Bush to Veto Ban on CIA Waterboarding

Mem

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Bush to veto CIA waterboarding ban bill-aide
08 Mar 2008 01:48:08 GMT
Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 7 (Reuters) - President George W. Bush will veto legislation on Saturday banning U.S. intelligence agents from using waterboarding and other controversial interrogation methods, White House spokesman Tony Fratto said on Friday.

Last month, Congress sent Bush a broad intelligence authorization bill that contained new limits on CIA interrogation techniques, despite Bush administration warnings that such a measure would be rejected.
"The president will veto the intelligence authorization bill tomorrow," Fratto told reporters.

The legislation was approved by the Senate and House of Representatives on partisan votes that did not indicate there was enough support in Congress to overturn Bush's veto.
Waterboarding, in which suspects are subjected to simulated drowning, has been widely criticized by many members of Congress, human rights organizations and other countries.

The technique was used on three suspects captured after the Sept. 11 attacks, CIA Director Michael Hayden informed Congress last month.
In writing the legislation, supporters said it would put CIA interrogation techniques in line with the U.S. Army Field Manual, which prohibits waterboarding and other controversial methods.

The Bush administration has countered that the CIA should not be held to the U.S. military's interrogation standards because intelligence agents are dealing with terrorists who are not lawful combatants operating under traditional battlefield tactics.

"President Bush's veto will be one of the most shameful acts of his presidency," charged Sen. Edward Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat who supported the legislation outlawing waterboarding.

Quoting the Army Field Manual, Kennedy said, "'Use of torture is not only illegal but also it is a poor technique that yields unreliable results, may damage subsequent collection efforts, and can induce the source to say what he thinks the [interrogator] wants to hear.'"
 

D_Tintagel_Demondong

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"I think the president must give his professionals, within the law, the necessary tools to protect us," -- G. W. Bush, regarding waterboarding.

Within the law? There's nothing legal about waterboarding. He's the ultimate hypocrite. He's using terror to wage a war against terror?

I am really shocked at how many illegal bills have been passed during his presidency. He needs to finally be held accountable. Americans should be outraged.
 

Mem

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If McCain gets in the White House (God forbid) I hope he changes some of the horrible things that Bush has implemented.
 

SpeedoGuy

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Quoting the Army Field Manual, Kennedy said, "'Use of torture is not only illegal but also it is a poor technique that yields unreliable results, may damage subsequent collection efforts, and can induce the source to say what he thinks the [interrogator] wants to hear.'"

George Bush has never advocated torture for all the reasons listed here and elsewhere. US policy has long forbidden torture and remains such.

Instead, the definition of what constitutes torture has been narrowed.
 

Mem

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George Bush has never advocated torture for all the reasons listed here and elsewhere. US policy has long forbidden torture and remains such.

Instead, the definition of what constitutes torture has been narrowed.

"The Bush administration has countered that the CIA should not be held to the U.S. military's interrogation standards because intelligence agents are dealing with terrorists who are not lawful combatants operating under traditional battlefield tactics. "

Bush wants the CIA to be allowed to torture people.
 

B_Nick4444

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Don't change my words Log Cabin boy, change your own.


**think I'm gonna cry**

the point is that McCain, as a prisoner of the Viet Cong, has had some genuine, first hand experience with the subject, and does have an inkling of what it means to be an American, and carries American ideals
 

Satsfakshun

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George Bush has never advocated torture for all the reasons listed here and elsewhere. US policy has long forbidden torture and remains such.

Instead, the definition of what constitutes torture has been narrowed.


And Abu Grhaib was just a bunch of fraternity pranks, right?
 

SpeedoGuy

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And Abu Grhaib was just a bunch of fraternity pranks, right?

Some people say exactly that. Not me.

I apparently didn't make my original point clear enough.

I'm not in any way defending harsher interrogation techniques advocated by GWB whether they be administered by intelligence agencies or military. That distinction is pointless to the detainees. Instead, all I'm trying to draw attention to is that GWB and his cronies have continued to smugly hide behind the claim that US law has long forbidden torture while at the same time redefining torture. Its a semantic difference but an important one, I think.

A good article about it in The New Yorker
 

ZOS23xy

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People being tortured or under stress will say or do anything after a certain point, just to have the "annoyance" stop.

It's not always a good indicator.

And one of those detainees of the Taliban, one who was later ID'd being being "tortured" came out with lists of items and happenings that all proved to be false and dead ends.
 

xLx

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if torture is 'a poor technique that yields unreliable results', and waterboarding isn't torture, then does that make it a productive technique?

if so why dont they just say it?
 

SpeedoGuy

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if torture is 'a poor technique that yields unreliable results', and waterboarding isn't torture, then does that make it a productive technique?

if so why dont they just say it?

I think an even better question will be: Is Congress committed enough about the issue to over-ride Bush's veto.