Armitage: I should have resigned because of torture.

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

Armitage: I should have resigned because of torture.

In an interview to be aired on Thursday, former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage told Al Jazeera English that he “did not know…that torture was going on” in the Bush administration. In retrospect, if he knew about the mistreatment, Armitage said he would have resigned:

So when you knew that the administration of which you were a part was departing from the Geneva Conventions and sidelining them, why didn’t you quit?

ARMITAGE: In hindsight maybe I should’ve. But in those positions you see how many more battles you have. You maybe fool yourself. You say how much worse would x, y, or z be if I weren’t here trying to do it? So torture is a matter of principle as far as I’m concerned. I hope, had I known about it at the time I was serving, I would’ve had the courage to resign.

Armitage has previously been waterboarded as part of SERE training, saying in 2008 that he “absolutely” believes the practice is torture. “I’m ashamed that we’re even having this discussion,” he said of the debate over torture.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/2009/04/15/armitage-torture/

[Lars39]

1. Yea, right....like a PNACer is going to resign for torture.

:eyes:

[bemildred]

2. Well, it's nice of him to fess up.

No free pass, but remorse has to be worth something.

[No Elephants]

19. "If I knew" is remorse?

[primavera]

23. Crocodile tears

Everyone wishes they hadn't committed a crime if they get caught.

[bemildred]

25. True, it's not that convincing.

But it's still better than "we did nothing wrong", or "it was just a perfect storm".

[bulloney]

3. Uncle Fester has a mea culpa.

OK, what's the catch?

[Ecumenist]

6. How dare you insult Uncle Fester!

He might shoot you in the back but he don't torture!! :evilgrin:

[UpInArms]

4. outing Valerie Plame was just not enough

these freaks never cease to amaze me with their utter cluelessness and greed and stupidity and meanness and traitorious behaviors

[KG]

5. he's lying - these guys are physiologically incapable of telling the truth,

[EFerrari]

7. What's the matter -- is the mercenary business in a downturn? n/t

[bluesmail]

8. Thursday coincides with the release of

gulp torture memos.

[Doctor_J]

9. No problem. You can go to prison instead

god, I hate these people

[truth2power]

10. Shoulda, woulda, coulda....

frog-march the s.o.b.

[louis-t]

13. "Shoulda, woulda, coulda" was the first thing that

came to mind. "Didn't."

[dhill926]

11. but you didn't.......

asshole.....

[Jefferson23]

12. Well I'll be, perhaps the strategy of every man for himself has now begun.

[LynnTheDem]

14. No duh.

Gee, that would have taken HONOR and INTEGRITY.

[UTUSN]

15. Awww, you and your boss: FUCK you!1 n/t

[24601]

22. Fuck Powell? The same who endorsed Obama? Why? n/t

[w4rma]

16. Good! (nt)

[goforit]

17. No conscience. No soul. No heart. No responsibility. = Guilty

[Javaman]

18. pigs like this asshole are all "so very sorry" now. fuck him. send him to prision. nt

[No Elephants]

20. Irrelevant, lying POS

[TheCoxwain]

21. Armitage is good guy ..( just a hunch)

[hatrack]

24. Too bad, so sad, too late . . .

DICK.

[breakroomlive]

26. Dick Armitage is sorry!

Dick Armitage is sorry, really:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wquJAoUHi3I

[struggle4progress]

27. Torture in the days of Operation Phoenix didn't lead to his resignation, though a narcotics

smuggling investigation might have led to his resignation