Obama and Democrats' Torture Problem
The president must decide if he wants to keep the issue of torture alive.
President Obama and the Democrats who control Congress have a problem: whether to keep alive the issue of torture or to let bygones be bygones. Either way, the harsh interrogation tactics that were used in the Bush administration remain among the most emotional issues facing the government—and the nation.
At the heart of the debate are the brutal techniques used to obtain information from suspected terrorists after the attacks of 9/11. One of those methods, waterboarding, has been labeled torture by many critics, including President Obama, who has banned the practice and said that it doesn't necessarily produce better intelligence.
Some of Obama's supporters are urging the Justice Department to prosecute policymakers who wrote legal opinions authorizing the controversial methods. But word has leaked that a preliminary inquiry at Justice concludes that, while the authors of those memos showed poor judgment, they should not be criminally prosecuted because giving bad advice is not illegal.
Yet the "torture issue" is gaining momentum almost by the day. Former Vice President Dick Cheney intensified the debate when he said the harsh interrogations were "overwhelmingly" effective in extracting important information about terrorist activities. Cheney told CBS's Face the Nation that the Obama administration has made the United States less safe by banning these techniques and reversing other national security policies from George W. Bush's tenure. However, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says that, while President Obama wants to "look forward" and not prosecute "those who followed the advice that was given," higher-ups could be vulnerable. It's up to Attorney General Eric Holder to decide who, if anyone, broke the law, Gibbs says. The Justice Department's investigatory panel is expected to recommend, at minimum, that state bar associations consider disciplinary action, including reprimands or disbarment of some of the lawyers involved in writing the legal opinions, especially Jay Bybee, Steven Bradbury, and John Yoo, who were part of the department's Office of Legal Counsel under Bush.
Other options, such as congressional hearings to determine if there was wrongdoing, could prove just as divisive. Sixty-two percent of Americans oppose such hearings, according to a poll in late April by CBS News and the New York Times—including 89 percent of Republicans, 60 percent of independents, and 51 percent of Democrats. On the issue of torture itself, the country is split. Forty-nine percent of Americans support Obama's position that the United States should not use torture, but 48 percent say there are cases in which the United States "should consider torture against terrorism suspects," according to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll.
Many Democrats favor the appointment of a special commission to look into the matter. Complicating the issue, the first Senate hearing on the torture question degenerated into partisan sniping this week. And the issue is leading to unpredictable outcomes, such as President Obama's decision to reverse himself and attempt to block the court-ordered release of photos showing brutal techniques used against detainees. After discussions with his military advisers, Obama said he felt the photos would inflame anti-American passions and could result in attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.
All this is too much for many Republicans. Efforts to punish those who authorized or carried out the controversial methods "would be an outrage," says a former adviser to President George H. W. Bush. He predicts that if Democrats push the issue, GOP hard-liners will then make it their mission to find ways to embarrass and harass Obama for the rest of his presidency and beyond.
Former Secretary of State James Baker, who served George H. W. Bush, calls the threat to investigate the writers of the legal opinions a "terrible mistake" that could undermine Obama's agenda. During a speech April 27, Baker said, "The one thing that we need to stay away from at all costs is criminalizing our policy differences." He argued that a criminal investigation "would suck a lot of the oxygen out of the air on some very important things that they are going to try and get done."
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Reader Comments
Get the facts Straight
Whoever "Mysterious Island" is obviously doesn't read very much.
Islam, the religion of Muslims, is NOT a violent religion. The Koran also states the Jew and Christians are "people of the Book" and therefore will not be punished. Not to mention the Bible has several passages of violence in it. Both Books can be interpreted to mean different things. Many Muslims view the Islam extremist as you would view a Christian extremist.
Support our troops
"Mysterious Island" of California has some serious logic flaws, and appears to be in favor of our troops being tortured. If we do not adhere to international law regarding torture (remember when we executed Japanese soldiers for waterboarding?) we open our troops up to being tortured, too.
I would rather my family in the military not be tortured just because the US decided to be "mavericks" and break international law. If we are going to hold other countries accountable for their actions, we need to realize that it is a double edged sword.
That part of the argument is simple and moral. Also, you may notice that I am not making racist comments about other peoples to make my point. (Are you taking notes, "Mysterious Island"?
The other aspect of the argument is simple, too. The evidence regarding what methods provide the best results have shown that coersion trumps torture. This means that torture does not get us more information, but it does align more people against us for flaunting international law and for not caring about human life. (We have killed people through our torture methods, and for what?? Unfortunately, not for getting better intelligence.) Coersion, however, has led to us bieng able stop impending attacks, and has led to the capture of several operatives.
I have an idea...
How about we set up camp in the most concentrated terrorist areas in the world and remove all military personnel, then we send all the "anti- war" "anti-torture" people with their families and see how they react when there children get kidnapped/raped or one/all of them get tortured, shot, or some other god-awful thing happens.... because it will. The extremist in the world ARE EXTREME! They will not stop being extreme even if we soften out tactics or choose not to "water board" PEOPLE PERISH FOR LACK OF KNOWLEDGE! Its plain ignorance to think that the people full of evil thoughts and intentions are going to stop and have a change of heart because America says they will lighten up! EVIL, HATEFUL people will continue being evil and hateful! THEY HAVE ISSUES.
FOR ALL WE KNOW, the Muslim/Arab world and its leaders could just play nice and end up playing us like a fool because we choose not to acknowledge the fact that they are most likely linked together with the EXTREMISTS. I'm not labeling all Muslims to be etremeist, but the muslim religion is not built on love...... hello the Koran teaches them that JEWS and CHRISTIANS are to be killed. That when they blow up themselves and kill all the people around them that they are martyrs and they will reach a higher level in heaven!? WTF!
Christian may have done some F'D up things...and made some really poor choices but that is NOT TOLD TO THEM IN THE BIBLE! The bible is a book of LOVE. It preaches and teaches love. ANY Christian who says Jesus or God told them to do something hateful is off there rocker!!!
ANYWAYS back to my original thought.... if the liberal people of America were put in these extreme positions that we don't face here in America, (because our military through horrendous and sometimes not pretty acts have made peace in your neighborhood through most of America"... tell me that they would not do whatever it took to keep them and there family safe! Tell me on a lighter note that if a crazy ass thief broke into there house and went after their goods and family that they would defend and possibly kill whoever to save their own!
I remember when Berkley, Ca wanted the military recruiting offices out of the city and were demonstrating and becoming violent(like that makes any sense). The City should have removed all the police, sheriffs, military and any one else who has sworn to serve and protect this country to any degree and see what would happen! Crime would have rose people would have to now defend themselves from the criminals. I give it 3 months tops and they would screaming for law enforcement to come back and protect them! Thats all the military is, a greater stronger more trained police force to help protect our country from the criminals of the world.
I LOVE ALL OF YOU WHO SERVE THIS COUNTRY ON BEHALF OF MY SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.
IM SORRY THAT SOME OF YOUR FELLOW AMERICANS CAN'T SEE WHAT YOU DO AND HAVE DONE FOR US!
THANK YOU A BAZILLION TIMES THANK YOU!!!
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