Bush Admits He Approved Torture ----->

[BLUSH]

The official U.S. denials of torture continued until earlier this month when Bush acknowledged in an interview with ABC-TV that he knew about and approved "enhanced interrogation" of detainees, including "waterboarding" or simulated drowning.

"As a matter of fact," Bush added, "I told the country we did that. And I told them it was legal. We had legal opinions that enabled us to do it."

The president added, "I didn't have any problems at all trying to find out what Khalid Sheik Mohammed knew."

"He was the person who ordered the suicide attack -- I mean, the 9/11 attacks," Bush said. "And back then, there was all kind of concern about people saying, 'Well, the administration is not connecting the dots.' You might remember those -- that period." Bush said.

Bush also said in the interview that he had been aware of several meetings his national security advisers held to discuss "enhanced interrogation" methods.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/361447_thomas02.html

[midnight]

1. Why does 9-11 tie into illigal behavior?

[BLUSH]

4. 9-11 is the secret word of the day

We bet our life.

[opihimoimoi]

2. Subjective rationalization goes a long way w the GOP Crowd...Shame on them

[BLUSH]

5. Olbermann's Special Comment: Rationalizing Torture to Cover Bush's A$$

On Countdown last year, Keith addressed that very subject:

http://thinkingoutout.blogspot.com/2007/11/olbermanns-special-comment.html

[SammyWinstonJack]

3. He told us water boarding was legal? That he had legal opinions

that enabled him to do it? He's delusional! Thanks Pelosi for taking Impeachment off the table! This is the result of that. An out of control and totally delusional mis administration.

[opihimoimoi]

6. Them Pubs taking us for Cheap...that they can tell us anything and we have to swallow it

Arrogance, hubris, apathy, etc are the signs of a Pub Nutcase....

[Disturbed]

7. "We do not torture." GW Bush

Harsh Interrogation is not Torture according to Busholini. He defines what his Regime can & cannot
do to protect Amerika. End of topic.

[opihimoimoi]

8. Bush is a Bully...an abuser, suffering from NPD....America has a nutcase in charge

[BLUSH]

12. from Bush's past

[opihimoimoi]

13. HS Bully Level....never left

[BLUSH]

16. The picture shows the early years of the Bush Bully

NT

[BLUSH]

9. I have an idea

President Obama or President Clinton can declare EX-PRESIDENT Bush an enemy combatant!

[unblock]

10. remember the "moral relativism" that republicans used to slam democrats over?

well it turns out that republicans are the moral relativists, or so they claim. 9-11 justifies all sorts of formerly evil things according to them.

[BLUSH]

11. If we are secular progressives

they are theocratic regressives.

[Zhade]

14. ARREST that fucker!

NT!

[tucsonlib]

15. Indeed!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3243698

[BLUSH]

17. have you seen this petition?

http://www.petitiononline.com/arrest/petition.html

[BLUSH]

19. Ted Rall: ARREST BUSH

by Ted Rall
Tedrall.com

Bush Confesses to Waterboarding. Call D.C. Cops!

NEW YORK–”Why are we talking about this in the White House?” John Ashcroft nervously asked his fellow members of the National Security Council’s Principals Committee. (The Principals were Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell, CIA Director George Tenet and Attorney General Ashcroft.)

“History will not judge this kindly,” Ashcroft predicted.

“This” is torture. Against innocent people. Conducted by CIA agents and American soldiers and marines. Sanctioned by legal opinions issued by Ashcroft’s Justice Department. Directly ordered by George W. Bush.

An April 11th report by ABC News describes how CIA agents, asked by previous presidents to carry out illegal “black ops” actions (torture and killings), had become tired of getting hung out to dry whenever their dirty deeds were revealed by the press. When the Bush Administration asked the CIA to work over prisoners captured in Afghanistan, Pakistan and elsewhere, Director George Tenet demanded legal cover. The Justice Department complied by issuing a classified 2002 memo, the so-called “Golden Shield,” authored by Office of Legal Counsel Jay Bybee. “Enhanced interrogation techniques”–i.e., torture–were legal, Bybee assured the CIA. (more)

http://progressivenewsdaily.com/?p=3887

[BLUSH]

18. "the quote"

[caffefwee]

20. Senate GOP Blocks DOJ IG From Investigating Torture

Senate GOP Blocks DOJ IG From Investigating Torture

Congress is close to enacting the most significant boost in three decades in the independence of the cadre of government watchdogs -- federal inspectors general -- but the lawmakers have retreated from a key change involving the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Senate on April 23 approved, by unanimous consent, S. 2324, the Inspector General Reform Act of 2008. But the bill passed only after the lawmakers agreed to an amendment by Senator Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., which, among other items, deleted a provision giving the Justice Department's Office of Inspector General (OIG) jurisdiction to investigate misconduct allegations against department attorneys, including its most senior officials.

Unlike all other OIGs who can investigate misconduct within their entire agency, Justice's OIG must refer allegations against department attorneys to the department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). The latter office, unlike the OIG, is not statutorily independent and reports directly to the attorney general and the deputy attorney general....

:puke: President Bush had threatened to veto the House bill for a variety of reasons. The Kyl amendment to the Senate bill was seen by many as a vehicle for the White House's objections.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/05/senate_gop_blocks_doj_ig_from.php

[BLUSH]

21. The CIA’s Secret Detention Program

Yesterday, the Senate Intelligence Committee announced that it passed the 2009 Intelligence Authorization bill by a bipartisan vote of 10-5 and that the bill includes a provision requiring the Red Cross be made aware of, and given access to, anyone detained by any element of the Intelligence Community. Here's some background on secret detentions that explains why this provision is important.

The CIA’s Secret Detention Program

The detention and interrogation program of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was authorized under a classified September 17, 2001 presidential order. After years of refusing to deny or confirm the existence of the Presidential Order on Detention Facilities Abroad, the U.S. government in 2006, in response to a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), acknowledged its existence. It has refused to make the document public, however, or even provide it to members of Congress.

http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/blog/torture/2008/05/cias-secret-detention-program.html

[trusty elf]

22. ...

[BLUSH]

24. give him a pretzel!

;)

[trusty elf]

23. I hope he rots in prison.

[BLUSH]

25. Bush's future

[BLUSH]

26. Yoo, Ashcroft To Testify On Interrogation Policies

By John Bresnahan

May 6, 2008

John Yoo, a former top Justice Dept. official who authored hugely controversial memos on interrogation techniques that can be used on detainees, and former Attorney General John Ashcroft, will testify before House Judiciary Committee, according to the Associated Press.

"A former Justice Department lawyer who wrote a now-repudiated memo allowing harsh interrogations of military prisoners has agreed to testify to Congress about those practices, say House Judiciary Committee officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because the panel has not yet made the announcement," the AP reported.

"Former Attorney General John Ashcroft, former Under Secretary of Defense Douglas Feith, and former Assistant Attorney General Dan Levin have also agreed to give testimony at a future hearing. Former CIA Director George Tenet is still in negotiations with the committee."

David Addington, chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney who was heavily involved in preparing the DOJ memos, is still considering whether to appear before the committee. A Judiciary subcommittee is meeting this morning to vote on authorizing subpoenas for Addington and others Bush administration officials.

UPDATE:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/06/politics/politico/thecrypt/main4074420.shtml

[BLUSH]

27. kick

:kick: