Helen Thomas: Bush Could End Prisoner Abuse

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/helenthomas/4642854/detail.html

Bush Could End Prisoner Abuse
Treatment Of Prisoners Shames America
Helen Thomas, Hearst White House columnist

POSTED: 10:04 am EDT June 23, 2005

Is President George W. Bush living on Mars? Is he tone deaf?

At a news conference last month, he wrote off as an "absurd allegation" the conclusion by Amnesty International that the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was the "new gulag" because of the mistreatment of prisoners there.

Bush insisted that "the United States is a country that promotes freedom around the world, and when there are accusations about certain actions by our people, they're fully investigated in a transparent way."

"It's just an absurd allegation," he claimed.

But how does he account for the slew of reports from the Pentagon and the FBI that some prisoners were subjected to mistreatment, torture and unspeakable indignities during interrogation?

Does he read the reports? Does he care?

<</SNIP>>

[liberal N proud]

1. Since bu$h could stop the abuse, he is guilty of the abuse

He is an accomplice in the crime for not using authority to order a full investigation and punishment for those who are found guilty.

Only two problems:
1. He really has no authority, KKKarl won't let him.
2. The order most likely came from his office therefore he can't punish himself.

[Spazito]

2. Helen Thomas is always right on point!

Thanks for posting this, I have tremendous respect for her and always read what she writes.

[dchill]

3. But if he orders it to stop,

he's admitting it happens, and if he admits it happens, the question would be why didn't he stop it sooner. He's in a really bad catch-22, and he knows it. Or at least Alberto Gonzales knows it.

On edit - he doesn't want it to stop, anyway.

[C_U_L8R]

4. Bush Condones Torture

yes he does... implicitly, explicitly, whatever way you slice it,
as commander in chief he is responsible for it.