Obama open to some interrogation prosecution

[All Tell]

There are several issues related to this policy change and document release:

 

First: Tactics, techniques, and procedures of clandestine type operations need to be kept secret. Regardless of what the ACLU and others think, they are not secret to hide the information from the American public, they are secret to keep our enemies from exploiting the information and/or using it against us.

 

Second: The CIA or other government employees who conducted these interrogations should not be prosecuted because they were using techniques that, at the time, were approved all the way up the chain of command.

 

Third: It’s a harsh world we live in with many individuals and groups around the world who would like nothing more than wipe the entire United States off of the face of the earth. The Government’s job is to defend the United States and sometimes that may require changing the rules or bending the rules.

 

Is one terrorist’s civil liberties more important than 3000 American lives? If water boarding Khalid Sheikh Mohamed prevented another attack on the scale of 9/11 was it worth it? If any viable intelligence came from these interrogations we wouldn’t know because it’s classified, as it should be, but of course the present administration will probably release that too.

 

No, they won't because it would give the methods credibility.

[2 Humped Camel]

Do you really believe that?

 

If so the Obama is the biggest liar ever because he has been nothing but partisan. If there are to be impartial investigations then Pelosi and Clinton need to be the first subjects since they both had knowlege of what was going on.

 

Yes I do and in all fairness it takes two to tango and the Republicans have refused to do anything but say no on almost every issue nor offer any of thier own solutions.:idunno:

[PepRock01]

Yes I do and in all fairness it takes two to tango and the Republicans have refused to do anything but say no on almost every issue nor offer any of thier own solutions.:idunno:

 

 

So are you a die-hard Democrat that will always follow the dictates of the party or are you a die-hard Obama supporter complete with Hope and Change bumper stickers?

 

Pardon the tone, but it seems that you always agree with every little thing Obama does, hence my line of questioning.

[Habib]

They why are we potentially having an investigation if it wasn't against the law?

 

:thumb: It was against the law. And it was done even prior to the Administration's legal "creativity," which, apparently, applied retroactively.

[All Tell]

Yes I do and in all fairness it takes two to tango and the Republicans have refused to do anything but say no on almost every issue nor offer any of thier own solutions.:idunno:

 

I think you're just spouting more party line rhetoric here.

 

I seem to recall a republican counter to the porculus bill (that's really helped hasn't it?) that was totally ignored. What has Obama done to try to reach acroos the aisle? He's the one that ran on the platform of bipartisanship right?

[2 Humped Camel]

So are you a die-hard Democrat that will always follow the dictates of the party or are you a die-hard Obama supporter complete with Hope and Change bumper stickers?

 

Pardon the tone, but it seems that you always agree with every little thing Obama does, hence my line of questioning.

 

No, I would consider myself moderately liberal. I don't particularly like the stimulus package but thought it was necessary especially considering the Republican alternative of reducing spending/cut taxes. I don't like the descrepancy in how he handled Wall St. vs Detroit but I really like his approach to foreign policy and I hope he gets around to health care reform as well. I have not drank the Kool-aid amoung other of the playground terms that are constantly floated on here.

[PepRock01]

No, I would consider myself moderately liberal. I don't particularly like the stimulus package but thought it was necessary especially considering the Republican alternative of reducing spending/cut taxes. I don't like the descrepancy in how he handled Wall St. vs Detroit but I really like his approach to foreign policy and I hope he gets around to health care reform as well. I have not drank the Kool-aid amoung other of the playground terms that are constantly floated on here.

 

Fair enough, I was just wanting to get a feel.

 

 

I disagree with much of what he has done economically and I am currently sitting back and watching before I make much in the way of critical comments on his foreign policy.

[leatherneck]

Do we as a country ignore the rule of law? I heard the former VP say that they should consider that the torture used brought about good info. Do the ends justify the means?

 

Could you cite for me the specific law that was violated by the use of waterboarding and make the argument how it was violated?

[westsider]

If so the Obama is the biggest liar ever because he has been nothing but partisan.

The partisan labeling the partisan ...

[leatherneck]

NBC News and news services

updated 11 minutes ago

 

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama left the door open Tuesday to prosecuting Bush administration officials who devised the legal authority for gruesome terrorism-suspect interrogations, saying the United States lost "our moral bearings" with use of the tactics.

 

The question of whether to bring charges against those who devised justification for the methods "is going to be more of a decision for the attorney general within the parameters of various laws and I don't want to prejudge that," Obama said.

 

The president discussed the issue of terrorism-era interrogation tactics with reporters as he finished an Oval Office meeting with visiting King Abdullah II of Jordan.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30325495

 

What is really interesting about this development and the timing is the fact that on Sunday, Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel stated that the people who formulated the Bush policies on these interrogation techniques wouldn't be subject to prosecution. Wonder what happened between Sunday and Tuesday? Anyone care to bet that the more liberal elements of the Democratic party screamed bloody murder about not prosecuting? If so, it confirms some of my worst fears of an Obama presidency; namely that Obama is going to get pushed to the left even if he has more centrist beliefs. Scary development indeed. If my concerns become true, we elected Pelosi, Reid and Schumer to the Oval office and not Obama. :eek:

 

As I understand it, Obama's not suggesting the people that did the torture face criminal action; just the people who advised that the people doing the torture could do so. The people who gave that advise would be lawyers in the Justice Deptartment. Even Democratic lawyers are saying its going to be almost impossible, if not impossible, to prosecute an attorney for giving advise that it was legal to engage in waterboarding, et al. The govt would have to prove, according to the Democratic lawyers, that the Bush attorney's opining that it was okay to engage in the subject activities knew that their opinion was wrong at the time they provided the opinion. I have a better chance of being selected for an upcoming porn movie than the govt proving that case. We are going to criminalize an attorney's opinion? Scary stuff indeed.

[All Tell]

The partisan labeling the partisan ...

 

The big difference is that I didn't run for President on a platform of bipartainship only to demonstrate that I am almost radical in my partainship when elected.

 

Big difference.

[True blue (and gold)]

I think you're just spouting more party line rhetoric here.

 

I seem to recall a republican counter to the porculus bill (that's really helped hasn't it?) that was totally ignored. What has Obama done to try to reach acroos the aisle? He's the one that ran on the platform of bipartisanship right?

 

You were expecting instant gratification?

[westsider]

The big difference is that I didn't run for President on a platform of bipartainship only to demonstrate that I am almost radical in my partainship when elected.

 

Big difference.

That's your view, which isn't shared by everyone, and mostly espoused by those who have been grinding the axe on Obama since he arrived on the scene.

[cammando]

Obama voted along party lines 98% of the time he was in the senate.. He definitely did not reach across the aisle much... Why would any one expect him to now??

[All Tell]

You were expecting instant gratification?

 

Actually I was expecting nothing other then what we have gotten.