Here we go again. Boy do I long for the days of Ronald Reagan when rogue actors like Momar Kadafi were greeted with American pilots dropping bombs on their Palaces, killing without so much of a thought anyone or anything in sight. America walked loudly and carried a big stick. And there was no disputing the fact that we were the most powerful, respected nation on earth.
Those were the days.
What a difference a few decades makes. Now we villify and attack those who are sworn to protect us and we do so by divulging some of our most covert secrets relative to dealing with prisoners and detainees suspected of terrorist acts. I'm not sure I understand what has happened to America.
In a statement released earlier today, the U.S. Justice Department has decided it will not prosecute CIA officers who used harsh interrogation techniques against terrorism suspects with the blessing of the Bush Administration lawyers. How nice of them.
In the fullest account to date of the questioning of al-Qaeda suspects, government officials issued long-sought after documents that catalogue a list of CIA tactics -- from sleep- and food-deprivation to beatings --underwear sightings and the like. All of which Bush lawyers said comported with the law. The memos, which date back to 2002, contain few redactions, despite a fierce battle within the Obama administration about the benefits of releasing the information.
According to news reports, CIA Director Leon E. Panetta told agency employees this afternoon that the interrogation practices won approval from the highest levels of the Bush administration and that the employees had nothing to fear if they followed the legal guidance from the Justice Department. He said that "this is not the end of the road on these issues," foreshadowing congressional investigations, court actions and other activity. But, Panetta said, agency workers should remain focused on their mission.
My point is this: We live in a tough world folks where people do evil things. Did you ever see the movie The Untouchables starring Sean Connery and Kevin Costner--well, my favorite line is the line where Connery says, "For everyone of ours that they hit, we send two of theirs to the morgue." He continues, "That's the Chicago way". Well, to our new friends in the White House I would say you should take a few pointers from old Elliot Ness and his gang of crusaders. You can't beat Al Capone by talking nice to him across the table. You can't beat thugs, murders, women killers, American haters, and the like by making nice with them and outing some of our most critical interrogation tactics.