Obama Administration to Release Detainee Abuse Photos; Former CIA Official Says Former Colleagues ‘Don’t Believe They Have Cover Anymore’

Mark my words – we are finished folks. The idiots have truly taken over. Get them out of there as fast as we can.

Obama is dangerous and disturbing.

Obama is said to be a very smart man.
If that is true then he is intentionally trying to endanger us.

Again Obama is pandering to the ACLU & Move On to get at Bush. Never mind that it may endanger American lives by prevoking violence on an issue long ago resolved. More pictures added to thos already released will serve no purpose except to further the ACLU agenda of trashing America for its’ own fund raising purposes. God help this country.

Gee, I thought it was of the utmost importance to protect the identities of CIA covert operatives, even those who weren’t covert operatives. Now we’re going to release photos that, even if they are redacted, could reveal the identities of covert operatives. Could politics be at play here?

@Joe Pepe NYC
The previous administration already endangered us all by using torture in the first place.

“The Bush administration had also argued that releasing the photographs would violated the Geneva Conventions, which protect prisoners of war and detained civilians “against insults and public curiosity.”"
Interesting argument coming from those who earlier had suggested thatthe Geneva conventions did not apply to those taken prisoner.

Calculated!
Obama’s fiscal stimulus and budget were getting so much heat that he decided to detract the press with more Bush accusations.
It seems to have worked.
Now the press is happy to divert attention away from Obama’s policies.

Well that didn’t take long. I see the link to the Justice Dept. letter has already been scrubbed.

And how is this going to keep American’s safe? Does anyone get that this is just going to incite Terrorist to hurt more Americans? I truly don’t believe the ACLU or the Obama administration care about average Americans.

Will there be a demand to show the beheadings that were done in the name of Islam?

Well if you don’t BELIEVE that “left-wingers” have taken control of our government………then think again.
Obama = The Great Divider………..FACT

Do we know where the ACLU gets it’s funding? Who exactly is behind the lowering of American defenses here? Where’s the ACLU watchdog?
They’re trying to bring down America’s defenses, while we stand by and watch. No press watchdogs for our democracy, no nothin’. Crickets.
What is the genesis of this effort to 1. release the memos, and 2. release these detainee photos.
What is gained by these actions (that everyone didn’t already know) and who gains?

Those in intelligence are “going to become increasingly wary about doing dangerous things.”
Um, no.
Those in intelligence are going to become increasingly wary about doing ILLEGAL things.
Good.

The pansy administration hard at work endangering this country once again. What a tool for the left. I hope you’re all proud of this idiot you put into office.
Do I feel safer now than I did a year ago? Heck NO.

I don’t see how the CIA or the military can trust this president.
His word has an expiration date.
Tomorrow Obama may decide to prosecute the CIA.
Is Obama dumb, naive, or is it his plan to destroy the morale of those that protect us?

The Left has demoralized and soon will crush the much loathed CIA.
I seriously doubt that the CIA is or ever was the Gestapo, but the Obama, Move on.org and the ACLU are going to take everything out of context using the photos and memos to prove that the institution is.
Abu Ghraib is a prime example of exploiting a few aberrant acts to make it appear it was systemic.
Good Luck, America.
Our enemies are surrounding us waiting to pounce and we are eating our own. Soon there will be no one left to protect us.

Another point– is this the future? Are we now in an era where a change of power means the persecution and imprisonment of those who transfer to the next regime? You think we’re corrupt now, wait until those in power are fearful of their lives if they ever let go.

Obama is a classic left-wing Democrat. He goes out of his way to damage his own country, while simultaneously glad-handing and making up excuses for vile dictators worldwide. It didn’t used to be this way. I remember when most Democrats had the country’s best interest in mind, not just a desire that they personally could feel good about themselves regardless of the greater consequences. I feel sorry for the dedicated CIA agents who have demonstrably kept this nation safe and are now being hung out to dry, just because Democrats have redefined “discomfort” as “torture”. Soon, they’ll get to redefine “safe” to include the various terrorist attacks we’ll be subject to. Sorry, “domestic contingency operations by undocumented temporal immigrants.”

If there was no real abuse – no torture – then the photographs will not reveal anything except how well our fellow Americans treated those prisoners.
No doubt those photos will not give any excuse for our enemies to torture captured Americans.
Nothing to hide – nothing to fear!

So the CIA can’t torture people anymore without the world knowing about it? That’s awful!
Come on…

Obama and his leftist thugs, the ACLU and MoveOn.org, have capitulated this nation into a hellish scenario.

I hope that I am wrong! However, I believe that the United States is headed for a new war… right here on our soil. If the lawyers go to jail so must Nancy Pelosi and 33 other members of Congress that were well aware of the interrogation tactics. The Democrats need to realize we went to war on 9/11/01, and that the war continues. These tactics likely prevented an attack on this nation that would have paled 9/11. The Obama administration, ACLU, members of Congress, and millions of Americans likely owe their lives to what the Bush Administration did to keep us safe!

Well,ABC and the other major networks including CNN and MSNBC convinced the public that Obama was the man. But now we find out that he has no interest in anything other than his own reputation and getting re-elected. The safety and security of America is secondary. There is no room whatsoever for dissent. All the dissenting voices are silenced. The CIA is castrated. The armed forces will be hung out to dry. The House and Senate will rubber stamp anything George Soros wants.
What is scary is that there is a revulsion building in the country that may take us on a catastrophic course and then we are all in deep s…

I feel the winds of civil war coming. What is amazing is that us on the Right are considered extremeist for saying things like what I just said.
It is like a big bully on a playground, pushing the little kids around and taking their things and causing them fear and changing the intent of the playground. Then when the little kids fight back, they are called the bullies and the bad behaved children.
Let it come, we obviuosly need something to happen!

@Bob – You think our enemies don’t torture captured American service members and CIA-types? LOL.

If Obama is so concerned about transparency in gov’t, then why not show us a real birth certificate? Or release medical records? Or how about them college transcripts?

I should also note as an aside that the ACLU is on record opposing the Supreme Court’s decision in Heller that the 2nd Amendment is an individual right to bear arms. In other words, an organization called the “American Civil Liberties Union” is actually AGAINST an American Civil Liberty provided for in the Bill of Rights. Regardless of your personal opinion of the 2nd Amendment, this tells you all you need to know about the extreme left-wing quasi-anarchist group masquerading as a civil liberties nonprofit.

Some organization needs to put in a formal request for the release of all photo’s associated with the Clinton administration sending prisoners to rendition camps in countries where they really torture prisoners.

What the hell is this Administration’s real agenda?

We may as well shut the doors on the CIA and turn the compound into a theme park where nirvana exists.
Not until fundamentalism destroys 4 or 5 more national treasures and thousands of lives will we realize we are have been infiltrated and we are being destroyed internally. The armies, navies and air forces will not attack from the shores, it is the fundamental group meeting in Chicago, LA, New York or Washington that poses a greater harm.
If you hamstring the intelligence gathering of the CIA better beef up the FBI, because the bad guys will move further onshore and the threat becomes internal and more heinous.

Obama has truly lost his mind. Why don’t we release all the photos of the people tortured by illegal immigrants?

Obama will decimate our intelligence capabilities for decades to come–much as President Carter and Senator Frank Church did in the late 1970′s.
We will lose the ability to monitor and prevent terror attacks against American targets abroad and on our own soil.
Enjoy that Hope and Change, Comrades!

We can’t show video and pictures of the horrific things that happened on 9/11 but we can show this crap.

“Obama and his leftist thugs, the ACLU and MoveOn.org, have capitulated this nation into a hellish scenario.”
Yep, the WH clown’s mouth says he wants to move on, but his actions say otherwise. His administration is going to keep fanning the flames until this country goes up in flames. The Clown and his administration are destroying this country. Don’t believe it? Well, his loyal lemmings obviously are blinded by love. The rest of us know better.
And ACLU — enjoy the liberties you supposedly fight for. Once you finish helping the Clown destroy this country, we’ll no longer have the liberties you supposedly treasure. You are no better than the Clown and his administration.
Sad time for the United States. We’re being destroyed by the Democrats and the ACLU.

I think that a lot of this torture business is being instigated by Obama & his cronies to defer some of the criticism he’s getting for the economy – bailouts, etc..
Regardless, the 2012 presidential election can’t get here soon enough! Obama & his administration will go down as one of the worst in history.

Have faith people. With any kind of luck, a republican will be elected the next President and he or she will give Obama his due and release every document under his administration and show just how damaging he is/was to this country. And if it happens, watch and see how Obama cries that he’s not being treated fairly as a former President.

Remember how on 9/11/01 many said they would never forget? Well, it seems that many Democrats have already forgot what happened. They also seem to have a greater respect for the terrorist community, than for the safety of the communities of this nation! The ACLU is doing far more harm than they have ever done good.

Is there any doubt that foreign-born hedge fund billionaire named George Soros is running this country? George Soros “bets” against countries and then reaps the financial rewards. He is literally hedging the downfall of this country so he can increase his weath.
Can’t wait for the congressional elections in 2010. My Blue Dog democrat is never going to win reelection.

why not just use versed or phenobarbitol to gain information? just because our enemy tortures people mean that the US should? and this isn’t about “outing” CIA operatives. these operatives didn’t work in the field, just in torture chambers.
as an american citizen i would like to see how my government acts, we all have that right.
america is safe and President Obama is committed to that. we aren’t endangered. the racists and hate peddlers can quit scaring people with the Obama treasonous, will kill us, only Limbaugh and Cheney can save us. i am just as vulnerable to another attack as anyone on this blog and i am not the least bit worried.
and to all of those who advocate torture, i thought you would like to see these kinds of videos.

Obama administration gets scarier everyday!!! We are going to hell in the name of one world political correctness. They are world citizens not American citizens. Obama believes he is the ONE WORLD LEADER, clearly putting the world above American needs.
Brace yourselves people, everyday in this administration brings more harm and total stupidity that defies all logic.
Annoy a liberal discuss facts and logic. This administration and libs have none.

How long before Bill Ayers dines at the White House? Obama, your anger is showing. But keep it coming. Now it’s getting good. I’m reminded of the story that Obama banned the sight of police during his campaign. He never wanted them to sully his line of sight. They had to hide in corners in hallways at school visits etc etc. Seemed apocraphal, but now I’m thinking the guys got a major problem with law enforcement. There’s a reason he was office mates with Bill Ayers for years. Let’s go cuckoo with Obama … maybe he’s quite mad. Wouldn’t that be fun???

This fool is not my President. To paraphrase Michelle Obama, this is the first time in my adult life I am NOT proud to be an American. Shame on us for electing this chain smoking, teleprompter seeking, socialist, empty suit motivational speaker.

SSB, that is such a naive notion. The problem is what’s defined as “illegal” seems to change by the day, and is retroactive. Covert operators are outed, and as long as you’re not Valerie Plame, that’s okay.
We voted these people in, they won the election, so don’t be so shocked.

AS most have posted, this is one of the worst acts of treason by Obama. Where are the Republicans and decent democrats telling him to stop undermining the USA??
Just like at home where we have all the laws protecting the criminal (AKA underdog)such as anti “racial” profiling, and lenient sentencing; and where are we in terms of crime and safety here? In a big mess.

So whats the big deal? This is war, people! And they wouldn’t think twice about putting any of us before a public firing squad and tear you apart, or cut off your head! These cowards are barbarians and should be treated as such!

Well repubs your political party is just about done. When these photos are on display for the world to see, you guys will forever be linked to torture and these images.
……time for another “tea party”?

Obama is systematically dismantling the military and the CIA. In the latter instance, he’s using the same disgraceful tactic he used against AIG execs who he and congress knowingly authorized bonuses for, i.e., he fans the flames of populist outrage knowing full well the people he is having targeted believed they were lawfully allowed to do what what they did. Obama is an evil man and a traitor.

I am against our current belligerent foreign policy, but I am also against the release of these photos. We don’t need to start fights all over the world, but we do need an intelligence apparatus that works.

I smell IMPEACHMENT coming!

Lets see.. the Russian professor that said America would break up into 6 sections in 2 years….Looks like he knows what he is talking about

Obama is too young, and naive to understand that his political moves to make the Republican party look bad will destroy the security of this country. I get really sick and tired of people attacking the Bush administration. That man and his administration worked day and night to try and make this nation safe and they did just that. When Obama makes speeches, I do not turn on the TV. When Bush spoke, it made me feel safe in knowing I had a strong president that would go to any lengths to keep his citizens safe. Now Obama is dabbling in issues that are way above his head. This man is horrible for this country. If I had a choice, we would split the country. You can have Obama, I’ll take Bush.

Obama and his regime officials are traitors. From 2001 on, America’s biggest ennemy was the islamist radicals. From 2009 on, America’s biggest ennemy is Congress and the White House. We are moving toward a new civil war and revolution is brewing. I never though I wished that some States cecede from the Union. The US will be dissolved by this mid century.

Why doesn’t the Obama administration post pictures of our Muslim enemies cutting off heads of our people? Something is seriously wrong with this administration. They definitely don’t seem to be on the side of the American people and put us at risk playing politics with a former administration.

Why don’t all of you place blame where it belongs? Had the Bush administration adhered to the Geneva Convention instead of selling our morals down the river, this would not even be an issue. Torture is torture, and any nation that takes the high moral road knows that ultimately provides the highest level of security. Quit whining, and accept the accountability that comes with the screwup of the last administration.

Maybe we should also release photos/videos of 9/ll. Oh, no wait….that wouldn’t be pushing Bush under the bus. We’d better not do that.

I am with Abby. Split the country. We will take Bush and the other half can have Barry O.

We’re headed for a real civil war!

this is by far the worst president and i am not saying that because i am a traditionalist but because i am stunned at what this man is doing in such a short period and how much he really hates the US. He is sick in the head and really is a lonely and sad person to go this far to damage our nation. Obama, how do you face your children? Everything is a lie and i am amazed so many people are fooled. He has an agenda like no other and he will go to any extreme to push it through

I couldn’t believe the people of the United States could be so stupid as to elect BO and all those Democrats to Congress! But now that they’re governing, things are even worse than I thought they’d be.
We aren’t supposed to see the HORRIBLE images of 9/11, and we’re dealing with people who routinely behead people, but we’re supposed to be concerned about minor discomforts used to gain information to stop future 9/11′s?
What can those of us who didn’t vote for this insanity do? When the next big attack comes, it’ll undoubtedly hit a big city full of liberals, my only consolation!

President Hussein is really living up to his liberal socialist tendencies. Thankfully, four years and out with this intellectually and morally deficient light-weight!

This administration is a joke. 2012 can’t come soon enough.

It’s called Jihad. Economic Jihad, terror by threat of releasing information, fear of being prosecuted, Revenge. Still think he’s not a Muslim?

Some of these photos look familiar. Had they not been released a few years ago when the pregnant woman and her boyfriend were caught at the prison? If so, what’s the complaint? The whole world has already seen them, maybe not all of them, but the worst of them. Anyway, according to Chehey last week, he is so proud of his handy work with the torture process he should want the pictures to be shown. It will give him something else to brag about.

It is incredibly terrifying to see these photos. Then no matters what we share similar insanity with those planned 9/11. We should criticize ourselves for these photos for nothing but the sake of humanity. Shame on people who are responsible of this!

Anyone remember the oath of office found in the US Constitution? It reads: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
Mr. Obama ignoring his oath of office. His proposals for transnationalism certainly do not “preserve, protect, and defend” our Consitition! His narcissistic desire to release our interrogation techniques and detainee photos further illustrate that he is not following his oath of office. He is putting our country at a MAJOR risk with his self-serving actions. This man should be IMPEACHED!

“we don’t have cover anymore”
That pretty much sounds like a admission to guilt to me…..clearly Obama doesn’t wish to prosecute these people, however it sure seems like they weren’t the correct people for the job in the first place and knew all along that this wasn’t how americans acted.

What’s next the special forces ?
This admnistration is so corrupt and sold out to the far left(Soros,GE) that I don’t know if there is a chance in our life time that it can be turned around.

Yes, all those little nagging suspicions are true. Oh, his handlers deny them, to delay your eyes being opened……Now you see it for yourself. Evil a.k.a as Islam has taken over. Obama is exacting revenge for his Muslim brothers.

I’m sure the photos will be all over the television and web. Maybe they should also post the beheading videos and photos of what is left of a human after jumping on fire out of a World Trade Center window. But the were too squeamish to do that, weren’t they? Because they know when people see that they KNOW what REAL EVIL is.

Obama and his merry band of zealots are like a bunch of piranha in a fish tank. They are devouring everything in sight and don’t care what they destroy in the process.
Pictures were released on the incidents in the prison in Iraq, and it was dealt with — by the Bush administration. What the Obama administration is doing now is nothing short of a witch hunt. There is no benefit to rehashing this topic over and over and over. It is obvious that Obama, members of his party, the ACLU, and similar organizations, care NOTHING for this country and for its security.
For those who complain that Bush was the worst president — you ain’t seen nothing yet! BO is just getting cranked up. God help us!

For those of you against Obama, you are saying torture is okay. So, go to another country where they use it, and stay there. Thanks.

This is a nightmare. What is wrong with these people? If I didn’t know any better, I would say they are on the side of the terrorists.
This has to stop. Do they realize the danger that they are putting our troops
in right now? I’ll tell you if I had a son or daughter over in the Afghanistan or Irqaq, I would be very upset.

lifematters01: You have a dangerously static and 1 dimensional view of politics if you expect macro ethical standards in developed nations to never “smudge/smear” w/ the insane ideology of radical islam. The man you jump up to defend from having water splashed in his face would gladly cut your childs throat were it not for the “bullies” in the CIA keeping him detained.

If we get hit again it’s 100% Obama’s fault. Enough said.

WE EXECUTED Japanese soldiers FOR WATERBOARDING our soldiers.

Sounds like the CIA is protesting too much. They must have REALLY broken the law if they are trying this hard to prevent the photos from being released. THANK YOU PRESIDENT OBAMA. The only way we can start anew is to wipe away the misdeeds of the past.

This is so wrong. Obama is opening the door for terrorists and others. He has done nothing but defame the United States.

It’s too bad Obama wants to destroy this country. The tea parties are only the beginning.

The ex-CIA director they interviewed for this story sounds like he’s shaking in his boots. If the CIA didn’t do anything wrong, then why are they so afraid of a few photos being released? It sounds like these people know they broke the law, and quite severely, and they just don’t want to pay the price for it. I find it laughable that people pretending to be American citizens are against the release of these photos. What is it about the rule of law that you don’t like?

scrivener
We poured water on khalid shaik mohammed underwater and he told us how to thwart the planned attack on Los Angeles. Thousands of Americans were saved.
Take your liberal propaganda elsewhere.

WE EXECUTED Japanese soldiers FOR WATERBOARDING our soldiers.
==============
That meme is spreading, but it is simply not true.
The facts are out there, and easy to find.

We have WON the war in Iraq, despite Obama, Biden, Reid, Durbin, and Pelosi’s MANY previous statements that we LOST that war. Having discredited themselves for future generations to come, they are now rabid and desperate to discredit Bush. ALL this will come back to crush Obama and the Democrats with the next major Islamic terror attack on the U.S. homeland!

I DO NOT WANT THE US GOVERNMENT BREAKING LAWS IN MY NAME. The right-wing in this country have completely lost their minds. They actually enjoy anarchy and chaos with the State being the first to break the laws. These photos need to be released immediately. It will tell the true story of why we cannot stoop to the level of torture if we are to respect ourselves.

Torture?
Does anyone remember seeing the man be-headed on the internet?
I just worry that these so called “Americans” are going to bring about the downfall of our country.
And one day see be-heading on our own streets of American.
And I pray that it doesn’t take something like that to teach us what torture really is.

Once this evidence is released, then all of the evidence the CIA and the US aggregated against these individuals will be suppressed and they will have to go free. At the same time, Bush and Cheney and their advisors will go to jail. Terrorists are going free and the former President and staff are going to jail.
What kind of madness is going on? I think that this volatility in our Government is problematic.

Do it! Show every picture! And along side of those photos I want to see every video of every American being beheaded by those ########. And then I want to see all the footage of Americans leaping from the Twin Towers on 9/11/2001.

Obama is endangering every citizen of the US by releasing all these torture memos and photos. What in the heck is he thinking? Why does he need to continue trying to destroy Bush and his administration? Obama won the election. He’s president. Now he needs to start acting like one. May Lord have mercy on all our troops overseas. If any of them are caught by terrorists – or if any US citizen traveling is caught by terrorists, you can be sure they will use this information to their advantage. This is the worst administration in history and it’s not even been 100 days.

“people who serve in our country are waterboarded as part of training.”
Yes, that training is for special forces to endure some of the torture techniques employed by countries that do not follow the Geneva Convention.

It’s good to see GWB back in the news. We must continue to hold him and his criminal ilk responsible for the horrors they have unleashed on the world. It’s a breath of fresh air to see our new leader take such a courageous stand and set himself apart from the evil and corrupt administration that preceded him. Time Magazine has it nailed: He is without a doubt our greatest president EVER!

Democrats were briefed on enhanced interrorgation techniques in 2002 just as Republicans; however, it seems the some with short memories are displaying their true colors proven by the following statement by an unnamed official:
“In fairness, the environment was different then because we were closer to Sept 11 and people were still in a panic,” said the US official present during the early briefings. “But there was NO OBJECTING no hand-Wringing. The attitude was, “WE DON’T CARE WHAT YOU DO TO THOSE GUYS AS LONG AS YOU GET THE INFORMATION YOU NEED TO PROTECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.” (Politico)
So it seems to beg the following question: What has changed, terrorism, since Sept 11, 2001? Has terrorism been erased? If not, why lower our defenses?

Waterboarding is bad, abortion is good. I get it.

So will the same media organizations that will not run picture of the Twin Towers coming down or Nick Berg’s head being sawed off his body run all of these pictures as news?

They hate Bush more than they Love America. Thats the problem.

The question here, is a CIA operative going to jail in
the USA or going to go over to the other side(s)?
Jail here or life without Jail in Russia or China?
You can’t have it both ways, Charley Brown, err…
Obama.

Today, the laughter of our foes. Tomorrow, the laughter of human history.Departures from reality into flights of peacenik fancy, this is how Empires fail.

The complete Loonies on the left have just pushed America’s security over the cliff. I am holding the democrates 100% responsible for every American kidnapped, harmed beheaded etc. It will happen and thei administration just handed the keys to or enemies. I don’t even recognize this country anymore. What is wrong with all of you?

What a horrible mistake they are making. I’ve voted Democrat all my life, and I even voted for Obama. But, in 2012, I’m actively campaigning for whoever will be running against this man. I don’t care who it is. It’s very clear now that all Barack Obama does not have this country’s best interests at heart. Very sad. And, yes, I know it’s partly my fault for voting for him, and I have to live with that.

America does not have a strong and decisive leader.
Our enemies know that and will take advantage of it.
Top Secret means nothing to Obama.

What does THE ACLU have to do with this? It is not the Afganastan Civil Liberties Union, is it?

In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he talked about moving forward, “with malice towards none.”
What I see with the Obama administration is nothing but malice and retribution for an administration that they don’t like (hate would be more accurate).
Obama says he wants to move forward and not look back. By releasing the CIA documents and the photos to come, he’s taking a big look back and is being very divisive. He campaigned against the “politics as usual” approach, but what we have is just that.

We’re involved in a struggle against a very determined enemy. Our problem is one of perception. When we skirt the law, when we play word games, when we play lip service to the values we claim to stand for, we lose credibility with those watching the fight. I wish to win this war. I do NOT wish to win it by becoming the evil thing that we are fighting. We are about human rights and the dignity of the individual, they are not. We are about the rule of law, they are not. We are about self determination for nations and individuals…they are not. I support the President of the United States, no matter who he is. This absurd and pointless, endless partisan foolishness just rebounds to our own embarassment.

There is no pleasing most of you this is not about abortion it’s about waterboarding and torture and cover-ups and abortion is good , It’s a featus and until someone proves other wise I will continue to support a woman’s right to choice.

Hey Howard, do you get all of your history learnin’ from the John Lebowitz show? If the Japanese waterboarded you in WWII, you were getting off easy.

Are they releasing the addresses of the CIA interrogators or was that just reserved for AIG bonus recipients?

Is there an end to this traitor’s power hungry lunacy?

Willie | Apr 24, 2009 11:26:55 AM…..I agree. Obama has done nothing to those on Wall Street responsible for the current financial crisis. But he did fire Rick Wagner of GM – for ?

I hope the lefties won’t blow this out of proportion, remember, this happened a while ago and has stopped. This is barely torture compared to what these terrorists did AND CONTINUE TO DO. They gouge eyeballs out, they use meat cleavers to chop off limbs, they beat whip and hang our troops and there own people. They burn them, mutilate them and desecrate the remains. Just remember that when your so “outraged” over these tiny abuses caused by the CIA.

The Geneva Conventions are gentlemans agreememnts between countries to abide by certain rules of engagement; such as wearing uniforms, having symbols to identify military targets, and to treat each other prisoners with respect.
Terrorists do not follow the Geneva Conventions agreements, in fact they exploit them. We have no gentelmans agreement with terrorists.
Its like having a contract bewteen two parties. The two parties are bound by the contract. Some Third party person comes along and wants the benifit of the contract as well, but refused to sign or abide by it themselves. They don’t get the benifit.

Torturing by the Bush and Cheney administration was never a secret to begin with. We all knew about it. Even Al Qaeda was using it as propaganda to recruit extremists. Obama is only bringing it out so that the public knows what actually happened.
Thinking it is top secret is plain stupid.

At first I thought the people in the U.S. who were stockpiling guns after Obama’s election were nutcases. Now I’m not so sure. Obama is undermining the capacity of the CIA so he can score political points. What kind of president, with the interest of U.S. security and institutions in mind, would do that? He is the president of whom, exactly?

I am stunned by the people here who appear to think torture is just fine when we do it. Have we degraded that much, morally? When I hear these defenses of torture from my fellow citizens, I think of Pontius Pilate, and shudder.
Posted by: RWB
_________________________________
The terrorist hijacked airplanes filled with passengers and crashed them into buildings killing 3000 Americans. In the Arab nations, not only were the terrorsit NOT thought of as Pontius Pilate, they were celebrated as heroes.
Americans try to defend themselves by getting information about future attacks and now we are a nation hanging our heads in collective shame calling ourselves a Pontius Pilate.
Now that the Taliban and the rest of Al Qeada know our interrogation techniques and that all of us feel guilty about them, now’s their chance to strike again.
Of course when they kill Americans, they’re not terrorists. They are only killing thousands of Americans in order to “educate”.

We’re in trouble now if the U.S. Gov’t is answering to the ACLU!! MY GOD!!!

Whenever they bring up the abortion issue, you KNOW they don’t have a good argument.
Posted by: Trish
Whenever they bring up George Bush, Cheney, Neocons. . . you know they don’t have a good argument.

“Ron: Sorry, there was only one Geneva Convention.”
No, there were four of them with the first being in the late 1800′s.
They are referred to collectively as the Geneva Conventions.

How about a little transparency on who that person in the White House really is?
Where do his loyalties really lie?
It doesn’t seem to me that he cares anything about America.

If the Bush admin. is worried that the release of these pictures will cause outrage, he’s right! And it should! If we are terrorizing other people, then we are no better than the people we are supposedly fighting against. I understand that we suffered as a result of 9/11, but we stand for justice and that should apply to everyone, and we are demoralizing ourselves by using harsh methods to terrorize these people back. We should be better than that.

If it be known, these interrogation techniques were known by the very people that are now acting so indignant. Politics is so disingenuous.

Are you also noticing every time there is bad news, the DOW now goes UP? Horrid news unemployment, housing, retail and credit card companies. The stress tests will start, start being released today…and the DOW is up…..because, it’s being manipulated. Economic Jihad.

Charlie – its the All Criminal Liberation Union
ACLUFan – Interesting so you would rather millions of Americans die then interrogate a known terrorist?
By the way ours Courts technically do not have a right to interefere here, since they are not citizens or on US soil they are not covered by the Constitution. Our courts are going rampant.

Yes, people WAR sucks ! It is horrible, terrifying,cruel,unfair…exhibits the darkest side of human nature. We like it or not, it is a reality of our times and it’s outcome is a matter of our survival as a sociaty and as individuals. In both aspect our survival depends on our actual leaders and their first and number one duty is and should be ensuring that. BY ALL MEANS……. We are going to be so dead!

Everyone is so involved in this issue and that is a good thing it is ALL our country not just yours not just mine. The first duty any elected president has is to keep the citizens safe this has been the mandate since George Washington. Again the debate is to define torture. Also terriost by any name are not subject to the rules of the Geneva Convention. They did not sign any articles of behavior. None the less since the basic fundamental debate is to what extent does a nation go to keep its citizens safe? I find is disingenious when people decry the use of harsh interrogation methods to extract information to save lives. Please do not make that choice for me. My life, my familes lives are the most important reality to me and noone has the right to deny them safety. I dare say should anyone of the same people calling us a nation of torture would not hesitate to inflick any harm necessary to save their own lives should they themsleves be attacked.
Regardless of the debate rest assured the people that want to kill us will have no regards as to our sensibilities. I wonder what the real agenda for our once strong county is?? Just wondering!

I dont care what democrats define as Torture.To me terrorist bombing innocent people maiming and killing is TORTURE.Cia interrogating uncooperative terrorist with water and smacks is JUSTCE.Dont be fooled by the Democrats BS that waterboarding is torture because if that was so we wouldnt be torturing our own troops waterboarding them.

I believe morals are a Christian virtue. Are libs becoming more Christian like?

Wouldn’t it be more accurate to state that rather than techniques are ones the
International Committee of the Red Cross has unequivocally called torture?

Bob,
Torture is torture and America does not torture. The Japanese did it to us and they were prosecuted. Civilized countries like us do not torture.

This is just a DISTRACTRACTION a DIVERSION for the obama administration to divert everyones attention away from the hijacking of our country, constitution, economy etc and to keep the critics from being heard by and listened to by the sheeple.
He (obama) needs to at all costs keep up the facade. The tea parties scared them!!!

Bob, you are so right about cleaning house! Once we have rid this country of the axis of hate, we can finally all get along and deal with more pressing issues. We are all just short term visitors on this planet and need to nourish life……not destroy it!!

Torture is torture. The END never justify the MEANS.
The Bush Administration would be protected under normal conditions.
But creating a policy of torture is illegal and immoral and the people that set this up need to be held accountable. period.
Does anyone remember how gleeful the Bush Administration was when they could not find WMD’s but they did find torture rooms.
I’m sure Saddam felt the same way about the people he was torturing. They deserved it for actions against his Country. Whether right or wrong, every torturer believes they are doing the right thing for their Country/Regime.

kre – OH ok so we can behead them instead, because we never hear bleeding heart liberals talk about that!!
And technically none of the stuff reported is torture!! per Geneva Conventions!!
You know our soldiers should just shoot them all!! that is until Obama gives them paint ball guns!!

Yeah, we should have followed the Geneva conventions. Would have saved us all this trouble.
Battlefield executions of non uniformed combatants.

Bob
Very well said.

The howling of the right wingers is quite amusing.
All so afraid of Americans seeing what the torture that right wingers have been defending.

I can not believe that there are people who are defending the actions of the Bush administration when it is so clear that the law was in fact broken and people were terrorized. torture is no way to obtain information from any one. I for one would tell my torturers what ever they wanted to hear to get them to stop. Do you really believe that an experienced terrorist or criminal doesn’t know this. They will tell any thing that sounds reasonably true to stop the pain being inflicted on them. There fore torture does not work. The bush administration were out for blood any way they could get a war started so all their buddies could get rich off of it.

Oh, how unspeakably sad it is that Obama has seen fit to open this can of worms. First the memos and now these pictures. This is not healthy for our country and it saddens me to see Obama go this route. He was supposed to be about hope and change, moving forward, unifying the fractured country. I know people who believed he meant all that and voted for him because of it. I did not believe he was different from other politicians or that he would truly turn his back on the far left element of his party and I did not vote for him. However, I truly wish those who thought he was seriously going to work to end the ugliness of the post 9/11, post-Iraq war division of the country had been right about that. They were wrong. Obama’s recent words and actions have reopened old wounds, reinvigorated old arguments, revived old angers– on both sides of the political aisle. Those of us who truly live and vote in the middle are heartsick at this development.
Please do not create a “Truth Commission.” Please do not further dishearten our intelligence officers. Please do not tell the world that we do not protect our own who are doing dangerous work in dangerous times in dangerous places in ways that they are assured are legal and necessary. If you feel that what was done in the aftermath of 9/11 was wrong, it has been stopped and is not being done now. Isn’t that enough?

Bush, Cheney and his administration will end up behind bars.. No wonder Collen Powel left them. A man of Character and Morals knew better then to stay with these Evil Men.. The ends never justifies the means. How many innocent people were tortured? taken to prisons which the Bush administration denied existed? in other Countries?

I don’t understand why the CIA wants to keep this hidden, but were all too happy to allow American soldiers who followed the CIA orders to be sent to prison.
These were American citizens that Bush, Cheney, and the CIA were sworn to protect.
The longer we delay on releasing the photos, the longer the wound will fester. Clean the wound, fix the problem so it will not occur again.
It’s time for America to lead by example again. If we do not lead by example, why do we expect communists (China) and dictators (North Korea) to be overthrown by their people?

Many of the democratic left knew all about this for years! Hypocrites!

We clearly need the firm of Ernst and Young or whoever holds all the results for the Oscars SECRET…… This government is killing us. Mr. Obama – lets move FORWARD. Yes it is wrong but were they not prisoners. They killed us. You are truly showing that everything your pastor said in church all those years you were clearly listening and truly believed. You are not for the US you are against – and showing the world everyday you are not on our side.

You people now have your sought after communist regime I hope you enjoy it. it’s a sad time for the Republic.

DocChuck
Calling Obama (a man who sat in rev racist’s church for 20 years) a patriot would be like calling bin laden a freedom fighter.
Obama hates everything about this country and he is doing everything he can to end America as we know it, so that it can be rebuilt using his marxist principles.
Obama needs to be impeached immedietly.

Actually the one that really wants all this exposed is George Soros….the same guy that better against our dollar in Oct. 2008…the same guy that Hungary has fined over a $million, because their economy collapsed …but we didn’t fine him…..the same guy that backed Obama to the hilt

excuse me
….the guy that bet against our dollar

Can some one answer the obvious question here: Why do the photos exist? Clearly the risks outweigh any possible merit. Who took these photos and why?

You are not obligated to treat your prisoners better than the way the enemy treats Americans held captive. As long as the Prisoners ate Gitmo are treated better than Daniel Pearl, I have not sympathy for them.

@Will – As a West Point graduate with 25 years of service in DoD, I know very well that our people are sometimes tortured. I come from a family of combat veterans. One of my uncles was tortured as a POW and he lost his leg and his health as a direct result.
Our enemies also carry out beheadings. Perhaps you think we would be justified to do the same because they do it to us.
Some people believe that we can disregard the law since we are angry and want revenge, but the CIA itself has warned repeatedly for over 50 years that lawlessness on our part often brings blowback (their term) on civilian populations.
Before you call me an Obama sympathizer, know that I did not vote for either Obama or Bush as I have sworn an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.
The U.S. should set the example to the rest of the world – not participate in a race to the gutter.

Torture is the least of it. Innocent people, taken into custody by the CIA, have simply disappeared. Vanished.

Sorry to hear the CIA is ‘dispirited.’ There goes their annual bonus. Maybe the FBI should take the lead in the war on terrorism?

You people are misreading the right’s argument and position here. No one is “defending torture”.
They’re saying classified material is classified for a reason. It’s to protect the national security of the country. The release of these memos has unleashed activities that will ripple everywhere: Releasing the photos will endanger the lives of troops everywhere.
Was this the intent? Everything Obama has done the first 100 days pertaining to national security has been to render U.S. defenses impotent.
Closing GITMO, possibly releasing detainees into the U.S., stopping harsh interrogation, etc… These all signal an approach to terrorism that the terrorists have quickly recognized and taken advantage of.
They are in the process of doing so in Pakistan. They have significantly increased bombings in Iraq. The perception has been made. Do we have a plan?
We are going on unicorn and rainbow principles instead of being resolutely reality-based on these questions. In fact, harsh reality and a clear understanding of the enemy seems to play no part here.
Soros said the other day that Obama’s advance “…reflects the culmination of my life’s work”. The ACLU also is making great hay from this. If there was any investigative reporting going on out there, the American people wouldn’t be as vulnerable as we are today.

i would never call someone who tortured someone an “honorable man.” and calling the CIA “that once fine institution” is ludicrous. please see among so many others the example of what the CIA did to Patrice Lumumba, democratically elected leader of the Congo. the things this agency has has done in its history leads from here to hell. that the CIA is useful is not disputed. that it constantly has to be kept in check is essential, lest it turn into a 21st century version of Hitler’s SS. from some of those posts on here it’s astounding how many people want to go right down that path. not me.

Those of you disenchanted, screaming liberals have obviously never had to defend anything with your life. The “bomb” was the ultimaate torture. War is about blowing up the enemy’s stuff and killing him at a greater rate than he kils or blows up your stuff. The people we are now fighting are not obvious or in uniform… they want to kill us and our liberty and our way of life.
Ask yourself this; “What aerrogation technique would you disallow if I had in my custody, one of the terrorist that held your two daughters captive?”
Dont’ give me rationale, give me a specific answer!

I think the entire incident is awful, but
.
Is Obama pulling another play from the Bush Playbook?
.
Is he hiding something by showing us something that we would go frenzy with?
.
.
.

If it was your child who could be saved from a terrorist attack through the use of water boarding would it be okay? The ACLU is nothing but a bunch of people who have no respect for this country and are only interested in handouts.

We train American soldiers using the same techniques, such as water boarding. If they can endure it so can any Terroist.

Banana Republic—Obama’s legacy.
Revenge against Bush is the most important thing to BO and the left.
More important than our economy, our future and our safety.
Pretty sad.

We understand that there were issues, photos have been release and the Bush admin was exposed. Time to stop the madness and move on, but NO we need to restart the fire so the Americans can look bad.
Whats funny is no one on the far left ever complain about decapitations,IED and the towers but that okay…

“We train American soldiers using the same techniques, such as water boarding. If they can endure it so can any Terroist.”
The point of said training is for American soldiers that may be captured by countries that DO NOT ABIDE BY THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS!
Right wingers are not only cruel but stupid.

The Administration should calm down and slow down. You need to think these things though carefully. Does this in anyway help the security of this country? The security should be number one concern, not getting even with the last administration.
Are any of these pictures going to show the faces of the Americans involved? If yes, if I were one of them I would hide, Quickly, because they will become targets!
If you are going to release the facts release ALL of them, this means the RESULTS of the questioning. Transparency needs to be complete to be transparent!

There should never be a cover for torture.
>>>>>> How many of these folks are dead? How many are without heads? You call this torture? Where are there casts? Missing eyes. You folks have no idea what the other side does. I guess the CIA will have to just inject people with psychotic drugs to get answers? Is that torture?
You have to understand people hate us because we are not poor eating dirt like so many other countries so people hate us. They want to KILL us because we exist.
The idiots have truly taken over.
I agree.

Truth is photos shows there are crime for humanity. Why are people supporting these kind of behavior. We live in 21. century come on.
Posted by: tycebi
===============================
Not true. Republicans think this is all a 1950′s John Wayne movie.
…CIRCLE THE WAGONS !!!!!

War is unfortunately nasty business but the objective is to win and protect our citizens. From the Revolutionary War,the Civil War, WWI & II, Vietnam, etc. harsh tactics have been used and, while regrettable, I believe were necessary. The Islamic Fundamentalist is, without a doubt, the most insidious and formidable enemy we have encountered since the fanatic Imperial Japanese. They cannot be reasoned with and they respect no standard of morality. They will fight to the last man to maintain their culture (primarily their complete domination of women). They have no fear of death. Mr. Obama, the ACLU and the far left are complete fools to think that releasing these photographs will protect us. The effect will be to give propaganda ammunition to the enemy, drive good agents away from the intelligence service, effectively neuter our CIA and tell the enemy that we are complete cowards.

It’s going to be a long 8 years for some of you people. HAHA!

Obama probably tossed this bone to the left to keep them busy and happy.
What makes the left happy–humiliating Bush.
Afterall he is sending 21,000 troops to a war that will be uglier than Iraq.
Obama’s war.

They cut Danny Pearls head off with a dull knife.
We put a neck brace on them (to protect them from harm), then push them through a fake wall.
We are a horrible people, we should be ashamed.
They dance in the streets, dragging burned bodies around with them.
We pretend to hurt them.
We are sooo mean, we should be ashamed.

“We ask these people to do extremely dangerous things, things they’ve been ordered to do by legal authorities, with the understanding that they will get top cover if something goes wrong,” Lowenthal says. “They don’t believe they have that cover anymore.” Releasing the photographs “will make it much worse,” he said.
so this means that bush did go to iraq for the oil and not for the terrorist we the american’s are covering him because he was the president, we should be ashame of that and be name terrorist ourselfs because there were a lot of kids and family killed for nothing and we still ain’t found the one who bombed the twin towers. i still think bush and beladin was the whole master mind behind this because with our tech. we should have stopped the second plane that crashed in to the towers, cause if we don’t believe in our tech. what if n korea pulls out there missile launcher will our tech be ready for it or will it just be another twin tower that the top officals has to cover for just like beladin and bush’s chess games. looks like we the ponds don’t matter as longs as the top survives huh. what kind of world are we living in now.

How are terrorists – without uniforms and without country – protected by an agreement between nations whose forces are defined as being in uniform and belonging to a country?
Answer – they are not protected – they are enemies of humanity.

Dave: BRILLIANT!! BRAVO!! BRAVO!!

HAAAAAAAAALLLBBBUURRRRTTOOOONNN!

Mark my words. We will be attacked again. Clinton cut military spending and 9/11 happened. I bet once OB is out of office we will get attacked again. You all want him and sure hope you are getting what you paid for. We need to hope them accountable this time. All of you not freedom loving dems.

to those of you who are so adamantly outraged at the torture–What is your suggestion ? Should we sit them down over a cup of coffe and politely ask them ? I have yet to read or hear any anti-torture people give an alternative.

I really don’t have any sympathy for anyone who tortured. Even our founders didn’t torture British solders who would have tortured them. If we conduct ourselves as badly as those we fight, what makes us different?
We executed Japanese who waterboarded U.S. Soldiers in WWII, and we sure didn’t give Nazis we tried for war crimes a pass because they were acting on orders.
Torture dehumanizes both those who are tortured and those who are torturing. It’s sadistic, and I don’t want monsters defending my country.
I wore the uniform, and I can promise you, nothing on Earth could have forced me to torture another human being like that. NOTHING! The FBI refused to torture. If these people didn’t have the integrity and moral strength to refuse, then they don’t deserve to defend our country, and the sure don’t deserve any cover.

obama plans to use his ACORN troops to get the intellegence on you for his purpose.

“You get the government you deserve”. Looks good on you.

The next time we get hit, this administration will bear complete responsibility for dismantling the apparatus that kept us safe after the 9/11 attacks…no matter how much the Drive-By media/liberal sheople try to spin it. Hopefully, the Amrican electorate will rediscover that the presidency is too important to be entrusted to socialist egomaniacs bent on remaking the US as EUrope.

I am taken aback by some users’ insistence that the photos and memos should be swept under the rug. This is the exact mentality that perpetuates abuse in families, relationships, and now, obviously, government. When a child is abused, we don’t insist on burying the evidence because it’s a “can of worms” that the community shouldn’t have “to deal with,” at least not if we have even a thimble of gumption in our constitution. People must be held accountable, period, colon, exclamation point. And if we don’t hold our own accountable, who are we to cringe and scoff at the horrible acts of other governments, including, for instance, the recent tape of the UAE torture? I would say to those users, “get with it.” What makes this all even more disturbing is that the Bush presidency touted itself as such a Christian one. I hate to say it, but the Christian Right appear to have been following wolves in shepherds’ clothing.

Will there also be photos released of the torture imposed by these terrorist animals?
For example, Daniel Pearl’s death

To Mark: Like you trusted Bush and the hard-line conservatives with the safety and security of our country?
Ask yourself this question: Are you better off now than you were 8 or 9 years ago? The correct answer is: NO!

In the 20th Century, the United States killed the enemies of this country by the hundreds of thousands. Democrat Presidents event nuked their civilian women and children. In the 21st Century American presidents coddles the county’s enemies and persecutes its defenders.

Give me a break, hypocracy knows no party.

Well, I do not know what to say?the individual who stated that once abortion is mentioned that we (assuming his is saying christians) do not know what to say? abortion is being used as a point and aurgument!
If one states that these tactics are considered torture and immoral as the Obama administration has concluded, then abortion is surely immoral.This act of torture is being used on individuals who are not innocent, correct? And there are thousands of babies who are killed every year who are fully innocent, all in the name of choice! and yet we do not have the choice to use these methods in order to gain info, to stop future attacks? I am a republican and am not sure if i agree with these torture tactics, but, i do realize that surely abortion and other immoral acts have only degraded our society!

It is funny how the same people who support us using torture are now crying “don’t release those photos”. Should you be PROUD about what we did? You were FOR it, so now show your pride in our work. What’s wrong? Is it that deep down you know we were wrong?

No matter what actions America has EVER taken to defend herself, the nutty liberals, aligned with the nutty ACLU, will ALWAYS have problems with them.
I just never thought I would ever see the day when a nutty liberal would be in charge of keeping America safe.
How can anyone expect that obama will keep this country safe when he doesn’t believe this country is a great place?

Keep dreaming Nick.

The mastermind of 9/11 was water boarded 183 times? How many people died on 9/11? 3000! Looks like he has 2817 time to go! Too bad for him! But Obama will give him freedom with the help of the ACLU. And give him a pardon and a weekly paycheck to plan more attacks out of his Malibu home!

“WHY IS OBAMA SO ANTI-AMERICAN”
No it’s you right-wingers who are anti-American. You want to destroy the principles that this country was founded on. ‘Home of the brave?’ -You can spare us. This country was not founded on the principle of ‘An eye for an eye.’ Just because the terrorists don’t abide by the Geneva Convention is no reason that we are not bound by it.

Is this the “transparency” that benefits any nation? How about starting with the transparency of…
1) Barack Hussein Obama’s birth certificate? Let’s see the actual copy. The Constitution of the USA demands it, and sought to protect the country from foreign born interests.
2) Barack Hussein Obama’s college papers? Inquiring minds want to know his thoughts and worldview as a college student. George Bush’s day’s in college were laid bare before all to see.
3) Barack Hussein Obama’s family tree, maybe he has a bloodline relation to people of interest the the country he represents, surely this would be beneficial to confirm.
Let’s start with a little personal transparency before destroying the country he was sworn to protect and defend!!!

I’m a republican. I’m scared!!!! I’m scared of everything.
Many of you seemed to miss the part where the courts are not going to allow these to stay private. Take it up with the laws.

To all you bleeding hearts out there that think waterboarding against these thugs is inhumane, how would you want the CIA, FBI, and local law enforcement to proceed if one or more of these prisoners knew of a plot where a suicide bomber was to detonate a bomb in your child’s school, college or university. If you have any guts at all you would do whatever is necessary to protect a loved one. If only waterboarding or another interrogation technique could have prevented 9/11 from happening there would be at least 3000 more Americans alive today.

It’s a shame so many have forgotten the images and the shock and emotion they felt when those plane crashed into the Trade Towers and the helplessness you felt as you watched people plunge to their death becuase there was no where to go. That empty feeling in your stomach you got when those buildings started to collapse. The Obama administration has forgot that day and so has the ultra left. This is sad. I feel sorry for you and I fear the future for our country since we can have no secrets from the rest of the world. You have shown our hand Obama what will you do if we are attacked again? If we are it will be directly on your head. What you have done has done nothing to improve our image which you so desprately want to do. Go ahead apoligize some more. The enemy loves it. Al Qaeda and other countries they are laughing at you sir.

If I get caught by our enemies, I will take waterboarding with medical staff standing by, over getting beheaded anyday. Too bad we can’t ask Daniel Pearl if he would agree, or any of the other victims of terror.
If someone declares war on you….guess what you are at war!! If someone walks up to you and punches you in the face…you are in a fight. Grow up and thank goodness that there are people out there willing to protect you. If our ememies win….Well Why are there no Gays in Iran?

I am very Proud of the CIA.They did an excellent job Interrogating the mastermind of 9-11.They got information from him that save lives and gave us a better understanding of how Al aqueda works.Also led us to capture other terrorists and info.Thank you CIA I and most Americans are very grateful and proud.

I feel sorry for anyone whose hatred of Bush and their desire to see his head on a platter is more important than the safety of our soldiers who are still at war, and the safety of our fellow citizens. There is a time and a place to review policy, have trials, investigations etc. and release documents to the public but this is definitely not it. And if one of our soldiers gets paraded in front of the cameras without his head the blame should be where it belongs, right on Obama.

Hey Veronica!
Attacks against will increase! The level of violence has already started to increase in Iraq. I am not saying I agree with the war and never have, however no we have this spineless president the terrorist are going to come at us and come at us hard. God help us all!

This is a matter of do we respect classification and the imperative to protect national security, or not?
****************************************
Not a bad question, but I can not determine who decides if something is classified or not? Who is the ultimate decider? The president, the CIA, the FBI, your local Police, the last President? Classification is not an entity to be respected, it is created.

What the CIA should have done was just hire Sandy Berglar to ferret them out in his pants so there is no evidence of wrongdoing to expose. sarc/off
Posted by: graysheepdog | Apr 24, 2009 11:54:39 AM

I do not understand what Obama wants to achieve by releasing such as CIA torture memo and photo. These materials will increase and promote hatred to US soldiers and American citizen rather than cheering Obama’s US Government policy. Does he want to dismantle CIA or to destroy any chance of electing Republican President in future? If President Obama and his administration think they have moral obligation to release those memo and photo and then they must offer compensation to those terrorists who were once prisoners of US. Obama broke the taboo of any government on the earth.
Obama idea is wrong and naïve. I believe US have wrong President at wrong time. It’s dangerous for US and whole world.

Thank you for protecting my family. I am glad that they where questioned which helped save lives in the United States of America. No I read the ACLU is going to try and sue for the rights of these terrorist? I think the ACLU should be sued for treason

Waterboarding – Barbarous
Decapitation – Acceptable
The inmates have taken over.

Obama and the Democrat Congress (including Republican eunuchs and traitors like Specter, Snow, and Collins) are rapidly destroying America. Stop the coup now!

“I can only take solace in the fact that the next attack will undoubtedly be on a predominately liberal city…”
Now there’s a real patriot for you!

keith, you obviously aren’t reading correctly. No one is saying torture is okay.
They are saying the release of these memos and detainee photos will make life more dangerous for Americans in certain jobs, and de-fang the intelligence community.
You have basically neutered the covert operations that help keep America safe. These are not “torture” but interrogations — ANY interrogations — that will now be called into question for appropriateness. Officers don’t know how their actions will be portrayed, even the most innocuous. So, they will play it safe, and do nothing.
Meanwhile, the photos will disallow any evidence that might be used against those particular detainees pictured. The courts will have to set them free
The ripple effect here — i.e., the chill — will be over ALL operations, even the most benign. We’ve lost our will to defend this country, and we’ve failed to understand and study the nature of the enemy.

Please call email or write Obama to get ahim to have appointed an,
Independent Interrogation Commission.
President Obama It’s not his say.
Do your job and let the other do theirs.
What happen to separation of powers.
Obama you are wrong!!!
I am angry!
Keep you nose out of this -
You swore on a bible to uphold the law and you made promise’s to be open and transparent .
The country need to find out the truth!!!!
The CIA and the military is not stupid they knew they were breaking our country laws. We do not want people that knowingly in place that disregard the country laws and our Constitution.
Obama stand down and let justice do their job.
You are losing your base – PS I am a conservative Democrat>

i agree to some extint, torture sucks, and a lot dont believe in it. but if your child was kidnapped and you had the kidnapper tied up, in your possession, what would you do. would you ask him nicely? heck no. you would do whatever it took to get the info out of them. we in the military do what we have to do to save your life and protect our country. whatever it takes.

I am very Proud of the CIA.They did an excellent job Interrogating the mastermind of 9-11.They got information from him that save lives and gave us a better understanding of how Al aqueda works.Also led us to capture other terrorists and info.
****************************************
Prove it!

You conservatives must have loved living under Hitler. It is refreshing to show the world that this is not what we stand for. That is what is suppose to seperate us from places like China, Burma, North Korea, Iran, Saudi Arabia. I am glad these are being released, this shows that we will not stand silent while this activity goes on. What was dangerous and disturbing was how easy it was for Bush/Cheney to tear up the constitution upon a whim and conservatives cheered them on.

ricardo maxwell—”stop the coup.”??? it seems like you are calling for one. which is it?

So you do all you can to save lives and many of the ingrates, from the safety of their homes (because you succeeded), scream for your head.
Ya, that’s the ticket.
Most of the screaming is pure hypocrisy – anyone truly against the temporary discomfort that water boarding creates would logically be against vacuuming the brains out of a child….but no….that’s ok with them for some inexplicable reason. And that includes our illustrious presidente.

How stupid is this? In an effort by the fraud in chief to make his predecessor look bad, he is making himself and America look bad. We might as well have Putin as our president. The next attack on our shores will be a direct result of this fraud and his socialists emasculating our military and itelligence networks. The fraud is making travel for Americans throughout the world very dangerous.

Monica,
Your putting “rights” in quotes shows how much you wingnuts value our Constitution.

Is anyone surprised?
When you elect an anti American president he does anti American things.
Hopefully when the pendulum swings the other way the Republicans will prosecute every Democrat that has broken a law. All of Obama’s tax cheating appointees, Barney Frank, Charlie Wrangle, Barbara Boxer, Chris Dodd, Jack Murtha, and the dozens of others that are too numerous to list.

Is this really the Republican argument- torture is OK, but releasing photos of the torture is bad?

If BO is going to do this then the NYC police should show pictures of the men and women who had to JUMP from the Towers and of the fire fighters and police officers as well as civilians who got CRUSHED from the collapse of the Towers BECAUSE of what those men plotted and carried out. They are TERRORISTS and THEY DESERVED to be severely questioned. President Obama may think that all we needed to do was to sit down and REASON with those men after what they did, but that wasn’t the case. Many more thousands of lives were on the line, so President Bush and his administration did what they HAD to do. Besides, don’t think for a minute that if ANY US soldiers or civilians were captured by the Taliban TERRORISTS that they wouldn’t publicly behead them for all of the US and their families to witness. Condoleeza Rice should be PATTED ON THE BACK for making the decision for those men to be harshly dealt with. If we hadn’t gotten further information from them, then LA would have a deep wound right now from an attack that was planned for 2006.

I have to say that I really do not care about this torture!!
What about the torture these terrorist put on the USA with 9/11?
Do you ever see pictures from 9/11 or the beheadings in Iraq?
I say sdo what you have to do to get info out of these people.
Obama wake up!!!!!!!

If a terrorist attack spills a single drop of American blood, Obama and his Democrats are finished.
Democrats have chosen sides.

“Is this really the Republican argument- torture is OK, but releasing photos of the torture is bad? ” GARY
GARY you’re a joke of an American if you think we should care how terrorists are treated. They killed Americans. They should be strung up and left to die for all i care

Transparency: the records have been released. choosing not to believe their authentic is your problem.

“Your putting “rights” in quotes shows how much you wingnuts value our Constitution.
I don’t think the Framers intended for the Constitution to convey rights on those hell-bent on destroying the country…

Started reading the comments and I’m absolutely sadden by so many so called “conservatives” are supporting torture. “I would rather be exposed to the inconvenience of attending too much liberty then to those attending too small a degree of it”. Fellow conservatives, you guys speak as if our civil liberties are not in question when we allow our government to get away with these things. No, we have to take certain stances to protect individual rights. This is not about left or right, these are principles which our country was forged upon. You guys forget that it is OUR right to address the government when they are doing something wrong. This was wrong and it’s being addressed. You guys are worried about terrorist attacks – we’re focusing the war on Pakistan now where it should have been to begin with!

@Hexan
If a terrorist attack spills a single drop of American blood, Obama and his Democrats are finished.
Democrats have chosen sides.
Well, it shouldn’t be a surprise to them, Obama did say he would stand with the Muslims….and he is.

Obama wants to nationally legalize partial birth abortions (the gravest form of painful torture towards innocent young humans). Perhaps we should therefore release photos of partial birth abortions??? Fair is fair.

For those of you who voted for that idiot, hope your happy… We’re dead…

Dispiritied? Demoralized? Then quit. We don’t need sadists in the CIA.

hey people. if this is not even considered torture by their standards, why on earth would it galvanize them further. when they see the photos, don’t you think they’ll just laugh because it’s so wimpy?

The only reason Obama is doing this, is because if we are attacked again, OBAMA can retread this old issue, and blame someone else. AND second, because of his ineptude he will say that we shouldn’t get mad at anybody, and decide no response is necessary. He has to discredit all info gained to justify his lack of leadership. YOU wait. Are we safer, NOT anymore.

I applaud the Obama administration. They were getting so much heat lately for everything, they need to distract the 24 hour news cycle and the public towards the hated Bush legacy again. Great PR stunt. Unfortunately I think he is turning off a lot of moderates like me. This is not necessary.

Bush & Cheney initiated a pre-emptive war against Iraq and Saddam because of a ‘threat to the US’ and that he abused and tortured his people.
We now know there was no threat from Iraq, as well as there was no tie in with Iraq & Al Queda and 9/11.
Every day new revelations expose more and more facts that lead to torture being used by the Bush administration.
We are now at the point where ‘my country right or wrong’, and the ‘end justifies the means’ are the political policies of the republicans, conservatives and the more fringe right wing extremists and some democrats.
If America uses torture then there is really no difference between the US and Iraq under Saddam, or the Nazi’s or the brutal repression of the former Soviet Union, …
it degrades down to just an argument about technique and numbers tortured and killed. Different governments using the same rationale to justify torture as ‘necessary’.

gary….A BIG YES, to showing the pictures of interrorgations; however, also include a picture of the US Bank Tower in the City of Los Angeles and perhaps a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge as well right beside…I mean this is the era of fairness right??????

Yes that’s right.
At the end of the day, there will be no coverup if you do something illegal.
That’s the point.
If there’s a tradition of coverup and people think they can’t do their jobs without that, well that’s interesting.
It does come down to how much you think the CIA actually does for the US with the coverup policy in place. I don’t think we’ll be losing much.
The real problem is that anyone with a grudge in the world, has easy access to amplifiers. CIA can’t stop that. Timothy McVeigh comes to mind.

So it’s okay to fight and kill terrorists, but once we capture them, we just hold them with no questions? If you think Water boarding is torture, you’ve lost your mind. Water boarding is controlled and monitored to a point of ridiculousness. It’s not torture.

The attitude that you can bow to the sickening depths of torture because “they did it to us”, is immature at best. There are other ways to teach these people a lesson, other than ‘extermination’. SOMEONE HAS TO BE CIVILIZED HERE!! Eye for an eye is not a cure-all, it’s just vengence. Bombing, shooting are all part of war and people will be killed, but to bow to unrestrained torture methods that you’re feeling because of ‘hate’ will not solve the issue.

@ Transparency Anyone
“Obama wants to nationally legalize partial birth abortions (the gravest form of painful torture towards innocent young humans). Perhaps we should therefore release photos of partial birth abortions??? Fair is fair.”
Thank you for saying that. The terrorist’s defenders are hypocrites! Scissors into the skull of an innocent baby v temporary discomfort to a mass murderer and yet the Obama supporters see nothing wrong with the first but show outrage at the second. It’s SICK!

It won’t be very long until we’ll start seeing pictures of abuses that occured under Obama. I can hear Commrad Harry and Nancy justifying it now. Should this a** decide to go after President Bush we will come to his defense…count on it!

I agree 100% with Tom’s post at @ 12:36:42 PM

Look at these photos and read the memos,
Republicans – your put these monsters in office.
Its Fox news (fair and balanced) , you know -Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, Karl Rove, or maybe a Tea Party or a Congressman Boehner, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell or Newt Gingrich thing. that are some of the monsters that are destroying our country
All neo-cons stuff like President Obama is a muslin, or Fascist or socialist or Marxist or Communist or he not really an American citizen, or he is terrorist, or he really Obama the Antichrist and, yes he is Black and Obama should certainty be impeached for treason, he a tax and spend and big government trash.
There is so much slanderous garbage out there that the republicans are putting out; I know I left a lot out.
PS the Patriot act allow all these republican to be taken away and put in prison without a trail for the slander of the president and gatherings that incite disruption and terrorist behavior and talking about secessions and rising up against the government. The monster republicans in offices produced that law.

If we’re going to release all torture photos then this should include the torture photos of partial birth abortions which Obama supports. Thousands of innocent young humans ripped apart brain first without anesthesia (performed even up until the 9th month) THE gravest form of torture ever devised.

Tom:
re: ‘ yellow cowards’
you sound like Jean Schmidt….noted republican
‘genius’…. if you are able to follow the time line regarding the LA incident you mention you will find your ‘facts’ are mistaken.

Investigating the Bush Admin over its use of torture isn’t about a policy disagreement, it’s about a violation of international law. Of course righties couldn’t care less about that, but that’s another story.

After reading Jennifer’s comments about Obama and Bush makes me believe that voters need to pass an intellgence test before they are allowed to vote. I’d certainly feel a lot safer than I have for the past eight years.

90year old man said:
“I do not understand what Obama wants to achieve by releasing such as CIA torture memo and photo. These materials will increase and promote hatred to US soldiers and American citizen…”
That’s ^^^ EXACTLY what obama wants to achieve. He has NO love of or pride in this country. He has spent weeks bowing and scraping before the worlds tyrants, telling them all how bad we are. He’s tearing us down, so that he can rebuild us in his image. He’s a dangerous, dangerous man, and it’s time for Americans to snap out of it and awake of this ongoing nighmare.

Why does the left throw Christian faith under the bus and then tout our countries moral turpitude as a reason to protect the evil of terrorists and assorted criminals. Evil cannot be defeated without steadfast determination and the sacrifice of great americans. Does the left believe the Bush Admins, The Intelligence Community, The Armed Forces, et al, did what they did for personal gain? They put themselves at great risk to protect our country, no other reason.
The accusations and political attacks from the left are to protect who?, the criminals attacking our country.
You can’t claim moral turpitude and abandon Faith.
And you can’t protect our country by attacking the very people who make the sacrifices that keep us safe.

Well, I think it’s time Fox News had a prime time airing of those beheadings of Americans in the Middle-East. On the same day Obama releases the pics, Fox should show, not for sensationalisms sake, but realities, what we are up against. If the ACLU contends Americans have a right to know, then they should know EVERYTHING!

This administration will have a LOT to answer for in the days ahead. Yet, USA asked for it! This is the ‘change’ the people voted for.

“Righties- good luck in 2012 running as the pro torture party.”
It will be real easy to win an election if we lose a city before then…

Right now, as a family we are stuggling with getting my brother help for a terrible case of PTSD that is getting worse and worse.
He was a first responder on 9/11, he was also a first responder the 1st time they tried to take down the towers. He arrived at the towers at 8:30, he dodged bodies jumping from the windows and watched friends incinerate as the towers fell. He then spent the next 3 months working almost 24 hrs. a day, in the very beginning hoping to find people alive, after the realization that all were dead the rest of the time was bagging body parts, pinkies, fingers with rings still on them, toes, parts of skulls, hair, an ear,etc. into bags for identification.
I’m sorry, call me inhumane but I cannot muster up the sympathy for a head dunk or a caterpillar crawling on you.

common-sense…..I live in Los Angeles and I am very thankful to the CIA…Don’t be liberal like and put us all in one basket..

Obama is living in a dream world where evil doesn’t exist. He needs to wake up. Our world is not the neighboorhood of makebelieve.

Nicolle | Apr 24, 2009 12:36:03 PM
……….torture is not okay, and what we did was much too weak to label as torture…kids do worse to other kids. releasing the photos gives liberals more to senselessly rant about instead of us paying attention to what the real serious issues are these days. such as out of control government spending and the government controling businesses that are at the core of our economy when the vast majority of those in congress have no clue about running a business. this will cause us to be in much bigger trouble down the road, and liberals will just blame it on the republican president that happens to be in office at that time. and because most americans really don’t pay attention to the details of what really takes place, they’ll probably be influenced by the loud ranting of liberals and the irresponsible left leaning media…i really hope they start paying attention, but i’m skeptical. the libs will be in trouble if they ever do though.

Khartoom:
Investigating the Bush Admin over its use of torture isn’t about a policy disagreement, it’s about a violation of international law. Of course righties couldn’t care less about that, but that’s another story.
Who gives a rats a$$ about International Law. This is not about International Law it is about protection of a Sovereign and its innocent population who’s only crime is getting up and going to work in the morning, unlike the lazy men in the middle east. Why is it that people like you defend every others sovereign except USA and Israel?
PS – It is not like CIA sawed their heads off while chanting Allah Akbar!

I am all in favor of torturing those who who may have information that could save American lives. Torture does work if its done properly. Go for it- rip the fingernails out of the terrorist one at a time… when you get to nail 3 he will tell you what you want to know.
Waterboarding- kids stuff.

I am hearing from many of our brave servicemen that will be leaving the military at the first opportunity. No one will ever want to protect the US when the people have turned against them. This country will be under a dictatorship in less than a year. That is because it already is. Most of the people have just not noticed it, yet.

Many people here are trying to justify the US torturing prisoners with the fact that terrorists commit worse violence on their captives and also committed the 9/11 attacks. This just belittles America. Torture is morally wrong. The rationale and need for the Geneva Convention makes this clear if you have any doubts. Throughout its history America has been a beacon of truth, justice and liberty to the world. America differentiated itself by taking a higher moral ground than its enemies which made America’s moral leadership plain to see – and the world followed this leadership. When the US resorted to torture it seriously damaged America’s moral authority. Being honest about what happened including disclosing photographs doesn’t make the US less safe, it lets the world, including people in the Middle East, know that the US recognises torturing prisoners was a mistake and it is serious about regaining its moral leadership in the world.

And while I’m thinking about it, let me say that I am saddened and disgusted at the direction this country is taking…we are becoming weaker by the minute with all these secret bills with mounds of pork being passed, and ‘take a terrorist to lunch’ day b.s. – let’s all be nice and hold hands with the enemy and maybe they’ll like us better and not want to slaughter our children…fingers crossed! No one ever openly attacked us (except for WWII) because they knew if you messed with the bull you’re gonna get the horns. Now we have rag tag bunches in freakin’ row boats taking our ships with no fear at all!
What is going on here?? Is this the land my forefathers envisioned when they lay their very lives down to protect?? I mean, those guys hiding up in the hills of Montana are looking smarter and smarter these days!

I’m a Republican and even though I didn’t agree with Obama’s policies I didn’t hate him, still don’t. I even liked him personally. But, I don’t have any respect or like for Obama now. This is complete political opportunism and it will only bring harm to this country. How anyone could have voted for this fool is beyond me!!!!!

Why bother to have secrets at all? Why don’t we just publish all of our plans in advance so that we don’t risk offending anybody?
For all the liberal hand-wringers out there, be assured that the people who work outside the US trying to protect US interest who aren’t deviants or sadists are absolutely less interested in risking their lives or their career for a President who seems happy to throw them under the bus.
Let’s take another useful example. At what point did the President make some overt effort to stop crime or corruption in Chicago? ACORN? Anything you can point to where he did anything other than the absolute minimum to coooperate AFTER the fact? Of course not.
But isn’t it interesting that he won’t say anything bad about a corrupt, criminal system of politics in his own hometown (which he came up thru, btw) but he is happy to put the entirety of America in the public stockades over a couple of idiots at Abu Ghraib.
Sure, the two aren’t the same. But you are either obtuse or just corrupt if you don’t notice the incredibly hypocrisy in all this.
Welcome back to the 1990s when we didn’t fight our enemies and they built nukes around the world and blew up our ships and embassies. Maybe the stock market will go up again and you can go back to forgetting about Al Qaeda like you did the last time.
And for all the whiners about Valerie ‘I’m not exactly a spy’ Plame, maybe you ought to be doing a little soul-searching now while your Messiah ends the practice of foreign intelligence entirely.

It is nice to know that after 100 days this president FINALLY came through on his promise of transparency!
Of course, other posters here are 100% correct when it comes to international cooperation on covert operations.
It is really incredible, we will go to all these lengths to “disclose” what congressional leaders ALREADY knew and did not disapprove of when the decisions were actually made.
I wonder why we dont have 0.1% of this same effort when it comes to finding out exactly how the language that allowed the AIG bonuses to be legal got into the “Stimulator” bill. We sure wasted 2 days of the congressional salaries on bumble boy Barney Frank’s mock hearings and then the attempt to pass an obviously unconstitutional tax law! All that because the dumb dumb dems dont even know who actually wrote the final bill (or so they claim).
Or…
Why at least 1% of this effort to “come clean” is not used on the priority of filling the Treasury positions.
Whats next, web cams in every government briefing room ?
Yeah, we are sure transparent as a nation now. Obama better hope the next president does not think the same way he does.

if there is no torture going on and the Bush/Cheney administration is proud of their accomplishments, why are they and republicans so fearful of their ‘gallant exploits and plans’ being revealed?
If you Republicans believe you saved America, all documents, everything should be released..you have nothing to fear as your actions will stand the scrutiny of public disclosure and it will be easy to prove legally that no laws were broken.

JDW | Apr 24, 2009 12:48:47 PM
… you can bet that no other tv news org will bring it up.

OMG! We are finished as a country. The terrorists won. We lost. Time to give up – its over. Prepare the family. Say goodbye to your women and children. Say your prayers and make funeral arrangements while there is still time.

@realitycheck0057
I’m sorry but you are the stupid person. Abortions are performed up to the 9th month in the truly horrific practice called “partial birth abortion”. And then there is the situation that our illustrious president voted for more than once which is to let a baby who managed to survive abortion – letting this baby die from lack of care. These babies, as documented by a nurse who was there, are thrown into a closet or whatever and left to die. You should look it up but it would take guts for you to do this and it will make you sick. It will make the “torture” of water boarding look like nothing.

If I was working for the CIA, I would quit…all of them need to quit, and no one applied for a job…
Thats whats John Kerry wants, he has stated that we don’t need intell and if he was President he would so away with it.
Well he just might get his wish…
Then we just set back and wait on the next attack, and it will come sooner then later.
If Clinton wouldn’t screw this whole mess up to begin with we wouldn’t have had a 9/11 or Iraq (Clinton and Kerry and the Democrats said on many an occassion that IRAQ HAD WMD’s)!!!! that was until they voted to go into Iraq then they change their minds and blame the bad intell on Bush, inwhich was impossible considering the amount of time he was in office prior to 9/11. And don’t try and pull well that one guy whispered in his ear (Bush) on 9/10 the Intell was all screw up, he had Kerry and 500 Democrats saying its not so and even voted on it…UNTIL..yea theres that word again……..

“Perhaps this president that voted three times to murder newborns after surviving an abortion, will release the photos of that torture.”
“total right-wing lie of course.- Posted by: Skip | Apr 24, 2009 12:25:37 PM”
Bad news SKIP- Obama voted three (3) times that a Hospital is not obligated to provide ANY medical care to a baby if born after an attempted abortion, because, he feared it would, “risk those seeking abortions might change their minds.” So the babies would be put in a room to die alone. So, okay, Obama didn’t approve Murder, just that they die a slow agonizing death due to no food, water, or medical care.
—————————
“I am very Proud of the CIA.They did an excellent job Interrogating the mastermind of 9-11.They got information from him that save lives and gave us a better understanding of how Al aqueda works.Also led us to capture other terrorists and info.
****************************************
“Prove it! – Posted by: Thinking | Apr 24, 2009 12:25:43 PM”
More bad news for Thinking. (although his username is an obvious oxiMoron) George Tenet, CIA director at the time (and originally appointed under Clinton) proved it, and others in the know have reiterated the same thing. Jeese, google a simple fact on your own.

“I am hearing from many of our brave servicemen that will be leaving the military at the first opportunity.”
I am hearing similar things. Who would want to serve under a Commander in Chief that bends over for the enemy and threatens you with prosecution and exposure when you do your job.
Obama is the most dangerous man in America.

HEY ABC….
REPORT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THESE COMMENTS TO THE FBI. THESE PEOPLE CALLING FOR ATTACKS ON AMERICAN CITIES SHOULD BE WATCHED AND INVESTIGATED !!!!!!!!
Posted by: Can rush get any fatter
=============
They have been notified.

There is so much slanderous garbage out there that the republicans are putting out; I know I left a lot out.
PS the Patriot act allow all these republican to be taken away and put in prison without a trail for the slander of the president and gatherings that incite disruption and terrorist behavior and talking about secessions and rising up against the government. The monster republican in offices produced that law.
———————————
Can you cite the section of the Patriot Act that allows all Republicans to be jailed for exerting their First Amendment rights? You do know that Democrats voted for the Patriot Act in both 2001 and 2005.

USA said:
Tom:
re: ‘ yellow cowards’
you sound like Jean Schmidt….noted republican
‘genius’…. if you are able to follow the time line regarding the LA incident you mention you will find your ‘facts’ are mistaken.
Im afraid my facts are not second, third, fourth , fifth or sixth sourced info…you on the other hand a self appointed “know it all” who must quote media articles and not GROUND TRUTH FACTS.
This means you armchair quarterback based on “stories” you have been told and have not experienced as the first observer or the guy who wrote the reports….typical coward blogger who feels empowered to preach “truth”, when in reality your truth and facts you wouldnt have the guts to bet your own families life on.
What I shared with you are …facts, not second sourced. So please save your advice for telling Tiger Woods how to be a better golfer or some other area of armchair expertese you possess by miracle of osmosis.

Where are the pics of what these terrorists have done to people world wide with their suicide car bombs etc…

The war against Islamic Terrorism can ONLY be won through good intel.
Obama has just taken our best weapon and thrown it away.
OBAMA THE ENEMY OF MY FAMILIES SAETY!

Sean O’Brien | Apr 24, 2009 12:58:27 PM
It is nice to know that after 100 days this president FINALLY came through on his promise of transparency!
I thought he meant transpearancy in his administration. Not retrospectively of the Bush administration.
Let it all come out the Dems are just as complicate as the Pubs

Obama is doing exactly as he planned. Destroy this country from within.
People in this country deserve Obama!

We have always used strong technics to get our enemy to ‘talk.’ I am not ashamed of that!!
Without it we would be slaughtered.
Liberals and Obama are softies who can’t stand that the baddies won’t like us.
Torture the enemy!! Pluck their eyes out!
Save the lives of Americans whose only crime is that they were born here and they love the freedoms we have.

Duffy
I am hearing the same thing. I have a loved one heading to Afghanistan on May 1st. Not the first, I have several family members back and forth since Afghanistan in 2002 but I am dreading this deployment the most because of this Administration.

To all of those who condone torture: I looked for the enemy and the enemy was me. I for one do not want to become the uncivilized terrorists we are fighting against. Do you? Okay then, when will we start beating young couples in the street for eloping? When will we start killing our daughters for having premarital sex? When will we start beheading our prisoners? Is that what you want? Some of you are well on your way I think.

Transparency Anyone? | Apr 24, 2009 12:58:48 PM
and
Heavenislikethis | Apr 24, 2009 12:59:55 PM
…..very good points

You all miss the larger point. king barry wants nothing more then to cut America off at the knees. Let another attack happen on American soil. Once that happens he can impose his fascist will on all of us. Call me a kook – you just wait until Marshal law is imposed upon us by this power hungry putz.

joani,
here is what our enemies do with photos and reports we release.
When they see them, even if they dont show anything, HISTORICALLY, they will use the words of you bloggers and even the media to
1. recruit new terrorist and those who will want to kill Americans
2. kidnap, torture , and execute Americans from vacation spots around the world.
3. kidnap, torture and execute Soldiers who are deployed into and captured in war zones defending YOUR SAFETY and the interests of the US of A.
That is why such information is CLASSIFIED at the highest levels, even if it doesnt show anything…it is simply because its release accompanied by the hysteria in our media WILL BE USED to KILL AMERICANS…maybe even members of your own family should they be innocently vacationing somewhere unsuspecting any such hostile events (after all who thinks of hostilities when they are on a cruise or a resort area) …right?
You people better wake up, what is going on WILL kill Americans and YOU SHOULD BE OUTRAGED at the release of anything that might harm innocent Americans…does anybody think anymore? Anybody at all?

Funny lot all the Obamabots are. Touting his “transparency” when the administration’s definition means exposing other people and masking and lying about his adminstration’s policy and procedures.

Anyone want to sign up for the CIA? Remember what Clinton did to our intelligence sources!

Obama is a terrorist and a traitor to this great country. His hubris and naivety will be his downfall, but sadly at what cost to all Americans. This man is a disaster waiting to happen, he is totally devoid ethics, principles, experience and gravitas.
God help us all.

It makes absolutely no sense for it to be OK to drop napalm on, shoot Hellfire missiles at, sink, shoot or bomb terrorists but not to be able to speak harshly to them, have a woman touch them, play loud music and keep them awake or make them feel a strong fear with no long term medical consequence. No sense. Further these terrorists are not uniformed signatories of the Geneva conventions nor are they US citizens. The terrorists do bomb and rape women and children, behead innocents, maim and disfigure women they find offensive. We should use whatever means are necessary to disrupt their plans, to find and exterminate them. The use of these techniques on a previously refractory Abu Zubaydah and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, both provided valuable information, that pointed the way to Mohammed, the 9/11 mastermind who is the single most valuable al-Qaida leader in custody. The proof of their effectiveness is right in the memos that Obama released, including three specific results: 

— interrogation of Zubaydah led investigators to another terrorist, Ramzi bin al Shibh, who in turn led the United States to Mohammed in a Pakistan hideout. 

— interrogation of Mohammed led to the capture of al-Qaida’s Southeast Asia leader, known as Hambali. 

— Mohammed also told investigators of a so-called “Second Wave” plot after 9/11, to fly a jetliner into a building in Los Angeles. How many dead Angelinos will the left accept as proof of their virtue? This is a war. The first rule of war is to win.

This is very shortsighted.

I can’t believe what the Obama administration is doing to this country. Can you imagine where we would be if top secret, classified documents regarding interrogation techniques were released during WWII?? How about Pearl Harbor? Obama needs to be impeached for these CRIMES. The whining from the left regarding the so called ‘torture’ during interrogation of those responsible for acts of murder against thousands of Americans is despicable and throws open the doors to future attacks. Have limbs or fingers been severed? Have heads been severed? Have fingernails been torn out? We’ve tested waterboarding on our own highly trained servicemen. How can that be construed as torture? Nor is torture putting a person in a room with a bug or having them stand naked in a room. Thanks to our traiter POTUS who is spineless, the enemy now knows our MO.

Gerald | Apr 24, 2009 1:17:13 PM……My thoughts too. What is their motive/agenda?

Veronica | Apr 24, 2009 1:11:04 PM
…………first of all it’s now 2009, not 1950. secondly you remind me to add that obamas version of foreign policy is to appease, clearly on display recently in many ways. some people (and rulers) are good and some are just plain bad. that’s just the way it is whether people want to believe it or not…some people are good and some are bad…except of course libs just think bad people are those that disagree with them. bad will take advantage of appeasing. what if you have a bad child, do you appease him?

Bless US Lord for he KNOWS what he has DONE.

If you really wanted to get information from
alleged terrorists, I think the best thing would
be to force them to listen to Keith Olbermann’s
show.
He can completely destroy anyone’s sense of balance, common sense, right and wrong, and completely disorient them from.
About five hours of being tied to a chair and being forced to listen to his rants would cause me to
confess everything I knew.

This is smoke and mirrors to blind the American public to Barack Hussein Obama’s complete failure as the President of the United States.

The smug self-righteouness and self-aggrandizing high mindedness of the left is staggering and absurd.
If harsh interrogation methods succeed in extracing crucial and timely intelligencs from terrorists, then, let it be done. Frankly, I don’t care what they do to the likes of bin Laden & Co.
The problem with the left’s approach is that our adversaries will not fear us. And because they won’t, they will be emboldened to attack us again.
Well, if that’s what it takes to shake the left out of its smug self-righteous fantasy, then, let it come.
And while the lefty minions are true believers, those leading the charge know the truth: it’s about consolidation of political power by continuing to undo what Bush achieved.

I am so angry that our president and his administration are so spiteful that they are going to release these photos to try to get revenge on Bush. HE IS NO LONGER THE PRESIDENT! GET OVER IT! Releasing these photos does not help anyone. I feel sorry for the CIA and soldiers who dedicate their life to this country, just to be stabbed in the back by our new socialist president. A president who wants to see this country fail. Disgusting!

When will President Obama get a hint that he is no longer being an ACORN community organizer in Chicago? His implementation of the utopian dreams dictated by his handlers will soon destroy the civilized world. His first 100 days have had, and will continue to have, devastating consequences for the U.S.A. When we become so weak and dispirited that we can no longer defend ourselves those ideologies that have sought to eliminate us and all forms of freedom will be successful. The dubious wizards behind the curtain are fanning the flames of hatred for the solely to incited anarchy. Janet Napolitano should be monitoring the Axlerods and Soroes of the world and leave service personnel alone.

All you did was weaken a country today

This sounds terrible but, Obama is so weak and inept, he is beginning to make
Bush look good. Horrors!!!

How many people will in Arab riots over these pictures? How many CIA operatives will retire, quit, or never send in an application? In summary, how could the political points gained on the far left possibly be worth the damage to the country’s security?

You misidentified Mark Lowenthal. He was the Assistant Director of National Intelligence for Analysis and Production in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. ODNI is not CIA–they are separate organizations.

Hey Veronica….
You can trace the rise of Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution back to when Jimmy Carter first, abandoned the Shah. Second, Carter’s failure to stomp Khomeini and his young movement into the ground when they took our hostages.
YOU apparently need to learn history before telling other people they need to.
Fool.

“Those in intelligence are “gong to become increasingly wary about doing dangerous things,” Lowenthal said. “They feel at the end of the day they won’t be covered. It’s not irreparable right now, but it’s problematic.”"
Too bad if certain CIA agents won’t feel comfortable torturing any more…

The ACLU should be rounded up and put in prison. They are the Most UN American group. Dangerous, and now they have Obama as a lap dog.

They care more about captured terrorists that maim, kill, behead, and rape than they are for the brave men and women in our CIA who put their lives at risk daily.

Obama + ACLU = Anti-American

“Yes, he finally broke, and we spared Los Angeles as a result.”
Wrong. Fail. Library Tower plot disrupted in February 2002. KSM captured in March 2003.
BTW, do you really think that after 9/11 terrorists would be able to hijack a plane and crash it into a building? They couldn’t even do that with the fourth plan on 9/11. The attack on LA was supposed to happen on 9/11 per KSM’s plan but UBL vetoed that part of the attack. Some Al Qaeda associated folks in Southeast Asia continued to look into the potential of going through with the attack but it never got out of the planning stages and it was put to an end when some of the folks involved were captured in early 2002. (again, over a year before KSM was captured)
But all of this is besides the point because it really doesn’t matter whether or not the torture “worked”. We are America – we don’t torture.

****If Obama wants to release CIA photos then for transparency sake we should also release photos of partial birth abortions (the TRUE TORTURE of the undeserving that is now highly supported by the Obama administration)…..AND, let’s not forget the transparency of Obama’s birth records. Fair is Fair.. Those in glass whitehouses shouldn’t throw stones.

Reading these comments reassures me that while the president has lost his mind, the rest of America has not. 2012!!!! If we’re not blown to bits by then.

Someone correct me if I get the name wrong, but wasn’t it Gorbachev who said that one day America would collapse, but the fall would come from within?? I think the process may have begun, and Obama is driving the bulldozer that will do it.

If we get attacked again who’s fault will it be Bush or Obama? I’d like to see a poll before an attack on that question. Then I’d like to see one AFTER. Who’s to blame the guy who let the CIA put woman’s panties on a guy’s head who CUTS OFF Americans heads? Or the guy who gave the enemy comfort? My bet is half of the country will come to the aid of the guy who gives them free meals, a house, healthcare, social security. This country is SICK.

Transparent?
When it comes to trashing the Bush administration, Obama is transparent like glass.
However when the subject is him tripling Bush’s federal budget, his transparency suddenly goes away.
I guess Bush is a good distraction while Obama bankrupts the country.

I do believe Obama is trying to provoke a real revolution in this great country. Careful what he wishes for as it will not be pretty.

I’m glad to see that Mr. Obama is so dedicated towards justice in the world. I guess we should soon expect him to address the United Nations and ask that Al Qaeda and the Taliban become signatories to the Geneva Convention and no longer make innocent civilians their primary target.

Maybe one of you right wing foilheads can explain this lapse in consistency to me. When Clinton said, “I didn’t have sex with that woman, Ms Lewinsky.” The whole right wing of the nation went nuts because he just plain LIED to the American people. Yet Bush and Cheney and nearly every other high ranking administration official repeatedly said, “We do not torture.” This was another bald-faced LIE to the American people. So just take some time to tell me why it is an egregious breach of the public trust for someone to lie about sex but NOT for someone to lie about the torture and deaths during torture of tens of human beings. I’m sure at least one of you can answer this–don’t be shy!!!

The enemy chops the heads off of our civilians…the least we could is return the favor and lob off some theirs. They are the enemy people…they torture regardless if we torture, and yes, torture does work.

Last word on this subject. If you think there is always a time and a place for torture ask John McCain his views on this subject. This is not just about Democrats or Republicans…this is about America and who we are as Americans. I would also suggest that you review some of the photos of American pilots that were shot down over Iraq during Desert Storm and the outraged we showed as Americans against their “torture”. How soon we forget and change the rules to suit ourself!!

The only way to make sense out of the disasterous steps Obama has been taking is that he wants America vulnerable to attack.
If we are scared and broken again Obama probably believes in his narcissistic mind that everyone will turn to him for comfort and support.
Then he can rebuild America any way he wants.

Stick a fork in us. We are done.

People
We are NOT finished. Mid-terms are in 2012. Dont forget that elections matter, and setting on your hands have consequences.
Next rally – take a day off from work and GO! Is America not worth one day of your time, compare to the millions of your brothers and sisters who have paid the ultimate price for your freedom?

It is time we stop torturing and hating people!
We should be sending financial, religious, and spiritual aid to the people who are forced to become taliban freedom fighters. If they had part of the American dream, they would not want to do the ugly things they do.
If we would just love people they would never want to harm us.
Posted by: Alisha | Apr 24, 2009 1:12:17 PM
—————————————-
Wow, just a little bit naive here, aren’t we? Here’s and idea. Why don’t you personally go to Afghanistan or Iraq and tell Al Qaeda or the Taliban how much you love them and support them.

(AP) Republican presidential candidate John McCain reminded people Thursday that some Japanese were tried and hanged for torturing American prisoners during World War II with techniques that included waterboarding.
“There should be little doubt from American history that we consider that as torture otherwise we wouldn’t have tried and convicted Japanese for doing that same thing to Americans,” McCain said during a news conference.

Hey Obama… “Be carefull what you wish for…You might get it” and “What goes around, comes around.” You will not always be in power !!!!

Joe C
Another attack occurs we will implode. You will not see us come together as a nation as we did on 9/11. It will be all out war amongst each other.

Next time. Take no prisoners.

While we’re on the topic of John McCain……
McCain, who opposed the use of enhanced interrogation techniques and led the fight against them in Congress, warned Obama that any such pursuit would turn into a “witch hunt” aimed at the wrong people. He also warned that treating policy differences as criminal actions would turn the US into a “banana republic”:
“If you criminalize legal advice, which is basically what they’re going to do, then it has a terribly chilling effect on any kind of advice and counsel that the president might receive,” McCain said during an interview on CBS’s “Early Show.”
McCain compared the potential prosecutions with the actions of “banana republics” that “prosecute people for actions they didn’t agree with under previous administrations.”
“To go back on a witch hunt that could last for a year or so, frankly, is going to be bad for the country, bad for future presidents — precedents that may be set by this, and certainly nonproductive in trying to pursue the challenges we face,” he said.

nopie62 | Apr 24, 2009 1:35:08 PM
…..i’ve thought the same thing for years, that this country will collapse from within. i’m not a historian, but i believe it has been fairly common for dominant civilations to have collapsed from within in the past…i’ve assumed it’s because they tend to become soft and spoiled…and maybe bored. i recall thinking 9/11 may have changed that to some extent for us by bringing us together, but i was wrong.

“Courts had ruled against the Bush administration’s attempts to keep the photographs from public view.”
COURTS ruled.
But of course – in the eyes, hearts and minds of all Republicans – this is all President Obama’s fault.
Here is a clue: if George Bush and his criminal administration had not encouraged and/or condoned these crimes, THERE WOULD BE NO PHOTOS TO RELEASE!!!!!
Republicans have such convenient “forgetters”!

We almost killed off the CIA once before, during the Carter years…. Drove them out for being evil. Got rid of all our evil agents and went to satellites…
Then, we didn’t anticipate
the Soviets going into Afghanistan;
Lebannon
the collapse of the Soviet Union coming;
the move of Saddam into Kuwait
the build up of the Taliban
Osama Bin Laden…
Yup… now is a great time to finish the destruction of the CIA. Let’s do it!
But no whining if they miss something important next time, OK?

Anybody believing that America punished Japanese soldiers for waterboarding better go and read up on the cases. These Japanese soldiers were prosecuted for clubbing POW’s, burning them with cigarettes, stealing rations, and the “waterboarding” they did was dumping people upside down in a pail of water while strapped down. This is not the form of “wateboarding” being contested now. The “wateboarding” we did consists of pouring small amounts of water over a covered mouth and nose for short periods of time; not near drowning in a pail of water! Good lord liberals can lie with the best of them!

GM – A mess
Ford – recovering
Guess which one took bailout money, and is run by our government?
Has anyone not had a hamburger from their school cafeteria? Thats what government does to FOOD. Imagine what they will do to healthcare.
Homeland security – a mess
CIA – a mess
Treasury – a mess
Military – discouraged
Foreign Policy – a laughing stock – an EASY button???
Now do you people get it? Experience matters.
Posted by: Bob22 | Apr 24, 2009 1:49:02 PM
————————————–
You hit the nail on the head! Great post!

Why don’t the Obama supporters take their president and move to a country that they can be proud of?

Chill out, Obama is going to help this country and it will take time, and probably mistakes. Think about all the pressure on him, this is a huge time in america and now were not so great but hes guna make it better so stop hatin on him for petty things.

To all of you at the CIA and to those lesser known: Thank you for protecting us. From what I have seen of this developing mess, you have worked so very hard to do the right thing – and you have, by protecting us during the years since 9/11. You have done so honorably with obvious consideration of your actions. Would I “torture” someone to save my child? – damn right!
Only a hypocrite (or politician)would claim otherwize. Would you torture someone, probably not as you are professional and understand that torture does not work. You would waterboard them. This is the point – waterboarding is NOT torture and it does work in protecting us. Ever wonder why we didn’t hear much negative talk about torture after 9/11? – The hypocrite pus*ies were cowering. They can only show their heads (and mouths) when it is safe to come out. When it gets ugly again, and it certainly will now, they will go hide again and it will be up to the selfless brave to save us. Luckily we have many brave that will always do the right thing in this country. Again, THANK YOU.

911 was an inside job. Attaboy Obama, show the world that this country belongs to good people and not satanic sadists.

Why doesn’t the Obama administration get the job done right – start with George Washington and his advisors and continue thru to “W” – then he can hang every President before him – he will be the last and “bestest” man standing!
Afterall, isn’t that what he wants??
People – we are here today thanks to the serious consideration given to protecting this country by Bush and every single person involved in intelligence gathering segments of that administration. WE SHOULD BE CHEERING THEM, THANKING THEM, AND ADVISING OBAMA TO FOLLOW IN THEIR FOOTSTEPS!!!

Like some always say, If you have got nothing to hide, what are you so concerned about. Release the pictures and show how sick some members of American society are. And send those who ordered this and did this to JAIL.

The idiots that think these terrorists have rights and were treated terribly, why don’t you go back and watch video of innocent people jumping from World Trade Center windows to their deaths, or better yet let’s ask for the release of the pictures of all of the disfigured and mutilated bodies (or what was left of them) from the World Trade Center rubble. Then maybe you idiots will understand that our agents did what they HAD TO DO to get information from these low life scum, so another attack would not happen on our soil. People that commit acts like these terrorists committed are not human and don’t deserve to be treated like humans. If only the terrorists would have waterboarded their hostages, instead of beheading them….as for the ALCU, why don’t all of your members go live with the Taliban for a while and you will learn that the things that happen in this country are not so bad after all.

Obama bowed to the Saudi king.
And he bowed down to the cash cows that put him in office.
Deep down I doubt the Democrats even respect Obama.
How can you respect a pushover and a doormat?
Can we sue the nitwits that voted for this man?

This is the first time in our nation’s history that classified documents and photographs involving details of interrogation techniques have been released to the public. A President and his administration who does this does NOT have our country’s best interests at heart. Does anyone remember the famous prediction that America will be destroyed from within?

give me a freaking break…..these terrorists were treated better than probably 90% of the prisoners in Maximum Security Federal Prisons are.

Paul Wall
My brother just got back from Iraq, finally home for good after going back and forth between there and Afghanistan since 2002. He was just over the other day and I asked him about getting waterboarded. He said it sucked, then he took my son fishing.

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it was once like in the United States where men were free. – Ronald Reagan
The Socialist Party candidate for President of the US, Norman Thomas, said this in a 1944 speech:
“The American people will never knowingly a dopt socialism. But, under the name of “liberalism,” they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened..”
He went on to say: “I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party. The Democrat Party has adopted our platform.”

Frank, 10′s died. Who? For you “torture” is watching the next “24″ episode. If you feel a cup of coffee and Dunkin donuts will make these terrorists talk you are pretty stupid. Lives were saved you idiot!!! I want you to answer the obvious. If your child or parent were held by a terrorist and he would not talk I quess you would just ask “pretty please” and when this got no results you would just let them die? Right!!!

I hope that we have a solid record of all of the people who are clammering for the release of this information. When we get hit again, and at the rate that Obama is exposing this country, we will, the people in responsible positions whould be charged with “giving aid and comfort to the enemy” and should be locked up for the rest of their lives. Those people not directly involved, but who have been calling for this so-called “transparency”, should be identified, publicized, and repeatedly reminded that THEY are responsible for the damage inflicted on the U.S.
These left-wing idealogs have absolutely no concerns about how vulnerable they are making this country. Their hatred for the right has blinded them to everything except getting revenge on what they see as the evil capitalists. When bad things happen as a result of their policies (as they did during the Carter administration), these people are the first ones to scurry for cover like the roaches they are, or to try to shift the blame to someone else. They need to be identified, and when we are attacked again, they need to be held accountable.

Obama does not like to be criticized – the Dems I think are more worried than they like to say about the demonstrations – I think they hauled this out right now to make everyone forget the we are not happy with him
His 100 days are coming up – he will get a lot of slobbering praise
Everyone will have forgotten the protests.

I bet the our allies and their Intelligence officers can’t wait to work with us now.

back in the primarys my wife kept talking about hating the idea that hillary might get in office. i kept telling her that even though i don’t want her in either, i’d take her over obama because obama is dangerous to the country. she gets it now.
he preaches bipartisan, but as in the case with any liberal, that means libs talk and lead while everyone else is suppose to shut up and color. he’s widening the rift between us all.

Enough of this two timing snake in the grass Obama. I’ve said all along he’s the modern day Manchurian Candidate, add to that liar, narcissist, and facist. This guy is wrecking havoc on this nation much to the joy of the world’s despots. He’s a modern day Katrina and the one looting the liquor stores. It’s time for the “I” word

Take a good look and learn the tactics of the enemy. The bobbing, the weaving, the conflicting public statements, all designed to put in place the tinderbox just waiting for the match, while trying to pretend the administration does not want this to take place. The manipulative cynicism is on full display for anyone willing to acknowledge it.

Let’s stop living in the past. Being unemployed with no health care is torture and too many Americans are experiencing that firsthand right now. Let’s address that issue and focus on helping our own citizens. If we are going to show these pictures of so-called torture let’s also reveal what horrible plots were stopped because of them.

You can bet the left is worried.
When there are protests in all 50 states
and the president pretends he didn’t know—it was a huge wake up call that all is not right in Obamaland.

I saw the photos that were released a year or so ago. My fraternity initiation was worse. You limped wristed Libs don’t know the meaning of torture. You definition is “If Bush did it, it’s torture.” Keep drinking the Kool Aide.

I guess the only way left to glean information from our enemies is the “comfy cushion” and the “dish rack”.
What has happened to us?
What a bunch of pansies we’ve become.
We should all be ashamed.
Our enemies are laughing at us.

I always question the morals and character of anyone who is more concerned with their former President being exposed than being disturbed that these events and pictures even exist.
I will say it has been interesting to find out the true morals of many people in my life too.

If this mess runs its course. There will be no defences left. Obama will be fireing strongly worded letters from his “cannon” – oh, wait, that would be too offensive.

More transparency? Only when it lifts the far left.
Who got TARP money? How much? How are they spending it? What demands must they meet?
What’s the policy on North Korea? Iran? Venezuela? Just to apologize for the US existing?
For real transparency tell us what we want to know more than any other thing: Who’s the idiot who selects the gifts for foreign dignitaries and why do they still have a job?

Why don’t the Obama supporters take their president and move to a country that they can be proud of?
Posted by: tim
————————-
Because we’re the majority, you nitwit.
The election we just had made that plainly clear.
If you, and any other sore loser repubs, don’t like it……YOU LEAVE !!!!!

CONCLUSION:
Democrats and their unproductive voter base are bad for business. We can no longer afford them. America’s Capitalist System, our freedom-loving allies, free markets, and our jobs,
assets and savings are absolutely indespensible. Democrats and their fellow parasites (educators and media liars) and their foreign, anti-American investors are not! Not one more day.
Purge 2010. Vote them out then drive them out! End this dark, fascist period in America’s history. Crush an acorn, everyone – cleanse the world of trash.

we are all american and we all love our country. this issue is much more complex and nuanced than “i’m right=i love my country, you’re wrong=you don’t love your country.” sophmoric at best.

Ya know…I wonder what effect this will have on CIA recruitment. I wonder if the election has had any effect on military recruitment. Positive, negative, why?

Sandy Underpants — America “Torture’s”, and will always torture under any administration.
The “Torture” debate has been politicized. That is why you keep hearing about it. This is but a shell game between liberals and conservatives. That is all it is.
Now, if you want to break it down and ask if the act of “torture” (however defined) really gets information, one will only have to look at the docs to make up their own mind (which I’m against because I dont need to see the docs anyway).
My common sense tells me that we did thwart attacks via information gained from our methods. The reason why I say this is because of this fact:
If I were a captured terrorist in enemy hands being tortured, I would seriously have second thoughts about giving my captors bogus information because I wouldnt want to tick them off even more…..know what I’m sayin?

by the way, we were not attacked after the horrid Abu Ghraib pictures came out. If anything this will show that at least half of Americans don’t condone this type of abuse…just like the last time. *shrug*

Paul Wall, you are a really bad judge of character.
We will probably get hit again, because President Obama is making it so easy for the terrorists. Maybe a major city gets nuked .. who knows? You liberals may want to start planning now for ways to blame that (like everything else) on the Bush administration.

ACLU calls these photos prurient? this is the same organization that defends NAMBLA, right?

Whether the treatment of the detainees was right or wrong, the main consequence of releasing these pictures will be to create a recruiting tool for our enemies, and it will cost American lives.

Well, guess the CIA and the Military will just have to use “pretty-please” when interrogating terrorists, and be happy with that. And when an Al Qaida sponsored mushroom cloud rises over Washington DC in a few years (‘cause pretty-please only goes so far), OB can add that to his accomplishments. First Prez to get the US Nuked, by hamstringing its intelligence services.

The republican internet people are so funny.
I for one am sleeping sound knowing that american war criminals Charles Grainer and Ivan Frederick, are in prison for their torture of the Abu Gharib prisoners
Hopefully more will join him

I told you idiots, he hated this country. It’s so obvious. I hope when the enemy hits, it hits these fools in government in DC. They ask for it.
****************************************
Another Patriot and Cheney and the GOP complain about the Homeland Security calling out the Extreme Right?

Where is Sen. Joe McCarthy when we need him?

All this “disclosure”, by the Hussein administration and by their legal arm, the ACLU, is nothing more than “get evenism”. Still hysterical over their loses in 00′, and 04′, they will do anything for revenge, up to and including destroying the CIA’s ability to protect the country. Everything can and will politicized, just so the leftist party can “get even”! And yet they scream bloody murder, when called unpatriotic. Not only are they unpatriotic, but they are the very definition of the word. By their conduct, they put every family in this country in greater danger. They will learn the error of their ways, in 10′ and 12′. The current democrat party, poses the greatest threat this country has ever faced. Whether it be the former Soviet Union, Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, the Chinese communists, or fanatical Islam, they all pale in comparison to the democrat party.

This so called torture-water boarding-insects-loud music,etc was used when American lives were in danger. Memos were released and now pictures.
QUESTION? Was Captain Phillips life in danger a couple of weeks ago? Well,the Obama administration chose bulletts to the head of three pirates to save Captain Phillips. Think those three pirates would rather have had an option of death or live music or maybe insects? Don’t get me wrong here. I am grateful for what happened there. But wasnt’ Obama doing what he had to do in the moment of life and death? So now maybe all of you lefties will see the big picture,think this through and finally realize that after 9/11 the Bush Admin, and the CIA were doing what they had to do.

The birther obsession smells of desperation – we can’t win at the ballot box so we’ll grasp at any crazy conspiracy theory in the delusional hope that somehow the election that Obama resoundingly won will be invalidated.
Give it up. He was born in Hawaii.

Why would anyone in the Intelligence community, or the Military for that matter, trust Obama or his administration? We should have known when he threw Granny under the bus that nothing was sacred.

Well, if everyone is so concerned about following the Geneva Conventions, then lets’ follow them. Lets’ begin summarily executing the non uniformed fighters as spies and be done with it. I bet that would make some terrorists think twice. War is hell but they know what they are getting into when they enter the fight.

Don – You are correct. But dealing with “Liberal Logic” is not an easy task, for you see, there is NO LOGIC in the liberal brain.
Thanks for the post. It was quite worthy of a read and spot on to boot….

Making Bush a fall guy only serves the purpose of grabbing more power to this administration. The financial crisis was an attack on capitalism by the statist left creating the opportunity to grab power and the release of the memo’s serves the purpose of villifying Bush while getting the public to look a way as Obama and his administration justify the ownership of free market banks by the federal government….ie socialism. Never thought it would happen in my life time.

I heard this ,it may give insight and clarity on this discussion in particular (but I would offer it as a salient approach for most any scenario imaginable)
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Finest golden truth. Our national credo clearly is one of similarly noble morals and ethical just laws ,at least that is the base intent of the Constitution ,and it’s Amendments .
To go against that intrinsic obvious flow ,for whatever end-justifies-the-means reasons , is to go straight toward what will eat this nation alive eventually.
Might does not make right , and it never will . Truth makes right and as has been said before many times , sunlight is indeed the best disinfectant.
I personally don’t see how these pictures can overtly hurt anyone ; I do see how our national pride could be injured and our global prestige damaged ,but the first step is going to have to be acceptance of wrong doing ,and as of now there are too many Americans citizens who cannot/will not do that.
Pictures like these ,and the fact that these pictures ARE indeed going to shown for the world to see may ,in the long run , be the best thing for America .
We need this kind of dirty laundry aired out for the world to see, hopefully it will make the next batch of state inquisitors a little more apt to stay within the boundaries of the laws of the land ,and at the same time make a few people rightfully ashamed of themselves and the brutal vile inhumane procedures they tacitly and patently supported.

Obama is a traitor and is out to destroy America. We are sitting ducks with Hussein as POTUS. When… not if we are attacked, Hussein owns it along with MSNBC and CNN for hiding the truth from the American people about Hussein which led to alot of ignorant voters. How many of you Hussein voters will be brave enough to admit you made a mistake voting for this IDIOT!!!!!!!!!?

“Just to disprove the myth that Obama is just setting the world afire with glee over his unprecentented approval rating!”
Except no one has stated his approval rating is unprecedented.
All his approval rating shows is that a solid majority approval of the job he is doing right now, contrary to right wing myth makers who claim he is unpopular.

Don | Apr 24, 2009 2:35:05 PM—Don, although i realize that we don’t see eye-to-eye i do respect the tone of your post. speaking for myself, i wish i was able to make my points in a less hurtful way. because at the end of the day i don’t think any of us who disagree with the other really wants to hurt the other. your post made me see that. thanks for that, Don.
peace

I only want to know one thing for all of you, left or right or in the middle…. If this country suffers another 9/11 type attack or Americans abroad (military or civilian), Are you still going to think what the Obama administraton has done of late IRT policy and national security tactics would have been the right thing to do? Will you still try to blame the last adminstration? Are you still going to blame our country?
I’m just curious to know where politics ends with people and doing things to protect us and keep this country strong kicks in…

With the release of these documents and photographs of torture techniques, our own President is a threat to national security. Anyone who thinks otherwise has blinders on. Big ones.

Ryan C | Apr 24, 2009 2:44:41 PM
…the approval rating means nothing. ALL new presidents have had comparable ratings. it’s simply because the vast majority of people really don’t pay much attention to what goes on. and i suppose it makes a difference if they watch obama channels like nbc, msnbc, cnn, etc. the bigger problem is that he has the luxury of pushing his agendas before people that disagree notice…i suppose i have to blame the public for that more than him because i’d push my agendas too if in his place. but most people are going to be regret the end result of this.

For President Obama to continue to undermine the CIA it seems to indicate that he may truly believe that Oswald assassinated JFK.

TRAITOR

snowcloud | Apr 24, 2009 2:50:28 PM
……..i’ve been trying to figure out which one myself.

“…the approval rating means nothing. ALL new presidents have had comparable ratings.”
Obama’s 1st Q avg was the highest for a President in over 30 years.

ABC = All Bogus Comments?

Releaseing those photos is a violation of the detainees rights under the Geneva conventions.
Read it.

Obama is a terrorist. The sooner he is put on trial for treason, the better.

“The previous administration already endangered us all by using torture in the first place.”
How so ACLU? Where is the evidence of that? Not rhetoric, evidence.

Boy am I glad I don’t work at the CIA right now – this guy’s likely to throw you under the bus as soon as you’re no longer politically convenient.

We are cooked? Release photos in name of transparency? Hey – lets give up our blue prints to our rockets – our war planning strategies while at it? This is a 3 ring cricus – dog n pony show. We kill 3 pirates to save 1 man – but can’t torture 1 man to save thousands? Yet – it’s ok for late term abortions in the name of choice? BO has lost all hope of ever getting me on his side – between the CIA release abd now photos. What a joke….Can you say One term president…..YES – WE CAN!

will obama release photos of what the jihadist do to thier captives(civilian or military)?why doesnt the aclu want us to see those?

“Releaseing those photos is a violation of the detainees rights under the Geneva conventions.”
The court already rejected that argument. (detainees identities would be obscured, etc.) But, yeah, I know…the courts are filled with activist, commie, terrorist-love, traitorous judges.
And I love invoking the Geneva Convention to prevent the release of photos documenting violations of the Geneva Convention. Love it!

this is the CHANGE that was voted for by an uninformed public, may GOD have mercy on this REPUBLIC

Let’s just invite the Taliban, Al-Queda, the N. Koreans, China, Russia over for dinner and hand over the keys to the White House. Then we can either kill ourselves or move out of the country and leave it to those that want to be cozy with some of those nations. Why put up a fight, lets just get it done with.
It all seems like signs that the world as we know (knew) it is coming to an end and we will have the utopia that George Orwell wrote about.

We’ve gone back to being the country of 9/10. God help us.

NOONE ever said he was unpopular! Thats what is so absolutley frightening to those of us actually pay attention! Thet fact that he is so popular is just mind-boggling to me. The hypocrisy, the intellectual dishonesty, and the justification of anything the messiah does byt he left of this country should scare everyone! His actions today WILL, whithout doubt, cost American lifes tomorrow. Bush may not have been good, but he kept us safe and now Obama, under the guise of “mending fences”, is destroying what little security we have built. AND, if he follows you sheeple’s demands and prosecutes Bush administrators, It will be disasterous for his legacy, our security and the lives of our operatives in the field. Not to mention the precedence this will set for every administration to follow. You folks cheer now. Just wait and see what this brings. From this day forward every new leader will try to prosecute their predesesor! Just look at the track records of our idiots in charge. They are ALL a bunch of vendictive little bratty kids with suits. NO EXEPTIONS…its just that the dems are much much worse.

Jim | Apr 24, 2009 3:07:29 PM—awesome post, Jim. thanks.

The only way crazy thinking such as Obama’s can take hold and spread is under the umbrella of safety provided by our military, a sane / rational government, leaders of conviction, or Coinstitution, and brave people such as those in the CIA who have kept us safe……all of these things the left hates. There is another thing that is requred to let it get this far….for good people to do nothing and let it happen. It is time to for you good people, and myself, to quit doing nothing. This is VERY BAD. It is time to get engaged.

“Ryan, that’s both unfair and untrue.”
It is unfortunately true and I’m not just talking about the Aug 6th memo.
“I believe the Bush administration in the first eight months considered terrorism an important issue, but not an urgent issue,” Richard Clarke told a commission investigating the September 11 attacks.

“Our methods prevented ‘The Second Wave’ attack on Los Angeles.”
Big fat BS.
The purported leader of that attack and one of the pilots were already in custody before we even began waterboarding.

“OGLiberal, water boarding isn’t legal but thousands of our very own troops have gone through it????”
Dude, if you aren’t able to distinguish between SERE training and illegal torture of detainees by US government agents, then there is no reason to even debate this issue with you. Seriously…think about the silliness of your argument. (which, sadly, has been put forward by many a torture-lover)
As for releasing the photos, a few points – 1) they are being released as part of a FOIA request. FOIA is law – although it appears you like laws to be applied selectively – and the request was upheld by a federal court, 2) Obama could appeal the decision handed down by the lower federal coutry to the US Supreme Court but he’d probably lose, even with a SCOTUS that leans conservative, 3) rather than continue a long-drawn out court battle that he’ll likely lose, perhaps Obama feels that releasing these photos is the best thing for the health of our democracy….you may disagree but he won the election last fall and elections have consequences, as the Bush administration and GOP reminded the Dems over and over again over the past 8 years.
Obama’s national security team includes military veterans like James Jones and Dennis Blair. It also includes Sec of Def Bob Gates, a CIA veteran. I’m sure Obama sought advice from all of these folks before making the decision not to challenge the FOIA request in the SCOTUS. I doubt that he blew off the advice of all of these men, so my guess is that they didn’t have any major objections to the decision. I have no evidence of this but it seems more likely than not.

If CIA agents hesitate before committing crimes because they fear they do not have cover, that is great. I am all for secrets, but the fear of disclosure should prevent evil conduct. It is not a perfect world and there is some additional risk, but it is worth it.

Jim the insider! Seems you know everything. Very typical of you elitist, self rightous liberals. “We are the US, we don’t do that.”
No we don’t.
when we answer 2 Qs :1.) Does the Geneva Convention apply to unaffiliated civilian killing thugs? 2.) Are the interrigation teqhnikes in question considered torture?
The answers to both are NO!

To be a “communist”or “Islamic Radical”is to NOT be a threat to Americans freedom! To be “pro-life”. Or a member of, or former member of, the “armed forces” is to be a threat to freedom in America! Basicly EVERYTHING that USED to be “PATRIOTIC” is now under suspicion! Everything that used to be looked upon as suspicious?? Is NOT!
But should be accepted as CHANGE America NEEDS and is LONGING for!!

The CIA can no longer count on the
president.
Our enemies have nothing to fear.

Hysterical, you people are arguing over when waterboarding started….LIKE YOU HAVE ANY CLUE. The Goverment, CIA will tell us information they want us to know and arent afraid to lie about it. But to debate the LA plot by saying it was foiled BEFORE we water boarded…is at best EXTEMELU GULABLE.

does this president really believe that tyrant nations and suicidal islamic fascists behave in a certain way because of how nice we are or what we do or don’t do?”
This isn’t about them…it’s about us. You can deplore what those terrorist do and at the same time believe that the US government should not encourage, sancition, and institutionalize torture. And if you don’t believe that torture should be the policy of the US intelligence services, you’d want all the evidence of that torture out there to help ensure that we never do it again.

clops | Apr 24, 2009 3:08:01 PM
…i’ve been googling and have not found a court ruling that bound the white house to anything in 2008. the closest i saw was a recommendation for a lower court to review it. if anyone has a “reliable” source, i’d be interested in reading it.

There was & is absolutely no need to torture!

no reason to be released? this administration is terrible so they are trying to keep the attention off themselves,thereby eliminating the countrys protection from an attack. do ryou really think anyone is watching out for us with these bozos scaring all our soldiers and cia people? impeach.

All of you people that believe we shouldn’t torture, I say if that’s what it takes to keep us safe TORTURE. But you won’t have to worry about that anymore will you because with BHO up there the next torture will be in the United States and it will be us being tortured by the terrorist !!!!!!!!

For all those who make fun of Conservatives – have you ever seen a “man on the street” interview, like the ones on Leno? Most of them are Obama voters – and they know NOTHING! Way to go – those in charge of education, who oppose vouchers for those who need them the most, know that they need to keep the masses ignorant.

“Hysterical, you people are arguing over when waterboarding started….LIKE YOU HAVE ANY CLUE. The Goverment, CIA will tell us information they want us to know and arent afraid to lie about it. But to debate the LA plot by saying it was foiled BEFORE we water boarded…is at best EXTEMELU GULABLE.”
The torture proponents are saying that the waterboarding of KSM resulted in the foiling of the Library Tower plot. That’s what Bush told us, that’s what Cheney told us, that’s what Marc Thiessen, former Bush speechwriter, has been telling us in his recent op-eds. The problem with this claim has nothing to do with when we started waterboarding but with when we captured KSM. The Library Tower plot was disrupted in February 2002. KSM wasn’t captured until March 2003. Maybe KSM mentioned the plot after he was waterboarded but do you really want to waterboard somebody to uncover a plot that was foiled a year before you waterboarded the guy? Do you really want to wear that as a badge of honor? Do you really want to use this as your defense of torture?

“What would happen if the CIA or DHS discovered an al qaeda plot to attack the White House?
Would he be so against water boarding then?
I wonder.
Posted by: snowcloud | Apr 24, 2009 2:55:25 PM
———————————–
Stop getting my hopes up”
More of right wingers who hope for a terrorist attack so they can validate their torture support.

What is the agenda of the Left? Will they be satisfied when terrorists attack again? If I were in the CIA, I would resign. I would not work for an administration of left wing radicals!! What do they think we do when we go to war, play footsies with the enemy? Thank God for President Bush and Vice President Chaney for keeping Americans safe after we were blatently attacked on 911.

RYAN C — Your “One Liners” clearly show that your liberal brain is incapable of any intellectual thought.
Your obvious trashing of “Conservative” and “Traditional” minded people only tends to point out your obvious ploy to undermine not only your own party affiliate, but your country as well.
However, as this link describes detainee photos (as in, whether to release them or not) which in turn, has turned into a debate about “Torturing”, I would like to share just a few thoughts about that with you….
It is obvious to everyone on here (everyone that doesnt agree with you, that is) that you really have no clue about what methods should be enacted, approved, or disapproved by whatever organization that has that authority – Even up to the Presidential level.
As you are an obvious liberal, my gut feeling (and this comes to me as I have spent many years studying the liberal mindset), tells me that the methods of “Torture” (however defined), is not your true issue.
To me, the acts of torture are not what you are against. The act of “Authority” from one human being over another, IS what you are against.
To explain, liberals operate under the platform of being “Champions” of the lower class, the minorities, the poor, the downtrodden, etc… Liberals hate authority. They hate the military, they hate police, they hate GOD, or anyone that they think can either legislate, or command a “Moral guideline” to that particular liberal individual. That is what drives the liberal brain.
I could go on and on but in the interest of keeping it mildly short, the issue of “Authority” is at play in your mind. Not the act of torture itself….

You have to ask yourself why the deconstruction of the CIA. My suspicion is that Obama, like his Democrat predecessor Clinton, is scared of what they might find and how it might be used against him. The Obama administration is filled with lawbreakers of all sorts, and these lawbreakers have some truly dirty secrets to hide.
The CIA is being suppressed, and this means that the FBI will soon follow. Sadly, we are being set up for another terrorist attack on our own shores.

If all photos and info are made public, plenty of Democrats will be named as complicit. But with the media in their pockets, only that which is damaging to the Right will be written about and shown. There will be truths brought out on the internet but as usual, anything thing that the Left doesn’t like or agree with will be met with ignorance and name calling. I’m beginning to feel like we’re heading into becoming a country like Stalinist Russia was. Now let the name calling begin.

It’s impossible to talk to libs. They all think like Janeane Garofalo. No need to discuss facts, statistics, or consequences of actions in a historical context, just hate anyone that doesn’t agree with them and their agenda (which seems to be hate anyone who is a conservative whether that hatred is justified or not). I don’t even try anymore because they see the whole thing as if they’re rooting for a football team and act as if “Bush did crappy things so Obama gets a free pass on everything he does as payback.” What they don’t seem to realize is that they live in this country too and will have to pay as heavily as anyone for the Annointed One’s actions. They know it and even admit it. They just don’t care. It’s pointless. HAIL THE OBAMA-MESSIAH IN ALL HIS GLORY!

“To explain, liberals operate under the platform of being “Champions” of the lower class, the minorities, the poor, the downtrodden, etc… Liberals hate authority. They hate the military, they hate police, they hate GOD, or anyone that they think can either legislate, or command a “Moral guideline” to that particular liberal individual. That is what drives the liberal brain”
ROFLMAO!
Does this mean right wingers are natural submissives who crave domination?

“…i’ve been googling and have not found a court ruling that bound the white house to anything in 2008. the closest i saw was a recommendation for a lower court to review it. if anyone has a “reliable” source, i’d be interested in reading it.”
Google “detainee photos september 2008″. The first link should be a Washington Post story on the release of the photos. The appeals court decision was handed down in September 2008. The appeal was in response to a federal court decision handed down in 2006 that reject the Bush administration’s argument against the FOIA request to release the photos. I believe the original request dates back to 2005 – this is not a new case.

The BO adminstration stinks. These operatives and military interrogators did what we asked and expected them to do following the atrocity of 9/11 and the slaughter of innocents. The ACLU is not protecting American civil liberties by seeking these photographs out to be displayed out of context with why these individuals were being interrogated in the first place. Kudos to the pros at CIA and DOD who used their best judgment to gain information while protecting their source from unregulated and systematic torture.

Pelosi knew all about water-boarding and was briefed extensively on it but I can GUARANTEE liberals and the liberal media will give her an excuse and a free pass. Typical.

“Not at all. What it means is simply this: “Stabilization” in society, in family, and in practice…”
Ahhh the Good German theory that provided you do not rock the boat about a barbaric government, you will somehow be rewarded/spared.

Annie: Nice use of the Republican talking-point term. However, the term “criminalizing policy” is nothing but an attempt to deceive. If an action is criminal, it’s criminal, end of story. One cannot simply hide behind the term “policy differences” to excuse any barbaric and illegal behavior. The Bush thugs are liable for their atrocities. I’m sure you thought the WWII Japanese torturers who were punished with heavy prison sentences, or executed, for waterboarding Americans, were simply victims of “policy differences” too….

Dear Ron,
You said this:
“To all of those who condone torture: I looked for the enemy and the enemy was me. I for one do not want to become the uncivilized terrorists we are fighting against. Do you? Okay then, when will we start beating young couples in the street for eloping? When will we start killing our daughters for having premarital sex? When will we start beheading our prisoners? Is that what you want? Some of you are well on your way I think.”
This is what the enemy does, and wishes to ultimately have happen here in the US. The ultimate goal of the terrorists is to establish an Islamic Caliphate and Sharia here. If that happens, then what you described is going to happen. I do not condone torture. I do condone getting information out of captured terrorists in similar ways to what we have done. We stop short of using their methods, as we have in the past.
Your statement sounds prinicipled, but please recognize that you have the facts wrong. This is a war, there is not another phrase to describe it. They want us dead or defeated. Al Qaeda is no different than the Nazis. We had to defeat them too, and when we captured them, we got intelligence from them to help to defeat them and end the war sooner.

They won’t put these photos next to photos of any atrocities the terrorists have committed. That would be way to transparent and fair on the part of the media.

Next election maybe the people will elect an American or maybe even a US citizen. then we would have a president that cared about our country. This man is a fraud and bent on destroying US sovereignty.

Your absurdity will make the 2010 elections a breeze.
============================
Ryan C,
Actually Ryan, the incredible hypocrisy of Democrats like Pelosi will make a it huge win for Republicans in 2010!
Especially if Obama and the Dems keep up this stupid pursuit of prosecuting when they are JUST as guilty as anyone in the Bush administration!

Bush warned of “activist judges” and now I see why. Obama may feel he is doing the right thing, but in the end of the day Obama is a lawyer. Obama has chosen to pick a fight with our self! The ACLU at times does great work, but shouldn’t be able to dictate war policy. A president should defend our troops at all cost! In a time of war there will always be mistakes. Make a report of these mistakes, change policy internally and move on. Don’t let policy be directed by outside ‘law addicts’.. which will only spread to international law. Snip this stuff before we lose our policy making to a world court.

“Not at all. What it means is simply this: “Stabilization” in society, in family, and in practice…”
Ahhh the Good German theory that provided you do not rock the boat about a barbaric government, you will somehow be rewarded/spared.
Posted by: Ryan C
Again, look at you post. This has “Deny Authority” at all costs written all over it.
It is simply not a question of towing the party line, or better yet, doing what you are told in hopes of having a stable society….it’s all about doing what is right.
Following the teachings of our saviour, following the laws of our govt, and teaching your children the do’s and dont’s based on one morality, is what drives the stability of a nation.
When those principles break down, chaos ensues. Sorta like the liberal San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia, Miami, etc….all liberal dominated cities that are all in chaos.

O.K.OGliberal. What about Pelosi? Should she be prosecuted along with Bush admisistration officials since she admitted to knowing about water-boarding and did nothing? Yes or No?

history is history… some are comfortable living with illusion and deception. others do find that tooting the trumpet on “high standards” and not abiding by the responsibilities that go with that standard as hypocritical. the images and truth will/would surface eventually because it always seems to in the end. this civil war talk is foolishness. u wanna lose twice?

No bruises, no disfigurement, no deaths. Torture, my posterior. Cry babies, it is standard training for much of the US armed forces. But then US forces are real men, now aren’t they?

So its okay to shoot pirates in the head to save one man, but its not okay to pour water over a man’s head to save millions?
Anyone confused?

Releasing the pictures of the interogations will not make us any safer, and barry O knows it. He knows very well that they will be plastered all over the country and world, used soley to spread anti-American sentitment.
Barry hates America, as most liberals do, and he is completely willing to sacrifice the lives of “arrogant” Americans to pass his far-left agenda.
Afterall, his pastor of 20 years said repeatedly that America deserved 9/11, created the AIDS virus, and was run by greedy rich white folk.

Mike_C—i respectfully disagree. i think you may see some unpopular long-serving democrat members replaced by new democratic candidates and these candidates will win against the republicans. i see the republicans actually losing more ground. this post is a prime example of a mindset that most americans don’t endorse. the hateful racist diatribe, the sewing of discord between americans. the republican are history as we know them today. the Limbaugh_Cheney ticket that eveyone is driveling over simply will not get elected. oh, “i apologize for what i just wrote Mr. Limbaugh”—that kind of thing makes people weary of republicans and rightly so.

Tom: Your analysis is flawed. The terrorists have been doing some very good recruiting already, using stories of American prisoner abuse. Having pictures to go along with those stories probably won’t make much of a difference, but even if it does allow them to recruit a few more terrorists, there’s another side to this that you sadists will never understand or admit: doing the right thing, or admitting our past wrongs, gains us an immeasurable amount of not only respect, but cooperation, world-wide, not only amongst our allies, but in areas where America’s reputation is mixed… to cite only ONE example of this, the number of lives saved because we can more easily negotiate with moderate Muslim nations on everything from trade agreements to landing rights to human rights accords is beyond your uber-simplistic ability to reckon. Shame on you America-hating repugs for trying to justify barbarism. You don’t understand the issue, pure and simple.

Sleep deprivation is torture?
Loud music is torture?
The liberal wussification continues.

We did NOT execute Japanese criminals strictly for waterboarding. Pick up a history book instead of relying on blogs.
================================
Lily ,
Read YUORSELF! The US government took US Citizens who were of Japanese decent and entured them. They lost their homes, money, etc. They were not given time to do anytihng but pack some belongings. READ…you will find out 125,000 US Citizens had there rights thrown away and were held in camps with barbed wire!!! Their entire lives were torn apart ONLY because of a percieved threat that was NOT real.
They were not waterboarded, but they were treated as POWs even though they were US Citizens!!!!! Surely by today’s definitions of torture, they were tortured by unfair imprisonment.
Get a clue Lily, The idea of taking away basic rights as a citizen did not start with Bush. Leaders have been doing it since the beginning of time.
It just happend that one of the great liberal heroes of the last century is GUILTY of it too.

After reading all of these blogs I can really see how Obama has brought us all together. Oh, and Thank You Mr. Falconi. They say imitation is he sincerest form of flattery.

Still waiting on an answer about Pelosi. Any takers?

Personally I think this has gotten a little personal. I think the Democrats will find that it will hurt them in 2012. They seem to be forgetting not only 9-11 but also the terrorist threats we have been under. I hope and pray that we never have another one. Also, the Democrats and Republicans are responsible for this mess not just one party as the Democrats controlled the House and Republicans Senate. It takes two to cause this with their approval votes and they can’t tell the public they didn’t know about this because the public was made aaware by the news media.

Kathy—yeah and this is the republican kids: in the basement on mommy’s pc with shotguns, ak-47s. keflar vests, automatic pistols fawning over conspiracy theories, dispicable racist sentiments and the lust to torture.

Tom: “there doesnt seem to be any record of any liberals having any outrage over that treatment” Umm….really? You gonna stand by that nonsense? You seem to be a victim of that typical Republican virus which infects its victims and renders them incapable of understanding the difference between facts and “whatever I say must be true…” You do, however, know how to spell disingenuous, though your use of it is again not factual. I know it’s hard to accept that reasonable people disagree with you, but to decide that we’re all representing a position we don’t really believe in is, well, kinda psycho.

Are they also going to release the photo’s of the Americans being beheaded by the Teleban at the same time to put things in perspective?

“Are they also going to release the photo’s of the Americans being beheaded by the Teleban at the same time to put things in perspective?”
Why would the Pentagon have photos of American being beheaded?
Most of the right wing talking points here are dumb but this one takes the cake.

oh well Mr hollywood boy wants to be popular – he ran fast enough today though HELLO anyone home in that Kenyan head of yours – don’t mess with the safety of US citizens to play pally pal with your comrades – you are eroding the security of this faster than it has taken idiots to d in 200 yrs

Worst enough that such top secret CIA memo’s was made “transparent” for public view. And now this kind of publicity!!!! Torture or no torture, this was not done for leisure but out of 3000 or more innocent people who died on 9/11, and possibly more.
This is utterly STUPID act agaisnt us, anti-American.
Perhaps, Texas is right in talking about secession.

“Pathetic liberal nonsense. Waterboarding doesn’t kill. Giving birth to my kids was probably worse.”
AWESOME response, MSG. I love it! I don’t think waterboarding lasts as long as childbirth, either. And trust me – there were times I thought I was going to die!
And you know what? The end actually did justify the means.

LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN !!!!!!
2ND AMMENDMENT IS THERE SO WE CAN TAKE UR GOVERNMENT BACK FROM THE GREEDY AND CORRUPT.
LOCK AND LOAD AND FIRE AT WILL !!!!!!!!!

Ryan, I do believe that beheadings made it to the net and have been shown in Iran and Iraq. They were kept from the American public because it would have made some of us not like terrorists very much.

Most of you liberals don’t even know what torture is. Most of you left wingers can’t even define the word, but you’re certain that water boarding is. ACLU fans are a group of delusional malcontents who hate the US. The ACLU is a despicable organization that has already set back this nation’s defense for a good number of years. In the end of the day, why would anyone put themselves, their family, their lives for this country if all they can look forward to is the ACLU harassing and spitting on their efforts and sacrifices? People won’t and we’ll suffer the consequences. Absolutely unforgivable distraction and abomination by a morally wretched president.

“O.K.OGliberal. What about Pelosi? Should she be prosecuted along with Bush admisistration officials since she admitted to knowing about water-boarding and did nothing? Yes or No?”
Actually, as I have noted in previous posts (I don’t expect you to have read them as there are so many posts in this thread alone), I don’t think anybody should be prosecuted. That may put me at odds with my fellow libs but that’s just my take. But I am 100% against torture and what we did was torture. I also have no problem with the photos being released, especially since it is in response to an FOIA request submitted in 2004 that has been upheld in the federal courts several times. (Pentagon and CIA legal counsel have advised Gates/Panetta/Obama that an appeal to the Supreme Court would likely fail as well so they’re releasing the photos rather than let this drag out with no chance of winning the case) The law is the law, right?
But if Pelosi did know that these techniques were being used – and it appears that she did – shame on her. And if an investigation were to proceed on the torture matter then, yes, member of Congress who were briefed on the methods, regardless of party, should be investigated as well and charged if any wrongdoing is uncovered. My disgust at the fact that we tortured people doesn’t stop at the party line. But again, I don’t support prosecuting anybody for this, especially since I think the only people who should be prosecuted are Cheney and maybe Bush, and getting them convicted would be nearly impossible and, yes, not good for our country. Regardless, the evidence of this torture needs to see the light of day…and, again, the release of the memos and these photos are not proactive acts by the Obama administration – they are in response to FOIA requests…and FOIA is the law.

Malcom Z.—if someone you considered an enemy waterboarded you would you consider it fun water-sports or a serious threat to your life? the subject being waterboarded (muslim nationals, not familiar with the practice and not knowing it’s just a little water fun you might have with your kids in the pool, might experience it as torture.
but obviously you have been waterboarded with hostile intent and found it enjoyable.
get off your sanctimonious high horse and come back to earth.

Is it a wise president that bites the hand that feeds him intelligence?

This is all to depressing. I think I’ll go pet and play with my collies for awhile. Adios!

Paul Wall wrote: “msg—since you know so much about waterboarding and can compare it to your giving birth i assume you have been waterboarded to make the comparison.”
I’m so confused, Paul. You know how childbirth feels, and you’re positive that waterboarding is worse? Or are you chiding her about one without any personal experience of either, yourself?
Actually, I’m not confused. How many people have died from waterboarding? That information WOULD be good for us to know.
And then – how many people have died in childbirth? (And I’m not even talking about abortion here.)
Pick your battles more wisely, Buddy.

Some people don’t have enough constructive things to keep themselves busy! We’re all to blame for our government and this joker in the Oval Office. We voted in these dimwits! What the hell! Lets dig up Kennedy and Johnson, hold a commission, and prosecute them for torturing Vietnamese Prisoners! Thats can certainly be used as stimulus. Guarantee jobs for journalists and TV stations. The Republicans need to do there JOBS and put a stop to all this nonsense! It soon will be to late!

well when the photos show up and the poor terrorist is getting water in his nose and not being blown to pieces. lets see it will out the cia operatives doing it. i believe the democrats tried to smear for outing poor valorie plame who did not see a cocktail party worth skipping. so i guess we should have a investigation of who is doing this! any idea who is doing it? but as the democrats chug along we see the hypocrits they are.

Case and point:
DANIEL PEARL – Journalist – abducted by Al-Qaeda operatives – tortured – beheaded – DEAD. America’s response – how sad, unfortunate…
AL-QAEDA Operatives – terrorist – caught by the CIA – tortured – waterboarded – ALIVE. America’s response – charge the CIA with crime..
AMERICANS (on the left -ACLU), you’re morals and priorities are soooo screwed up, it doesn’t take a genuis to see that you people side with the BAD and slams those that serves this country for your protection!!!!!!

“LET THE REVOLUTION BEGIN !!!!!!
2ND AMMENDMENT IS THERE SO WE CAN TAKE UR GOVERNMENT BACK FROM THE GREEDY AND CORRUPT.
LOCK AND LOAD AND FIRE AT WILL !!!!!!!!!”
I seem to recall an election less than 6 months ago. And the people of the United States elected the government that your are now looking to overthrow via violent revolution. How is that not treason?
I know you’re still upset that your side lost but that’s the way our government works…somebody wins and somebody loses. There are national elections in 2010 and 2012…that’s when real Americans voice their opinion on their government. I suggest you wait until then rather than taking up arms against the elected government of our nation. And, by the way, I don’t think you’ll find many folks willing to take you up on your offer to participate and the violent and treasonous overthrow of the government. But good luck with that…

Ryan, I do believe that beheadings made it to the net and have been shown in Iran and Iraq. They were kept from the American public because it would have made some of us not like terrorists very much.”
The beheadings of Daniel Pearl and Nick Berg and then that trucker driver (name escapes me at the moment) got wall to wall coverage on the networks.
Hell Hannity practically had an orgasm as he played it.
The lesson as always? Right wingers lie.
================================
The lesson as always? The Left attacks with a broad brush intended to ridicule and malign. Perhaps Kathy was unaware that those videos were available here. I know I saw them, but not everyone did.

I demand that for every picture that is posted by any news agency also post the pictures of our people sent by al jazeer et. al. and place them side beside. If this government has no regard for the lives of our military than at least show the public the other side of the issue. This is getting dangerous for all of us. I wish Pres. Bush would come back and chastize the whole government Judicial, Executive, and Congress and then challenge them to prosecute him and only him. The cowards will run for their dark holes of self-righteousness and cower. JCB

For all the Bush bashers who want prosecution. Wanting to prosecute those who kept us safe for 8 yrs. and the lying democrats on the hill who said they did not know. How convient for those liars. Obama is a traitor to the American people. He is a joke. When we are attacked again Bush cannot be blamed remember that is what you are wanting him prosecuted for protecting America. Obama then will be prosecuted for collusion with the enemy. He is pulling out the play books on enhanced interigation. What a traitor he should be impeached NOW and Biden for his stupidity. So all of you media and left wing aclu lovers have no one but yourself to blame and believe me the American people will remember who to blame.

truthseeker1776: So you’re saying it is not okay to lie under oath in court, but it IS okay to lie about the fact of having BROKEN your oath to uphold the Constitution!
“I swear I will!” (“Ha-ha… fooled you!”)
…is okay, but…
“I swear I didn’t!” (or my wife would kill me!)
…is tantamount to treason!
Strange logic.

“The lesson as always? The Left attacks with a broad brush intended to ridicule and malign. Perhaps Kathy was unaware that those videos were available here. I know I saw them, but not everyone did.”
Then she is foolish for claiming because she did not see them that they were not seen.

It seems that Dr. Mark M. Lowenthal’s words carry a lot of weight in the intelligence community and his warning should be taken seriously. However, I think that he disregards one important thing: What went on was illegal – even for the CIA – and were we to follow the words of the UN Convention Against Torture litterally, they too should be prosecuted. That is very unlikely to happen, but some reflection on their part in all this would be appropriate. Faced with the dilemma of loyalty to the president or to the law they chose the president. I think that is a very dangerous choice.
But they might know something I don’t. If they do there must be a way for them to blow the whistle without giving up any sensitive intelligence.

NDSue—i’m not saying that at all. i am saying that childbirth and waterboarding (as experienced by a detainee) are not comparable. in childbirth a mother (in the US) can go to a hospital and deliver her baby in a controlled environment. some US soldiers experience SERE training, again, in an environment where they are in control, can say stop at any time. an enemy combatant probably does not even know that he will survive (otherwise it’s a pointless exercise, if the combatant knows he will survive and that everything is going to be fine what is the use).
you seem to confuse hostile environments with controlled ones and i was simply trying to make the point that being in control, being able to say “stop”, being able to have anesthesia or pain control and being in an environment where you know you will be cared for is something different than experiencing an event in a hostile environment, in a dark room, tied down. i apologize if you can’t see the difference. i assure you though you could feel the difference.

“NOT. The beheadings may have been available on the web, but I don’t ever remember seeing the entire, horrible ordeal on television, and certainly not on Hannity.”
Hannity played Nick Berg’s last gasps.
Some high schools were even playing it as an example of a war crime.

Well I for one am not worried about Obama’s policies leading to another attack on America. Why? It won’t be near me. Like the last one, it will be in a liberal enclave like New York or some other liberal metropolitan cesspool.
In fact, my comments on 9/11 were that it was ironic that the terrorist hit the very society that coddles them.

All you right-wingers, please go stand in front of your mirror and shout. Then, at least, you will actually be talking to the right terrorist!

“It won’t be near me. Like the last one, it will be in a liberal enclave like New York or some other liberal metropolitan cesspool.”
The height of irony being right wingers most afraid of a terrorist attacks are nowhere near likely strike sites.
Just a bunch of cowards.

mj: The term is “case in point”, not “case and point.” Your characterization of America’s reponse to the Pearl beheading is completely wrong. However, I’d like to ask you a question: Do you think it’s time America just did away with all of those traditional values we’ve been raised with…you know, things like justice, respect for human dignity and rights, freedom of the press, and a general belief that we could show the world an example of enlightenment? If you don’t, then you should understand why we tend to chastise ourselves when we commit a wrong. The problem with your post is that it juxtaposes a false version of our reaction to the Pearl case with a cherry-picked element of our ongoing handling of terrorist suspects, and comes to the hysterical conclusion that we don’t care when our own people are killed, and that we can’t prosecute our enemies because we’re too busy attacking the CIA. What you completely lose sight of is that we can hold ourselves to our traditional high standards (yes, that includes prosecuting law-breakers; we do have laws in this country) while still vigorously defending ourselves. As I said, maybe you should reflect on whether you really want to abandon the principles that helped make America something special. From reading your post, you feel we should.

“Can’t wait for the next hit and I hope it’s big.”
More of that right wing hoping for thousands of Americans to die.

How can your heart bleed for those that would splash blissfully in your blood, given the chance? Your “open-mindedness” defies the very survival instinct of any species.
If Obama prosecutes Bush officials: Do you realize it’s unprecedented in our history for a new administration to seek revenge on it’s predecessor for purely POLITICAL reasons? This is the kind of thing you see in low-rent corrupt “democracies” of South America. They might wanna think twice before doing it, as Pelosi & the other empty suits could easily be indicted for encouraging the use of waterboarding…and for all these years they’ve denounced it’s use and Bush for employing it, while all along it’s use was approved at the highest levels of American government…congress. The hypocrisy is stunning…votem’ out.

What a bunch of cowards you all are. Are these photos going to scare you?
You cowards can’t possibly handle the truth.
The republican party courted the stupid in this country, and now they have to live with it. I feel bad for the honest republicans capable of original thought who are now stuck in the party of imbiciles.

“The truth is that Conservative right leaning people are less likely to lie”
ROFLMAO!
Iraq has WMD.
Iraq is an immenent threat.
Waterboarding in 2003 stopped a terrorist attack in 2002.

Freedom cost
Any enemy of the United States is always a friend of liberals and Ryan C, didn’t you know that?

If you desire to understand Obamas dont try He gets his marching orders from George Soros

This issue must see the light of day, completely, thoroughly and clean out every corner where their might be lingering doubt.
There is nothing more cleansing than daylight!
That said, we also need to quit kicking the same dead horse. Releasing more photos, then more memos, then more photos is just stupid.
Every thinking person on the planet knows by now what was done and who is responsible.
Put these people on trial, here. Stop waiting for “others” to pave the way for the trials. Hold these people up to the US justice system and lets get this whole stinking (literally) mess behind us, NOW.

This isn’t about liberals “doing the right thing because they’re so open-minded & enlightened”, as they’d have you believe. It’s about revenge on Bush and you know it. They’d sell their own country down the river just to get back at Bush.
Obama wasted his breath in renaming the War on Terror the “Man-Made Disasters Overseas Contingency Operation”…an honest name would be the “War on Bush”.

Exactly what is it that YOU’RE smoking? How on earth can you call prosecuting murderers and torturers doing so for political reasons? Do you not support prosecuting ALL criminals? Why should murderers and torturers who perform their heinous acts at the behest of a POS president be exempt from criminal prosecution?
And to Nick. Why should anybody in the CIA have any sort of morale whatsoever? After their acts of murder and torture, they don’t deserve any cover, protection, or excuse. They all make me sick and deserve whatever a COURT OF LAW deems as appropriate punishment.

My apologies to Ryan C. I thought the names were above the posts, not below.

I’m confused as to his point when he talks about interrogators needing legal cover “if something goes wrong.” I’m not sure what that means. I don’t think any of these investigations, if they actually occur, are going to be focused on anything that could be described as accidental. I don’t think we accidentally waterboarded someone 180 times.
“When the attacks start and the terrorists LAUGH at the CIA or FBI and the dead start to stack up I wonder how we will feel about that.”
The FBI was never involved in these interrogation programs, so shouldn’t the terrorists have been laughing at them for some time now?

our no birth certificate, all records sealed, shady no president, is at it again.he goes around the world apologizing for America ! then turning our secrets out for the enemy. nothing said about saving Los angeles,Brooklyn bridge, and many other targets.saving how many lives ? nothing said by liberal news ! why didn’t the Clinton’s go to jail for selling top nuclear secrets to china ? i can see a war coming ! that’s why obama said on t.v. that he was going to build his own police force !

Liberalism is the ability to look reality square in the eye and deny it

What “due process” did my friends in the World Trade Center have?

Jihadist and Euroepan logic: “If they released these, imagine what awful stuff they still keep secret!”
This is an invitation to an attack with simultaneous destruction of the CIA and other security services. East coast had enough, nukes will explode in San Francisco. Dems went out of their way to make it possible.

When America is attacked, our brave liberal Americans are always the first ones to go to war. Unfortunately, it’s always for the other side.

picking up pieces of your co-workers is a reality that informs the conscience. It seems this President has none.

President Clinton and Janet Reno presided over murder at Waco and Ruby Ridge. Clinton sold missal secrets to China for campaign cash. Republican Gingrich stalled the impeachment before stripping it of the treason evidence. President Bush invaded two countries which did not invade us. This was established as a war crime after WWll, not to mention that it is unconstitutional. The left is hysterical about the former, but doesn’t really care about the constitutional part. Bush refused to enforce immigration laws and set into action the merging of the US with Canada and Mexico, beginning with their economies. (A socialist country to the North and a corrupt third world country to the South, neither with a Bill Of Rights) Obama will continue the process, and already is. So now we are absorbed with waterboarding. Republican vs Democrat, right?

They’re releasing photos showing the faces of CIA agents? They’re not going to be blacked out or anything?
I’m a supporter of Obama and as supportive of airing out dirty laundry as the next guy but this too much if they actually show these guys faces.

First of all, I’m not a fan of “W” but the fact that no terrorism occurred on our soil after 9/11 is without dispute. The intention of the Bush admin was to keep us country safe. He succeeded. The methods used may not have been touchy-feely, but if a terrorist happened to be roughed up a bit to find out the next target, so be it.
Obama really seems to dislike the America that he inherited. All he seems to do is say how bad we are. And to change our republic to a socialistic state. He seems to want to be the anti-Bush. It’s not particularly inspiring.
But here is the big item: if we are attacked again on our soil, it will be his fault. I pray it doesn’t happen, not for Obama’s sake, but for our’s. Right after 9/11, Bush had the support of nearly the entire country. We were united. If we are hit again, no one will support this President except for the extreme left-wing of his party. And it wouldn’t surprise me if the Pelosi’s of the world turn on him if it is politically in their own best interests.

I don’t get it. What will this prove? What will the ACLU get out of showing these photographs? Showing publicly what was done to terrorist who have no problem at all, lose no sleep at night, and this it is a message from god, showing what was done to them, when they would not bat an eye out of publically beheading someone, holding the head up and saying death to America. You think this will stop anyone from doing anything? No, it will only increase the chances of us getting hit yet again. But this time, we have a President in office who wants to sit down to tea with these people. The same people who strap on bombs to children, who use women as target pratice and punching bags, and who’s men find it joyful to blow up the public. At least when Bush was torchering these bastards, he was doing it to protect the America people from further attacks. Obama is doing it to make himself look pretty and the ACLU is doing it because they hate America.

Liberalism is the manic phase of a form of dementia that obsesses on idealism. And a very naive and childish form of idealism at that. This is why those who suffer from the mental illness that is Liberalism today in the US and Western Europe react to ideas that challenge their idealistic view in knee-jerk, Tourette like, tics comprised of insults and profanity rather than fact based coherent argument. These tics are usually aimed at those who are governed by realism and individualism. Their adherence to their idealism is built on the naive idea that man is good and wants to live in harmony with all other man. And this upside down view of reality also twists and turns upside down their view of who the real enemy is….that the United States, and those who protect her every day, are the impediment to realization of the ideal world of their childish daydreams.
On the other hand, those who are governed by realism and individualism don’t put much stock or faith in the good intentions of their fellow man. They tend to be conservatives. They understand that liberty needs to be defended, both at the personal and national level. That’s why they tend own guns. They understand that its a brutal, ugly world out there, that it always has been and always will be. That brutal dictators, and backwards religions and ideologies will do whatever they can to extinguish individualism and liberty and those who enjoy such freedoms. That felons will be felons and that they may need to defend themselves one day in their own homes.
Conservatives tend to look to history for lessons, as Liberals tend to look to their emotions.
Barack Obama and the ACLU, in their actions on this matter of the CIA, are dismantling the ability for this country to protect itself, and dismantling the “machinery” by which it does so. And if we look closely we can see the beginnings of his, and his administration’s, attempt to dismantle our ability to defend ourselves on an individual level as well.
History tells us that democracies are rarely destroyed from without, rather they are rotted from within. They are not killed, they commit suicide. In his action with respect to the CIA, Barack Obama has just taken suicide’s first step, he has flung the noose over the tree. We must not allow him to have us step up on the chair below it.

“The intention of the Bush admin was to keep us country safe. He succeeded.”
Except for, you know, 9/11. That thing that happened in 2001. You know, after he got elected in 2000. I don’t understand why people just sort of chalk up 9/11 as a mulligan, but then don’t hesitate to credit Bush for preventing any further attacks. 1 major attack during your presidency is not an above average mark.

The president released the photos of torture victims because he was ORDERED TO BY THE COURT. Why, because CONGRESS PASSED A LAW called the Freedom of Information Act. A suite was filed under the law calling for the release of those photos. This is the sort of thing that goes on when you have a DEMOCRACY. It is called CHECKS AND BALANCES. When the countries executive branch does whatever it wants, you have a DICTATORSHIP–either that or the
G W BUSH WHITE HOUSE

apologies to “GambitRF”…
I posted my response to the wrong person, I am sorry.

“The Bush administration had also argued that releasing the photographs would violated the Geneva Conventions, which protect prisoners of war and detained civilians “against insults and public curiosity.”
Um, excuse me, but is this the same Bush administration that said that the Geneva Convention did not apply to these people? Hypocrite much?

First of all we are America we do not torture and second its illegal period no matter who the prisoners are?
Im a 29 yo Iraqi war vet who wants to know when are we going to free those troops that were charged with torture. It is perfectly clear that they were following orders from higher up.
How can you sleep at night knowing these Americans heroes have had their lives completely destroyed and theres still one U.S soldier still doing time for Abu Gharib.
Its funny how we stand up for Bush and his cronies, but ignore those U.S soldiers who were cannon fodder for this massive cover up.

Steve in Reno said, “The president released the photos of torture victims because he was ORDERED TO BY THE COURT.”
Not exactly true Steve, it was under court review and could’ve been left under court review indefintely. OBAMA CHOSE to stop the court review and thereby cause the photos to be released.

True Leftists collect other people’s injustices, one after the other, and rehearse them in their minds for years. That’s how they define themselves mentally as The Good People and those who disagree with them as The Evil Ones. That’s why they are so ready to demonize those who disagree. Like Barack and Michelle, they are utterly convinced of their own righteousness. But they end up pushing Marxist Imperialism.

For once I think the libs have it right – no secrets!!! If the FBI, CIA or other “government” agencies know anything they should give it to our enemies as soon as possible! Also ALL dems who voted for the war and did not report the abuse sooner should go to prison. Dems not telling are worse than Bush as they have screwed their fellow libs! Besides, to only punish one side would be liberal terrorism. Pelosi and Biden are guilty too. Every politician who stood on the Capital steps and sang God Bless America on 9/12 are Bush convicts. Put all of them in jail!

“Not exactly true Steve, it was under court review and could’ve been left under court review indefintely. OBAMA CHOSE to stop the court review and thereby cause the photos to be released.”
No.
The court had decided.
Obama admin decided not to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Obama seems to think he is Pontius Pilate and that he can wash his hands of the previous administration at will. Let’s see how he tries to persuade Pakistan while they are collapsing to trust us and go after the Taliban after he releases these photos and puts our own troops in danger. Our own troops can’t even trust him. Let’s see how he can keep the peace in Iraq when these photos hit the newspaper. Let’s see if we can get one ally to join us when he is selling his own people down the river to score a political point.
Obama’s ready fire aim approach used to be amusing, even astounding at times but now it is just downright scary.
There is a time and place for setting, changing, investigating policy but the public eye is not it and let’s hope some general with some wisdom sat him down this afternoon and taught him a thing or two about unintended consequences.

“Please inform all of us which country we have been at war with that DOES follow the geneva convention.”
Germany and Italy did to a large degree though there certainly were war crimes.
“Please Ryan tell us all. Regale us with the tales of the countries we have been at war with that cared for our soldiers they captured following the dictates of the Geneva convention. Lets make it even easier, lets stick to say the last 60 years or so.”
Is your argument that because our enemies do not abide by teraties that neither should we?
Right wingers are such cowards willing to trade our liberty and value for the appearance of security.

Dear CIA, FBI, Secret Service, and our Heroic Troops: The majority of people within this country appreciate your service!! Thank you for helping to keep us safe…even when it’s unbeknown to us. You are America’s unsung heroes. I am sorry that you are currently having to serve under what appears to be a very naive president and naive administration. You are not cruel, you are not unethical. You are the backbone of this country and I applaud you.

“he didn’t do the right thing in trading arms with iran, but he learned from this mistake and got it right when funded death squads in central america.
You speak of this as though it were a bad thing”
Right winger proud of Reagan’s support of death squads.
Suddenly the torture loving becomes more understandable.

Apparently winning, and winning soundly isn’t enough for the present administration and congress. The hatred for Bush and his administration is so intense that it defies logic or sanity. The Pelosi’s, Franks’s , Reid’s and others, along with Obama, are now so intent on destroying any idea of accomplishment that I believe it will backfire on them. I have no problem with waterboarding or other “extreme measures” to retrieve valuable information. And I imagine that any of the above named were held hostage in any country, that they too would sanction WHATEVER it took to get their release. Does anyone truly believe that every democrat would NOT move heaven and earth to save Obama. This is not an administration. This is a literal takeover by people who do not have the best interests of this country at heart. And there will be a day that we will pay. Any country out there will know that we will do “nothing” but offer counseling and lawyers’ fees to any future detainees. They have nothing to fear from us now. Nothing.

FredThompson: I wasn’t the person who talked about Reagan, but I appreciate your post. I may be misreading your posts, but I’m getting a delightful hint of humor from them…

Torture is against genera convention which United States signed. Obama administration does not have nothing to do whith that. The decision to procesute those who ordered the torture cames from the membres of the congress.

Germany and Italy did to a large degree though there certainly were war crimes.
Ryan
————–
Are you trying to make us laugh or cry. Do you in the middle of exterminating 6 million jews they stopped to SOMETIMES follow the rules.
Is that a joke.
They were murdering 6 million jews. I don’t think that qualifies them for a two thumbs up because on a rare occasion they did not commit war crimes too.
Is your argument so feeble you bring this utter trash and defend Nazi’s who still did not follow the Geneva convention.
This was utterly pathetic and insulting to humanity to make such a claim.
Go away.

Truthteller
I have read that book. Very scary indeed. Barry O must be stopped and God-willing, impeached.

“Our argument is that since we have abided by our agreement and continue to do so, what is that going to gain us?”
Because we failed to abide by our agreement.
Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, concurred by stating, in a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, that he believes waterboarding violates Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.
“The terrorists certainly do care about the Geneva Conventions, now do they?”
They also do not care about many of the ideals we hold dear, shall we jettison those as well?
“Furthermore, the Geneva Conventions only apply to defined militaries of different countries. The terrorists have no uniformed code of military justice nor do they answer to any particular govt authority…hence, the reason why they are not covered under the Geneva Convention”
The Geneva convention also applies to irregulars, partisans and militia.
Bush had to create the unlawful combatant definition and then by executive order he applied that to anyone the admin deemed fit whther they were taken in actual battle or scooped up by the CIA.

Now we know why the Homeland Security Department recently released a memo on the threat from the fringe right in this country. One only needs to read many of the posts on this blog. These folks consider themselves Americans, but instead demonstrate a morality, perspective, and personality traits more attuned to Nazism and Fascism. Not to worry, recent polls show that President Obama is still viewed favorably in this country and the world. For the first time in nearly a decade, a majority of Americans recently indicated in a poll that the United States was headed in the right direction. More importantly, President Obama has widespread support of top military and Intel leaders in America.

I don’t believe that our service men and women should have to abide by any laws, treaties etc. that those they’re fighting have to abide by. And the “America is better than that” mantra from the left is getting mighty old-just another liberal talking point repeated over and over til the sheeple accept it as truth. If our enemies fight dirty our soldiers should be able to do what it takes to beat them.

David said “While water boarding might inflict fear, to my knowledge it did not inflict pain on the individual.” Nor did it leave physical scarring or disability – things that I believe qualify something as torture. I have yet to see anything they did that I would consider torture. It was really mean, but torture?

Uhmn, Seems as if Bush Looked into the Soul of the Chavez, and Chavez Saw the DEVIL…….Torturer! Liar!

“And the “America is better than that” mantra from the left is getting mighty old-just another liberal talking point repeated over and over til the sheeple accept it as truth.”
So we’re not better than that?
And here I thought American Exceptionalism was core to the conservative ideology.

Truthteller said “For the first time in nearly a decade, a majority of Americans recently indicated in a poll that the United States was headed in the right direction.” That tells me that the majority of Americans are stupid……How come when the “majority” supports a liberal idea democracy is the rule (i.e. universal healthcare), but when it doesn’t support a liberal idea (anti-gay marriage) we aren’t a majority-rule country?

“Wag the Dog”
Remember this phase from the Clinton days, well Obama is doing the same thing. Last week we Americans showed him that the majority of us disagree with his policies and he realized he had a problem. Well in true liberal fashion he set the spinning wheels in motion to distract us with another issue. The Tea Parties were a non-partisan event and he knew by bring up something negative about former President Bush he could divide and conquer all those who would stand together against him.
Hopefully he wises up.
If not lets impeach him.

Could the photographs reveal anything as disgusting as the Waco massacres by our government: 74 men, women, and children being torched to death after being tortured with sleep deprivation and physical threats over a 51-day period? How quickly the Democrats forget their shame.

Posted by: Bytheway:
“Could the photographs reveal anything as disgusting as the Waco massacres by our government: 74 men, women, and children being torched to death after being tortured with sleep deprivation and physical threats over a 51-day period? How quickly the Democrats forget their shame.”
My response= Well Said!! I agree with you bytheway.

Were the good Germans against the Nuremberg trials?

I’ve spent the past decade of my life serving this country in the military.
Right now, I question whether it’s worth it anymore.
The ideals of America are worth every drop of blood spilled in their defense. But every life lost has been utterly wasted with a few decisions of Obama’s. All of it has been in vain.
We are dying. We are still fighting. And for what?
-For a president who is willing to throw us to the wolves the moment it politically suits his needs.
-For America people who have made clear, beyond any doubt, that they care more about the minor and brief discomfort of a man bent on killing them all then they do about the lives of thousands of my brothers and sisters who died to protect American lives.
Serving America is honorable.
But serving the American people is a joke. None of you are worth any of my dead friends. You don’t deserve the life they gave because they wanted to protect you.
Damn you all. I’m resigning my commission.

To all those who are experts on torture…The Army taught us about torture. The first thing they told us is everyone breaks. It’s a given. Torture works. All they expected us to do is hold out as long as we could so that they could change codes and passwords. They know we will break, they expect it. So shut up about torture. It works. Ask John McCain if he didn’t sign a document denouncing America after he was tortured. Should we torture? No. Must we torture? Yes

There is a difference between doing dangerous things and committing criminal acts Lowenthal. Duh.

Don’t waterboard me Bro!, hey thanks for standing in for Fred thompson. liberal americans were only serving their nation in “yester year.” and todays heroes all come from red states. very convenient, disingenuous and dishonest way to protect your own argument. soldiers come from blue states and red states, sir. some are conservative and some are liberal and some don’t get into politics at all. you imply only sons of the confederacy are protecting this nation when there are tens of thousands of african-american soldiers serving and dying is something to be ashamed of.

I think he meant remember the majority of the people who are trying to protect this country come from the often belittled RED STATES. In the lefts arrogance and elitist mentality they prefer to look at them as stupid & poor and had no other option than to serve this country. You would be dead WRONG.
Posted by: Don’t waterboard me Bro!
DOnt Waterboard me Bro — I couldnt have said it better myself.
Eric—are you suggesting that only “right wingers” serve in our nation’s armed forces? i personally don’t know you and would have no idea if you would “fight or die” or not. to imply that republicans are heros and democrats are traitors and cowards you dishonor many fine men and women who would disagree with you yet layed down their lives. just because your are a radical-right, neo-con, whatever-you-call-yourself doesn’t mean you own courage. and you don’t speak for american soldiers, any of them, nor do i. so why not just show some respect?
Posted by: Paul Wall
Paul Wall — That is not what I’m suggesting at all. I merely state facts from the history of the last 8 years up until today, of the radical left-wing ideology of failed military action which you and your ilk support (specifcally – The Iraq War)
Of course, there are liberals that have fought and died in wars all the way up until today.
This goes back to my earlier posts that I have laid out to a couple of liberals on here. When I speak of “Liberalism”, I do not specifically debate that in the context of the Iraq war……I merely debate liberalism as a whole.
But you know, since you have mentioned the liberals in the Iraq War, how politically smart do you actually think they are anyway?
Wartime is a messy business. I’d actually like to see just how many liberals vs Conservatives that voted for Obama just for the convenience of “Going Home” because they didnt want to deal with the situation anymore……
That most likely will never be laid out before us….so, the argument about Iraq is mute at this point…..

I come from a military family and have always considered it a priviledge to serve my country. But my grandsons will go into the service on when all of your children and grandchildren go and not until then.

Don’t waterboard me Bro!, hey thanks for standing in for Fred thompson. liberal americans were only serving their nation in “yester year.” and todays heroes all come from red states. very convenient, disingenuous and dishonest way to protect your own argument. soldiers come from blue states and red states, sir. some are conservative and some are liberal and some don’t get into politics at all. you imply only sons of the confederacy are protecting this nation when there are tens of thousands of african-american soldiers serving and dying is something to be ashamed of.
Posted by: Paul Wall | Apr 24, 2009 6:28:10 PM
Actually I was parroting what the left was saying around the time that it was annouced by Harry Ried that the war is lost in Iraq. Those are the words of the left. Red state, uneducated and also minorities. Take it up with your team.

dantheguy9: Most info is given is given with just the threat of torture. But if we don’t even have that in our arsonal what do suggest we replace it with.

than when Cheney outted Valery Plame?
Posted by: John T | Apr 24, 2009 6:22:06 PM
———
More liberal lies and distraction.
Richard Armitage at State Dept. outed Valerie Plame. The democrat special prosecutor determined it was not an illegal act.
He knew who outed her almost immediately into his investigation, He threatened, I mean told Armitage to keep silent while Patrick Fitzgerald then went on a 2 year political witch-hunt. Once again wasting taxpayer dollars for political points.
Get over yourself and look it up!!!!
You are wasting our time and doing Obama’s bidding with this distraction as he and congress pass more bills to take as much money out of your pockets as they can. Today it is cap and trade energy program, which taxes but doesn’t really effect global climate change. It is a scheme to rape the citizens yet again.
Power and control.
Watch the shiny quarter, look at the nasty torture pictures.
While he and congress pass bills to control and take every dime we make.

Obama goes to the G-20 summit where he prostrates himself and begs for forgiveness for the horrible country he represents. Europeans and liberals love this. When he asks Germany and France for increased budget stimuli, and Turkey’s acceptance into the EU, they tell him to screw off and mind his own business. When he asks the EU for combat troops, they flat out refuse. He smiles and shakes Chavez’s hand. Then accepts a book from him on the evils of America. Liberals see this as enlightening. Chavez then issues an arrest warrent for his political opponent. North Korea sees this weakness and impotence, and launch a rocket, kick out nuclear inspectors and withdrawl from 6 party talks. Why? Because they want one on one talks with someone weak and niave…Obama. In the mean time both North Korea and Iran are collecting American journalists while busily working away on their nuclear bombs. Now, before returning to the middle-east to beg them to like us and apologize for our wickedness, he releases CIA memos along with photos to the ACLU. Is this guy niave, stupid or just un-American? We haven’t had a weaker president since Jimmy Carter. It is now only a matter of time before another terrorist attack on a now weak and unguarded America occurs. Well, you wanted change. Was a mushroom cloud over an American city what you ment? Liberalism is a self destructive mental disorder engaged in my self loathing idiots.

ACLU is one of our biggest problems, along with BO and his administration.
We need to do a lot of praying.
He is making us apear weak.
re: to Matt S. I am so sorry you feel this way, I love our men and women in our armed forces, it takes special people like you to protect us. I understand your disappointment, but most of us in this great country are not like these crazies that is in control political right now. God bless you greatly for serving in our military.
and I wish you the best in whatever
decision you make, Sincerely from South Carolina Gal.

All bleeding hearts need to wear this sign around their necks 24/7. It is their right and obligation.
“Target us first. We do not fight back. We will not torture you. We will give you lawyers, shelter, food and water regardless of how many Americans you kill or maim. But wait it gets better our Dear Enemy. We will prosecute employees and senior officials of the US government who have sworn to protect their country and fellow Americans. Attack us with this peace of mind regardless of how evil you are”.

I expect our intelligence services to have an army of Jack Bauers at our disposal. If they don’t, our government is failing us. Anyone who thinks otherwise is naive.

I sincerely hope these photos will NOT be shown on the news. There are millions of children who are home alone in the US and it would be almost criminal to expose them to this graphic topic.
Please, ABC, if you must air these photos use some common sense and think about your audience.

Thank you ACLU and Obama. You are putting a big red target on my son’s back. He’s returning to Iraq next month. I feel so much better knowing how transparent he is there. Maybe the third world and UN will like us now.

OBAMA IS ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT HIS OWN POPULARITY. THE PEOPLE BEING TORTURED HAVE DONE BAD THINGS, NOT JUST SIMPLE WRONG THINGS. THE CIA IS GOING TO BE DISCREDITED A LOT. OBAMA IS ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT LOOKING BETTER THAN BUSH. BUT HE SUCK!

WHAT GOOD IS THIS DOING BUT IGNITING FEAR INTO PEOPLES HEARTS. SOON NO ONE WILL BE ABLE TO TRUST ANYONE. GRRRRRRRRRRRR.

Just looking at some of these comments. The wise people that wrote our laws and our constitution are idiots. We dont need laws in this country. Apparently we are becoming a nation of anarchy. Apparently some of you want to obey some of the laws some of the time but not all of the laws all of the time. Some of you are advocating that we can obey a law or not obey a law when there is a convenience that fits a specific need. Because of the economy, most of us are in dire need of money. Would it be ok to go out and rob banks and rob each other? Because remember, you are arguing that we can suspend the laws that dont suit our needs.

Posted by: El_Pajaro
“Of all the stupid comments in this threat I find the one comparing Obama to George Orwell’s Big Brother particularly sickening….”
My response to El Pajaro=
Respectively, you must be very unversed regarding Orwellian literature as Obama’s Big Government smacks of Big Brother mentality, some are more equal than others….just like some transparencies are more “equal” according to Obama. The hypocrisy is appalling regarding Obama’s stance on the ethics of torture and transparency when Obama supports a particularly torturous and gruesome form of abortion known as partial birth abortion. Collapsing an innocent baby’s skull with a pair of scissors (without anesthesia) is the height of immoral torture (not a pretty picture, but, sorry…at least you’re alive and reading this unlike thousands of babies tortured to death in this manner) and yet at the same time Obama sees fit to make CIA acts of waterboarding for 40 seconds (complete with a doctor’s presence) seem as if that is horrible torture (when in fact it’s nothing as bad as partial birth abortion which OBAMA CONDONES!!). Some are more equal than others under Obama’s watch….very Orwellian…VERY Big Brother.

Someone still has it all WRONG – Cheney did not “out” Valerie Plame. Richard Armitage did which Fitzgerals knew early in the game.
So answer me this, if outing Valerie Plame was a crime, why wasn’t Armitage put on trial?
Hmmmm . . . could it be that “outing” Valerie Plame was NOT a crime because she was no longer a covert agent and NOT covered by the law? And if she was covered by the law, then indict the individual that “outted” her!
Hmmmm . . . Let’s see Mr. Valerie Plame has been proven to be a liar in Senate hearings! No trial for him either.
Me has smelt a rat here for a long time.
Have fun with those abovementioned FACTS you wacky libs.

To Brad:
What I endured in training was more intense than anything I have read or seen in any memo that was considered “torture”.
Furthermore, the fact that you believe it is worth killing thousands of American civilians so that the man who masterminded 9-11 doesn’t get water poured in his face astounds me.
Have you ever seen someone die, Brad? Have you ever been covered in a friend’s blood and guts as they wailed incoherently?
That you would inflict that on thousands to spare the discomfort of one purely evil man is further evidence of why this country is no longer deserving of its servicemen and servicewomen.
For all their sacrifices, you would still allow Americans to die. For nothing.

to steve in reno:
I agree 100% with your comments.
We at this time are going to have tea parties, conversations and word of mouth about Obamas plan. we should also teach, start teaching our children well, again. also we must start teaching again that there are two sides to every story and the left is waccoooo!
They cave gotten of the hook!
Mark in Indiana!

Posted by: Mathew Sewell
-For a president who is willing to throw us to the wolves the moment it politically suits his needs.
60% of Americans agree with this statement and this was just after the memos.
A ten year old could have seen the damage that this could cause and a ten year old would have been ashamed of himself. You don’t throw your troops and innocent civilians to the wolves while we are still at war, especially to score a political point. Do you freaking get that?

The Obama administration seems bent on releasing more and more sensitive information to provide aid and comfort to our enemies. It reveals a naivete that is as troubling as it is stunning. We are doomed.

I have an idea…All those who were for the war and agree with torture sit down and rest. You have served your country well and deserve a break.
Dem/Libs, the country is all yours. Do what you will with it. When another war happens, and it will, don’t ask us to help. You don’t need us anymore so we will go the way of the Wooly Mammoth. Out time is done.

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
June 26, 2003
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT
United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
Today, on the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United States declares its strong solidarity with torture victims across the world. Torture anywhere is an affront to human dignity everywhere. We are committed to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by the rule of law.
Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right. The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, ratified by the United States and more than 130 other countries since 1984, forbids governments from deliberately inflicting severe physical or mental pain or suffering on those within their custody or control. Yet torture continues to be practiced around the world by rogue regimes whose cruel methods match their determination to crush the human spirit. Beating, burning, rape, and electric shock are some of the grisly tools such regimes use to terrorize their own citizens. These despicable crimes cannot be tolerated by a world committed to justice….
The United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example. I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture and in undertaking to prevent other cruel and unusual punishment. I call on all nations to speak out against torture in all its forms and to make ending torture an essential part of their diplomacy. I further urge governments to join America and others in supporting torture victims’ treatment centers, contributing to the UN Fund for the Victims of Torture, and supporting the efforts of non-governmental organizations to end torture and assist its victims.
No people, no matter where they reside, should have to live in fear of their own government. Nowhere should the midnight knock foreshadow a nightmare of state-commissioned crime. The suffering of torture victims must end, and the United States calls on all governments to assume this great mission.

I’m signing off for the night…Thanks to ALL (on both sides) for sharing their thoughts…I’ve enjoyed reading your comments :-) Thank Our Heavenly Father that we have the freedom to disagree openly in this country….I hope it stays that way. I might not agree with everyone’s statements but I consider it a great privilege…a great “human right”…to be able to read and post varying views without risk of prison like in some countries.