Lesley Stahl is doing a masterful job of getting this war criminal to spill the beans on 60 Minutes

[MrScorpio]

If we wanted to make an effort of prosecuting our own war crimes with regard to the torture of detainees, it should be a cakewalk.

One disappointment so far is the lack of questions about how the torture was used against innocent detainees.

[LiberalFighter]

1. It depends on the intent.

For all I know she is providing a pedestal for the CIA and Bush to justify their actions.

Leslie appears to have a better upper hand on Rodriguez towards the end of the interview. I hope buries him.

[MrScorpio]

4. She wants him to talk...

That's why she's being nice to the guy

The fact that she's pointed out that his actions were classified as torture and pointing out that the methods got inadequate results don't look like a pedestal to me.

[LiberalFighter]

7. I would have to agree with you. It appears he is being exposed more.

[malaise]

5. That's my take so far

I'm not convinced. Until she mentions torture, war crimes and conventions, she's playing their game.

[MrScorpio]

9. She has pointed out the torture and war crimes

She mentioned at the beginning that some of the things we did, we also prosecuted others for in the past

[malaise]

11. My bad - I didn't see the very beginning n/t

[spanone]

13. she asked him about 'innocents' or the 'disappeared' and he basically said 'shit happens'

fuck this arrogant shit

[MrScorpio]

14. I caught that too

He's quite proud of himself

[zeemike]

8. they already justified it.

They gave us a TV series called 24...where we were convinced that you had to torture people sometimes to stay safe.
I don't have TV so I don't know if it is still on and still promoting torture or not...but my guess it is still in many programs on the tube.

[BlueStater]

2. So why isn't this bastard in prison?

I don't get it.

[bigwillq]

10. Said he was cleared of any wrong doing (nt)

[MotherPetrie]

33. Forward, not back!

[annabanana]

3. It should have ALWAYS been a "cake walk".. the will was never there..

The evidence was. We all saw it.

[spanone]

6. this guy is proud of his work, she's not having to do much to draw him out

[Electric Monk]

12. He reminds me of Col Jessup from A Few Good Men

[mattvermont]

15. There was nothing said that

the powers did not want you to hear. This is one step in the many to rewrite the story.
Does anybody really think that this was a genuine expose? The networks are all partners in the various psyops necessary to maintain control of the past?

[MannyGoldstein]

16. Holder will be right on it

First priority after he finishes ridding the country of those medical marijuana dispensaries.

[enough]

17. You said it Manny (nt).

[dflprincess]

19. Exactly

First things first, y'know.

[PavePusher]

22. And shipping guns to Mexico. n/t

[hlthe2b]

18. that man truly makes my skin crawl...

What a smarmy little man. Little little little ugly man. (and what was that scene with him driving up in his new corvette? Huh?)

[UBUIBI]

20. When you have to deal with the devil, you have to be evil.

Look, we will never know what all happened between the CIA and the detainees. I do think if those men being tortured had an opportunity to kill any American he wouldn't think twice about killing, beheading, torturing and whatever evil act. I happen to think that he (Jose Rodriguez) had Americans here and our military over seas best interest at heart. One thing I have learned is if you haven't walked in their shoes you never know what acts you would commit to keep your family and friends safe from people who wish to do unimaginative harm.

[hlthe2b]

21. His argument has repeatedly been exposed as a pack of lies...

Had he shown one ounce of humanity in discussing the issue at hand instead of comparing such practices to a gym workout or extreme sleep deprivation to jetlag... perhaps I could believe that he "merely had Americans .... best interest at heart"....

He did not. Only slightly less contempt in his presentation for the conventions of law, ethics, international treaties--than Cheney.

Perhaps you haven't followed the mass number of Generals, current and past national security experts and others who have come forward to rebut his assertions as lies?

[UBUIBI]

24. Good point but consider this....

Just a thought...... Do you think maybe all those Generals, NSA experts and others are trying to cover their part in the whole ordeal? It was interesting to me how he went overboard to get authority from the people "high up" before he carried out his actions.

[hlthe2b]

29. Let me just suggest you do a bit more reading on the issue...

the facts are out there--including those that show the whole "legal authorities" to be nothing more than a post fact CYA....

Unfortunately, the truth will never get the same amount of media coverage these many years later as the lies did when it was happening. So, in many minds--just like the WMD lie or the lie that Saddam Hussein was somehow behind 911, continues....

I guess it is somewhat a blessing that my late father and all my uncles who served in WWII European fronts-- and were rightfully proud of how we dealt with war crimes at Nuremberg-- never lived to see what Bush* et al have made us today.

[coalition_unwilling]

23. I'm sure your stay here will be long and productive, but torture enablers earn

automatic admission to my Ignore list.

[ScreamingMeemie]

28. "Reply". I think the word you were looking for was "reply".

As in "I only want people with intelligence to 'reply'". Which, you have to admit, is quite funny.

[hootinholler]

25. I would do many acts to keep my fellow citizens safe

Torture is not one of them because:

It endangers us by creating even more enemies.

It endangers us by yielding the international moral high ground.

It endangers us by having to track down unverifiable bad intelligence.

I could go on, but the reasons are pretty obvious for those who are thoughtful about the subject.

[MaineDem]

30. Wow, pretty agressive there

But welcome to DU in any case.

[quaker bill]

31. Not close

I am pretty clear that Hitler really felt he had the best interests of the German people at heart, he said so quite often. It is not much of an excuse for his crimes.

The entire point of the laws of war is that people will in fact commit all kinds of acts when placed under such stress. The basic concept is that we should not do to them when captured. things that we would have a problem with if they did the same to any of us they captured. Compliance with the laws of war and Geneva Conventions may on occasion be unilateral, but that is no reason to dismiss the treaties.

Under the Constitution, please note that Treaties are the highest law of the land. The Constitution actually obligates us to keep our word (I like integrity and think this is a good thing). Bush* found that part of the Constitution to be "quaint".

[gratuitous]

32. No

Just. No.