petraeus could do and say no wrong. Now, he is not only saying torture does not work, but is saying that what the right fringe believes are only "enhanced techniques" violated international law.
As Jay Bagwell in our video says so well, "The Unites States can't be a beacon of freedom and human rights and the value of law while we ignore international law."
Now, we can say without a doubt that General David Petraeus agrees.
Mr. Cheney? Rush? What do you say to that?
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So is Petraeus implicated himself? Where was he when these violations were occurring?
good point, maybe 20 years from now, somebody will ask him that very question..
MrsFonebon
Thing you need to remember is torture can only accure under a dictatorship, From 2000 to 2006 we lived under Bush and the republican party.
Bush said back in 2000 that a dictatorship would be easier, than less than a month he was wearing his dictator shirt and everyone thought it was a joke.
The far right spent considerable time and energy getting everyone to think Petraeus is a saint.
Now, however, the far right is going to have to figure out a way to smear slime all over St. Petraeus, since he's now "off the reservation", as far as loyalty to Limbaugh goes.
They're already hemorrhaging moderate voters, if Limbaugh hammers on Petraeus, that'll be it.
Rush, Rush, Rush. Do it. Do it Do it!
Bush, Rumseld, Cheney and Rove will say the Geneva Conventions don't apply because they invented new fa$cist nonsense words like "enemy combatant.
Why does Patraeus hate America?
Does he hate America? Did he say so?
viggoros. It was a joke.
You mean why did he keep quiet and allow these bozos to put American soldiers in danger by promoting torture ?
Why do you ask daft questions?
I think it's interesting how the FOX talking heads reigned their viewers back in by declaring that it's OK to suspend our values during difficult times and using Lincoln suspending Habeas Corpus as an example. This, in direct contradiction of what Petraeus had just said.
Amazing abuse of journalistic credentials.
During difficult times is when it is most important to protect and defend our principles.
FOX. Fair and Balanced. You betcha.
Yeah ... Lincoln's war was fought and won ... Ch eney's reign of to r ture will never be won ... innocent people will most probably pay .... isn't that Che ney's great FEAR !!!
IMHO, Lincoln screwed up massively by invading the South. I am not ignorant of the issues of the Civil War. But sending American Troops into neighboring States to Kill fellow Americans? In retrospect, probably not a good idea. And even after the Civil War, it took the Civil Rights movement to actually start moving the Country forward from the Sin of Slavery. War was not the answer. It divides us still. And yes I know. Hind site is 20 20. Big subject still and the debate will probably never end. Just my 2 cents.
They will say Geneva Convention is for Sissies.
Like Kyoto: "Nobody tells us what to do."
They're idiots.
Makes one wonder why repubs campaign in elections ... huh !!! They pander for votes to do what .. say just that after the fact .... "nobody tells us what to do!" I find repubs the most dishonorable americans alive !!
Limbaugh, I predict, will simply spin Petraeus' words to serve his own purpose -- but will do so only in passing. Cheney will not mention it at all.
I think the only way they will be prosecuted is if there's a day of protest across America. If a sufficient amount of people participate they (Dems and Repubs), at the very least, will have to address the issue directly.
Do you think there's a chance that the day/event could be bigger than the recent so called 'Tea-Parties?'
Hit the streets, make the point (peacefully), make a loud enough noise that they can't avoid it any more.
Make Them Take Action!
While we can raise awareness in cyberspace, in sufficient numbers people on the street can make them take action.
Just an idea, one can only hope.
Suggestions?
Kauta --plenty of websites, plenty of actions going on all the time. What they have in common is that the old media do not report them.
Republicans won't participate, because they will be glued to Fox News, which will be telling them that it's all a Soros-funded terrorist plot. And because they are traltors, of course.
And while you ar at it....turn off the D**** TV. If nobody in the whole country was a watching..
.who would they pitch the propaganda to?
Cheney and Limbaugh will now embark upon a smear campaign against Petreaus to discredit him, just like they did with Powell. This will be a perfect addition to their certifiable and pathological statements.
They have the mentality of "If he is not for us, then he is against us".
It's going to be interesting to see how they accomplish this, considering they've been saying for the past two+ years that if you don't like Petraeus, you hate America.
What will Rush, Cheney et al say now?
Probably the same crap as always: Republican Presidents are above the law, the Republican Party can do wrong, ad nauseum.
and Republicans and only Republicans have God's direct number...
If you go to this link, you can see the interview. It has some different shadings of meanings than some comments carry, IMO.
http://cro
I think Patraeus is still trying to have it both ways, by "looking forward," Obama style.
The Geneva Convention should be followed by the military and the U.S., but at this time I suspect that Sheik Khalid may not be mentally competent to stand trial in any court. To be waterboarded as many times as he has been, has to have caused the "mental disability" that Mitchell and Jessen designed into the interrogation procedures being used.
I believe this is the very reason, Che ney & Bush simply left t or tured people for another president to deal with ... Che ney's t or ture programme didn't have an exit strategy ... they most probably hoped no one survived it !!
FACT: KSM was waterboarded in only 5 sessions over a 30 day period. The NY Times fraudulently claimed it was 183 times. They lied ... simple as that.
How many times per session and how long were the "sessions"?
FACT: Once is against the law !!!
Slice and dice all you like, Doc, but the fact remains - you are an apologist for some of the most loathsome conduct in which humans can engage. That list is admittedly woefully long, but by your own admission, you've signed on to it...
you were there? please provide your source and prove your fraud claim otherwise you lack credibility
you probably also believe only 3 people were waterboarded and no one else has been tortured (oops! no one has been tortured)
Let me ask you this Mr.Bob
Are you less angry if your child is molested one time as opposed to 3?
Are you less upset if your wife is raped once instead of twice?
Are you satisfied that your parents home was only broke into once and not 3 times?
Once or a million times, it was wrong. Thats what you dont seem to accept. You pretend that since the number of times was minimal by your standards (have yet to see you waterboarded ) that it makes torure ok...it doesnt Mr. Bob and it never will.
You and those who think as neanderthalic as you are in a shrinking minority. It takes a great deal of hate and a total lack of thought to come to the conclusion that any torture is ok. It isnt.
For all you torture supporters, you give comfort to the enemy knowing they can now employ any means of "enhanced interrogations" to US soldiers now that the knuckle headed bunch of neocons of the Bush failure has allowed America to be cast as torturers.
Great job Dr. Bob. I only hope and pray your son or daughter is never a victim of your ignorance and short-sightedness
Thank you General for speaking out about this. This took courage..
"President " Ch eney & family will say that the General is just wrong !!!
The right (but by no means only Republicans) has been repeating this script for a long, long time. They implement brutal policies that contradict fundamental American values -- convinced that their being "realistic" and "tough" -- and when those policies produce terrible consequences and fuel anti-American perceptions, they accuse those who point out such things of "criticizing America" and of "defending those who hate us."
The Marxist philosopher Milan Machovec once noted that "polemicists and critics practially never reproach Christians for being followers of Christ, but on the contrary for not being such, for betraying the cause of Jesus, for showing all the characteristics which Jesus attributed to the Pharisees, for falling under the condemnation: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.'" So too, most of the criticism and hatred now directed at America is the result of our most un-American policies -- policies, such as Gitmo & "enhanced interrogat
Amazingly enough, the Petraeus interview was on Faux News.
The interview was shown as part of a "news" show. As the interviewer was recapping what was said in the interview, I was horrified to think that Faux News was finally coming to reality.
Then the interviewer's co-anchor chimed in and my faith in the stupidity of Faux News was restored.
I agree. I am glad Gen. Petreus admitted that the use used torture. I only wish he didn't say in Faux News- it only legimitizes their platform. All sane people need to stay off Faux!
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