tmedlin: blog 
tmedlin's blog
house hearing on "torture"
Published Jul 17, 2008Views: 137
I have been watching the House committee hearing on detainee treatment and it is absoutely infuriating!
Rep. Trent Franks noted that this congress's job is to protect Americans and in the 10 hearings that have taken place, not one of the meetings was held to protect Americans, but to only protect terrorists/detainees.
The members of congress and they way they are framing their questions will make you mad enough to scream. In their typical law school parlor game style, they ask questions, refuse to allow detailed answers, in order to get a "yes" or "no" to a question that they want on the record.
For example:
Qestion: Have detainees been tortured or murdered?
Answer: yes, but those who committed those acts have been tried and prosecuted and were not sanctioned by the Justice Dept. or President, or Secty of Defense.
Congressman (interrupting the witness): I didn't ask that, all I want is a "yes" or "no" answer...
An important comment made by a member of congess, was, that organizations like Human Rights (testifying in this hearing) will state "The United States tortures prisoners." A prisoner held in Maryland was recently killed. According to the way Human Rights reports events, they would report THAT event by stating "Maryland kills prisoners".
Now, that is what the main stream media picks up on, in order to slander and discredit not only the president, but Defense Dept., Justice Dept. and the military, in general.
There was an incedible amount of information contained in this hearing, including discussions about poking a finger in a detainee's chest, yelling at a detainee, playing "good cop/bad cop" as methods that "international organizations" would consider torture...
If you have time, go to the c-span website, and at the bottom of the page is a section of recent videos. Go to the detainee hearings and see it for yourself.
It will show you EXACTLY what the problem is with this congress. If you have ANY doubt as to why this country is having the problems it is, it will become crystal clear. The opening comments by the chairman and those testifying can be ignored...But go to the parts where they are actually questioning the panel. Believe me, even though it's long, let the video start running in the background...about 15 minutes in, you will be shocked at what you see. This whole country should see this 3 ring circus, where congress tries to play "gotcha", tries to distort what people in this country are doing to protect us.
Filed under: Government
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There are entirely too many different senarios that can come into play regarding this subject and although I believe that a select number of people should know about it, some sort of "checks and balances" should be in play.
Great blog; I'll have to check out the video and hopefully I wont be tempeted to throw something at the computer.....
GOLO member since April 2, 2008
July 17, 2008 10:31 a.m.
GOLO member since July 17, 2007
July 17, 2008 10:34 a.m.
I'm sorry, but a suspected terrorist does not have the same rights guaranteed to a US citizen....I'm sorry, but if you must beat on a terrorist to get information to prevent an attack, go right ahead..... I'd rather explain that I had to get info than explain that I couldn't while we're cleaning up after the next attack.
And, by the way terrorist attacks have been stopped through the information gathered in the interrogations.
July 17, 2008 10:34 a.m.
Almost forgot: He also forced them to listen to obnoxious noises in the process - ie Sen. Robert Byrd.
GOLO member since July 17, 2007
July 17, 2008 10:35 a.m.
Remember, it is "The Truth, The Whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth"
Most everyone has forgotten about that middle clause.
July 17, 2008 10:37 a.m.
GOLO member since October 18, 2007
July 17, 2008 10:44 a.m.
GOLO member since July 17, 2007
July 17, 2008 10:54 a.m.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/02/humanrights.usa
GOLO member since October 12, 2007
July 17, 2008 11:05 a.m.
GOLO member since July 4, 2008
July 17, 2008 11:09 a.m.
Citizens and non-citizens are both subject to U.S. laws (and protections) when on U.S. territory. (If you don't think Guantanamo is U.S. territory, I guess you'd have no problem with the Cubans taking over the base.)
"I'm sorry, but if you must beat on a terrorist to get information to prevent an attack, go right ahead..... "
Confessions obtained under torture have often been considered as not objective enough, since the use of such means may lead to the suspect in confessing anything.
Brigadier General David R. Irvine is a retired Army Reserve strategic intelligence officer who taught prisoner interrogation and military law for 18 years with the Sixth Army Intelligence School. Here's what he thinks of the use of torture:
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2005/11/why_torture_doe_1.html
How come you think torture works when interrogation experts don't?
GOLO member since October 12, 2007
July 17, 2008 11:16 a.m.
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