Comments on: Stop The Torture Stop The War

By: readerOfTeaLeaves

readerOfTeaLeaves — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 23:08:54 +0000

Thx Attackerman.
The biggest surprise for me on this list was George Schultz (Bechtel board member, former mentor to Condi Rice). When someone involved with WINEP objects to BushCheney torture policies, you know the world has shifted its axis a bit.

By: Kilo

Kilo — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:05:57 +0000

It would also outlaw secret detentions, used since 2001 by the Central Intelligence Agency, and prohibit the transfer of prisoners to countries that use torture or cruel treatment. The C.I.A. has allowed terrorism suspects to be taken to such countries.

This missing has been my big gripe with everything tabled so far.
I don’t give a toss if you stop waterboarding prisoners if you’re still shipping them to Syria and Egypt to be tortured to death like you have been since the 90s, and nobody else should either.

Prohibiting US servicemen and the CIA from engaging in this while outsourcing it amounts to nothing more than enshrining deniability for it into law. It’s no different than Rumsfeld citing camera phones as the reason for the whole Abu Ghraib scandal.

But then again, this practice was always prohibited. Let’s see how much of a difference this makes, if anything.

By: Kilo

Kilo — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:55:54 +0000

Yet another opportunity to name a blog “Back Crack And S.Ackerman” wasted.

By: Peterr

Peterr — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:26:14 +0000

Great news, Spencer — though the fact that govt leaders and religious folks come out against torture is a sad commentary on what it takes to make “news” these days.

A couple links to add to your post:

National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Evangelicals for Human Rights

Center for Victims of Torture

The folks at CVT are incredible people, who have been doing incredible work for decades. It’s sad to see that they have to join in a call to get our own government to quit driving up their business.

Last April, while McCain was on his “forgotten places tour,” I suggested that he drop in to see the folks at CVT, to get a reminder of what the United States historically stands for and what it stands against.