Obama Calls Waterboarding 'Torture' At APEC News Conference

[kpete]

Source: Huffington Post

Obama Calls Waterboarding 'Torture' At APEC News Conference

KAPOLEI, Hawaii -- President Barack Obama says the interrogation technique known as waterboarding constitutes torturing, disputing Republican presidential candidates who say they would reinstate the practice.

Obama called waterboarding "torture" and said it was "contrary to America's traditions" during a news conference at the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

Republicans Herman Cain and Michele Bachmann said during a Republican debate on Saturday that they would reinstate the technique that former President George W. Bush authorized and Obama banned.

The practice simulates drowning and is viewed as torture by many.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/13/obama-calls-waterboarding_0_n_1091711.html

[xocet]

1. It seems as if the status of waterboarding will be decided in the next election unless someone

wants to get busy and prosecute some war criminals before the election....

[PoliticAverse]

2. 'contrary to American traditions' - what about contrary to American law ? n/t

[Towlie]

22. Here's your tradition: The United States executed Japanese soldiers for waterboarding.

Lots of Google hits: https://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=japanese+executed+for+waterboarding

The top hit: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-begala/yes-inational-reviewi-we_b_191153.html

[sakabatou]

3. So, where are those warrants for the Bush and his team?

Oh yeah... I'm too optimistic.

[teddy51]

5. I agree with you, and so does Bobthedrummer. n/t

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. It's water under the bridge...

...of the nose.


Where are the prosecutions?

[teddy51]

4. Water Boarding has always been torture (since WW11 anyay) and I am happy

that President Obama has come out in support of this. Crap, we put to death some Japanese for this very thing after the war.

[slipslidingaway]

6. And where are the torturers? Forgot the law does not apply to them :( n/t

[kas125]

7. Unless he orders his justice department to arrest and prosecute

the torturers, he's protecting them and it makes me sick.

[quakerboy]

8. Empty words unless it goes to court

I say "unless", because so far there is no sign it is "until".

If the justice department peruses this, if someone goes to jail, there is precedent. Unless that happens, a presidents opinion means nothing on this topic, because the next one may feel differently(whether that's 1 year or 5 years off).

[kimsarah]

9. Correction

Big O wasn't talking about waterboarding, he was referring to his first three years in office.

[azul]

10. Admission of guilt?

Obligation to investigate and prosecute torture. Failure to do so would make someone complicit.

Or time for action, finally?

[on point]

11. "therefore I have directed the Bush, Cheney and others be prosecuted" - Obama MIA

More Obama words, but NO meaningful actiion.

GET OFF THE WRONG TRACK, GET ON THE 99% Track

[bigworld]

13. My response to the R candidates: so it is OK if a foreign country waterboards our captured soldiers?

[NYC_SKP]

14. Oooh, we should ask them that question.

It will never be asked, but it should be.

:patriot:

[Turborama]

15. Obama Says GOP Candidates Are Wrong, Waterboarding is ‘Torture’

Source: ABC

ABC News’ Mary Bruce and Jon Garcia Report:

President Obama said today that Republican presidential candidates are “wrong” to defend the practice of waterboarding, which he said is torture.

“Waterboarding is torture. It’s contrary to America’s traditions, it’s contrary to our ideals, it’s not who we are, it’s not how we operate,” Obama told reporters at a press conference of the interrogation technique.

Republican Presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain said in a debate Saturday night that they would support the renewed use of waterboarding.

“They’re wrong,” Obama said today. “We did the right thing by ending that practice.”

Read more: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/obama-says-gop-candidates-are-wrong-waterboarding-is-torture/

[Vincardog]

16. I will believe that when he prosecutes those responsible for it

[rfranklin]

17. Can we indict Bush junior now?

Or is that just dwelling on the past? And not too important? Too bad that Goring and those guys weren' lucky enough to live in the USA.

[PoliticAverse]

18. And he's absolutely correct. n/t

[HopeHoops]

19. Good. That's exactly what it is.

[RC]

20. At least we got that much from Obama. This should have been stated 3 years ago.

Now, as other have posted, if we would only do the correct thing and prosecute the war crimes committed under bu$h.

[Uncle Joe]

21. It's not torture if you don't look backward, it's forgotten.

By not prosecuting the war criminals responsible for this, the Obama Administration turned a criminal issue into a political one, giving the likes of Cain, Bachmann and any future potential war criminal the courage and perceived credibility to actually run on re-instituting the policy.

Thanks for the thread, Turborama.