FBI Director Nominee Says Waterboarding Is ‘Torture And Is Illegal’

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

FBI director nominee James Comey said Tuesday in a Senate hearing that he believes waterboarding is "torture and is illegal," and that if he were FBI director, he would have "nothing to do with it."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) asked Comey to square his personal beliefs on the torture practice with his approval of 2005 memos authorizing the practice during his tenure as U.S. deputy attorney general.

"Do you agree that waterboarding is torture and is illegal?" Leahy asked bluntly.

"Yes," Comey replied.

Read more: http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/fbi-director-nominee-maintains-that-waterboarding-is-torture

[on point]

1. So where are the arrest warrants for the Bush criminals?? (Cheney already admitted his crime!)

[think]

2. THIS ^^^^

[bhikkhu]

4. bush "made" it legal

as a matter of policy, backed up by legal opinions. For better or worse, the president has that authority and then people can either follow or not, according to their conscience. It goes back to how important it is to elect people to power whom you can trust. In any case, prosecution would be a mess, given the definition of "legal". They were careful to cover their bases, and prosecution in the US would probably fail.

With that said, torture was my number one issue in 2008. Both candidates were squarely against it, and Obama ended it by executive order on day one.

Could it happen again? Yes, of course, if we elect another bunch of asshats. The people in power have the power, so you have to be careful who you give that to. There isn't any way around shared responsibility.

[rhett o rick]

9. Ask that lying Comey if he thinks force feeding is torture. Comey is a Republican. I didnt vote for

damn Republicans.

[on point]

10. Sorry that doesn't wash. It is illegal under both US and International law. Prosecution is needed

[bemildred]

3. I want "prosecute it", not "nothing to do with it".

We are told lawbreakers must be punished when Manning and Snowden come up; and torture is most definitely a heinous crime.

[BornLooser]

5. Sure, sure, James. I mean what else is this frog going to utter, the truth? Feh!

[Solly Mack]

6. Of course he does.

Now. It's kinda out of fashion now so it's OK to be against it. And, golly, don't he look just so righteous in the doing!

But there was a time not so long ago...


"...

asked Comey to square his personal beliefs on the torture practice with his approval of 2005 memos authorizing the practice during his tenure as U.S. deputy attorney general.


"Do you agree that waterboarding is torture and is illegal?" Leahy asked bluntly.

"Yes," Comey replied.

But the president is reportedly poised to sign off on the nomination of the former number two official in the Bush Justice Department, who twice signed off on torture memos okaying waterboarding, wall slams, and other forms of torture.

Comey gave a second thumbs-up to waterboarding in signing off on the May 2005 rewrite of Bybee II. He reportedly wrote an email to a colleague at the time, in which he said he "concurred" with the new torture memo. At the same time, he strenuously opposed the approval of the second memo combining torture tactics. Waterboarding was okay, as long as it was done the "right" way.

Smell that? It is the smell of the expedient coated with bullshit.


Prosecutions? Hello? Hello? Prosecutions?????????


Silly me. Who needs to prosecute war crimes when everything is made all better by admitting that torture is torture.....now.


Until the next time.

[olddad56]

7. Next they will say it is illegal to invade foreign countries on a whim.

what is this nation coming to when our government can't even torture people?

[rhett o rick]

8. Lying bastard. He is another Bush Republican. Dont approve him pleeeez. nm

[zipplewrath]

11. The four corners

Unless of course it is done "within the four corners of the existing policy".

[devils chaplain]

12. You mean...

... that extraction of information through extreme psychological and physical torment is torture? Imagine that.