I get really pissed when you see Al-Qaeda sympathizers like Bob Cesca here who think that turning the screws on a terrorist who knows things is a bad thing.
All of this is in response to former CIA interrogator John Kiriakou who told ABC News this week that waterboarding is necessary, because if we don't do it, there could be another attack.
"What happens if we don't waterboard a person, and we don't get that nugget of information, and there's an attack," Kiriakou said. "I would have trouble forgiving myself."
But how far do we go before the means no longer justifies the ends? All New Extreme Waterboarding? Hammer vs. genitals? At what point does the gothic horror of the American torture chambers outweigh that which they aim to prevent?
When it means that there aren't attacks and there aren't dead Americans, I don't care what the means are. Everyone, including myself, use 9/11 as an example.
But Osama has said that to "avenge" his alleged grievances, he wants 2 MILLION dead Americans.
So Bob, where do YOU draw the line? Obviously 3,000 dead Americans aren't enough for you, so when do you start using techniques that work, that adhere to your moral fiber?
If we permit waterboarding -- a technique during which the suspect literally believes he is going to die -- what won't we permit in order to keep the evildoers from killing us? Ultimately, there is no limit to the extreme measures which threatened and frightened human beings will allow -- especially human beings of the scared shitless species, like Hot Air's Bryan Preston or Michelle Malkin -- and it doesn't seem to matter if the threat is legitimate, exaggerated or fabricated for votes and polling bumps.
The popular far-right rationalization Either-We-Torture-or-We-Die has the potential to generate bumper-magnet support for just about anything -- even though it's disingenuous, nearsighted horseshit.
So 9/11 was "exaggerated"? What about the attacks on our embassies? The USS Cole? When will you get your head out of your ass and see that there's a threat and want to do something about it? How many dead Americans is it going to take?
Your government is mandated by the Constitution, by international law and by basic human decency to vigorously defend our nation without resorting to torture or illegally invading sovereign nations or hammering vs. balls. Our government is supposed to be populated with smart and very serious people, yet we're expected to believe that they can't figure out how to prevent a terrorist attack without employing the villainous tactics of the Gestapo, the Spanish Inquisition or the North Vietnamese? Sorry, no. Again.
Funny, because in the previous paragraphs that you wrote, you tout an article that mentions CIA interrogator John Kiriakou, and he has made it clear that the technique worked AND has thwarted numerous attacks and lead to the arrest of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the guy who dreamt up 9/11.
So tell me how your "expertise" is some how greater then his? How about you stop your complaints and offer a solution?
The guy we waterboarded wasn't cooperating for weeks. You tell me with your expert opinion, how much time can go by before that information is now useless and we have to travel the globe looking for people, or worse, having to be surprised at the list of names that we didn't know about.
Face it, your ideals are worthless against an enemy who hides amongst the civilians, who often times protects those very enemies we're looking for.
So unless you want to start carpet bombing villages, I don't think some water inside someone's sinus cavities is going to make me toss and turn at night.
You'd better bring something better to the table and offer real solutions....oops...sorry, you're a Democrat....all you do is complain...my mistake.
Travis
"So 9/11 was "exaggerated"? What about the attacks on our embassies? The USS Cole? When will you get your head out of your ass and see that there's a threat and want to do something about it? How many dead Americans is it going to take?"
ReplyDeleteWow, way to take what he says out of context. Would you not agree that these routine, holiday "terrorist threats" are greatly over-exaggerated? "Oh no! they're gonna bomb our shopping malls!" Ridiculous.
On a further note, torture doesn't work. Never has. You'll get what you want to hear, but it won't be the truth.
Also, John Kiriakou also said "AMERICANS ARE BETTER THAN THAT. Maybe that's inconsistent, but that's how I feel," he said. "It was an ugly little episode that was perhaps necessary at that time. But we've moved beyond that."
Why do you want to only use part of Kiriakou's statements? And have you not heard that he wasn't even there when Zubaydah was waterboarded?
You are a pathetic excuse for an American.
Read through his article, you can plainly see that that he's trying to downplay previous terrorist attacks.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I would not agree that these threats are over exaggerated and here's why: I have several personal friends in the intelligence and law enforcement communities and they have all said that we get threats on a regular basis. Some very specific, some not.
That's why you see the specific ones pop up on the news from time to time.
You know why? Because there's always articles in the paper that say "Bush knew attacks were coming!" yet people say "why weren't we told!"
Then when you are told, you say it's "over exaggerated".
You can't have it both ways.
As for John's comments, he has specifically said IT WORKED! Why is it that you are only using parts of his comments? A bit hypocritical don't you think?
Yes, I did read he wasn't there when he was waterboarded, but he has said that the technique allowed us to get useful, correct intelligence.
So now we're back to you taking his word on one thing, but not another.
Zub'y boy wasn't cooperating for WEEKS. So what techniques would you have used, oh mighty interrogator, to get him to talk?
Hypocrisy and appeasement is something that I find a lot of over at Huffington Post and I will continue to point it out.
If wanting Americans to be safe from sneak attacks by Islamic extremists is "pathetic" in your eyes, then I guess I am, but you should take a look in the mirror and see why you're willing to allow Americans to die needlessly while someone with vital intelligence sits in a prison cell.
I may be a "pathetic excuse for an American", but you're not even an American. We take care of our own, no matter what.
Travis