Once upon a time in America torture was
federal crime.
<...>
But a U.S. official, speaking on condition he not be identified, told Reuters: "It would be wrong to assume programs of the past moved into the future unchanged."
President George W. Bush signed an executive order in July requiring the CIA interrogators to comply with the Geneva Conventions against torture -- five years after he exempted al Qaeda and Taliban members from the Geneva provisions.
Many human rights groups consider water boarding -- which involves pouring water over a suspect's mouth and nose to stimulate a drowning reflex -- to be torture.
Bush, who insists the United States does not use torture, has faced pressure at home and abroad over interrogation techniques used on suspected militants held at secret CIA prisons and other locations, including the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Last year, Vice President Dick Cheney drew fire when it appeared to many people that he endorsed the use of water boarding as an interrogation technique.
moreThere was a time when individual rights were protected, but no more:
<...>
Congress last year eliminated this right for non-U.S. citizens labeled "enemy combatants" by the government. The Bush administration said this was necessary to prevent them from being set free and attacking Americans.
The move affected about 340 suspected al Qaeda and Taliban captives held at the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba. It also affects millions of permanent legal residents of the United States who are not U.S. citizens, said one of the sponsors of the bipartisan measure, Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont.
"Any of these people could be detained forever without the ability to challenge their detention in federal court" under the changes in law Congress made last year, Leahy said on the Senate floor. This was true "even if they (authorities) made a mistake and picked up the wrong person."
"This was a mistake the last Congress and the (Bush) administration made, based on fear," Leahy said.
moreRepublicans in Congress have become the legislative arm of the executive branch.
"The roadblock Republicans today stopped the Senate from demonstrating that we can keep our values and keep America safe at the same time. Only these rubberstamp Senators for George Bush believe you can’t detain enemy combatants while honoring habeas corpus," Kerry said. "We all want to stop terrorist attacks. We all want to effectively gather as much intelligence as possible. We all want to bring those who attacked us to justice. But, we weaken our ability to do that when we undermine our own Constitution, when we throw away our system of checks and balances or when we hold detainees indefinitely without trial. We endanger our moral authority at great peril. The United States should send a signal to the rest of the world that America stands for the rule of law." -- John Kerry's statement on the habeas corpus vote
It's the same standoff from summer 2006, with the Democrats on Americans side and the Republicans standing up for Bush.
Compare these remarks by Senator Kerry:
Video:
John Kerry Speaks Against TortureTo the actions of Bush's three amigos, McCain, Warner and Graham:
By Justin Rood - September 28, 2006, 12:21 PM
The Senate just killed an amendment to ensure federal courts could review the legitimacy of individual' imprisonment on suspicion of involvement in terrorism. The amendment had been proposed by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "It is a fundamental protection woven into the fabric of our Nation," said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who supported the measure. It was defeated 48-51, largely along party lines.
Former torture victim Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), portrayed as a "maverick" by earlier bucking the White House on the issue of detainee treatment, voted against the amendment. The White House also opposes the changes the amendment would make to the bill. Sens. John Warner (R-VA) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who had also challenged the White House over the bill, joined McCain in voting against the amendment.
linkDespicable! Warner is retiring, Graham is up for reelection and John McCain has lost his mind.
edited for pesky errors.
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