Anyone heard about the vast conspiracy engulfing Washington at the moment? Apparently the CIA lied to Nancy Pelosi about waterboarding!
Click here for a very interesting article about the whole subject, excerpt below.
A disturbing epidemic of amnesia seems to be plaguing my former colleagues on Capitol Hill. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, members of the committees charged with overseeing our nation’s intelligence services had no higher priority than stopping al-Qaeda. In the autumn of 2002, while I was chairman of the House of Representatives’ intelligence committee, senior members of Congress were briefed on the CIA’s “High Value Terrorist Program,” including the development of “enhanced interrogation techniques” and what those techniques were…
For all those people who recall the atmosphere back then, this was a time when terrorist attacks seemed imminent. There was the shoe bomber and those pricks who ensured that we can no longer take liquids onboard planes. The Democratic Party was attacking Bush hysterically for not doing ENOUGH about national security. Almost all of Congress voted for war with Iraq. One of Al Queda´s most senior people, who had helped to organise a majority of their attacks, was in captivity and refusing to talk, because he knew the US wouldn´t torture him.
The CIA came up with a series of proposals for dealing with such situations. They put forward these proposals. These proposals were vetted thoroughly by lawyers who assessed them against US and international law. Congressional and Senate leaders (of both parties) were briefed thoroughly about this whole process.
And then, after all this, three people were waterboarded. Now I¨m sure it wouldn´t be a very pleasant experience, I´m certainy not going to volunteer for it. But the fact is that it had been done on US military personnel to prepare them for interrogation. It was done within strict guidelines and under medical supervision.
No toe nails were pulled out, no blood was let, no red hot metal was applied to the body. Compared to such things waterboarding is not torture. Yes it´s unpleasant, but so is doing the dishes, or listening to country music.
Now that a sense of proportion has been established, let´s have those Democrats who were briefed about and agreed to such operations come forward and stop being hypocrites. It was the right thing to do, it gained valuable information at an important time and we should be prepared to do it again if need be.
For another POV on the subject, I highly recommend this link here to a Pelosi press release on the matter.
cheers
Harry
edit - stupid blogspot! In previews this all looks good, but when I publish everything goes to italics. Arrrgh!
Showing posts with label international terrorism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international terrorism. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
I was for torture before I was against torture...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Gaza redux
Today I heard on the radio that the UN were complaining that Israel were killing too many women and kids in their attacks on Gaza and that Israel was totally to blame for this situation. No mention was made of Hamas, except to say that they were continuing to fire rockets into Israel.
Now the laws of war are pretty clear on this matter (such laws codified in various international conventions throughout the years, the most famous being the Geneva Convention). A military force has to do it's best to prevent civilian casualties, however, the safety and well being of it's own forces are ALWAYS paramount.
They are more important than civilian lives, important cultural buildings or vital infrastructure. There are very obvious and simple reasons for this.
Firstly, it's going to happen anyway. No soldier is going to let himself or his comrades be killed because they are being fired upon from a position that they cannot return fire to.
Secondly, if it wasn't codified like that, it would in fact encourage combatants to use human shields as a part of their military options.
Possibly the most famous example of this in action is the case of Monte Cassino. In Italy, during WW2, the allies were confronted with the difficult task of capturing the town of Monte Cassino, including the very famous and very ancient monastary, which dominated the surrounding landscape and provided an excellent view of the western lines. Despite the irreplaceable nature of the monastary and it's artistic contents the allies chose to level it to the ground, to ensure that it couldn't be used for military purposes. Ironically, the rubble they created provided an excellent base for the Germans who then occupied it and fought stubbornly to hold it.
However, the principle is very clear. The military objective is paramount.
Now the Israeli army is a modern, westernised, military force, with respect for the rules of law and codified rules of engagement. Hamas are a bunch of gangsters with no such things and only one objective, the complete destruction of the state of Israel.
Hamas are actively utilising schools, hospitals and civilian housing as places from which to launch rockets and fire on the Israelis. One prominent Hamas leader who was recently killed was actually keeping his extended family close to him, on the assumption that the Israelis would never accept that many civilian casualties to take him out (he was wrong and his family joined him when he went to receive his 64 virgins). The Israeli forces have to combat Hamas and they have to do that wherever Hamas presents itself.
Therefore, the only people who can be criticised for these women and children dying are those members of Hamas itself.
By the UN and the international media blaming Israel and pouring forth condemnation on it's head, they are effectively encouraging Hamas and other similar groups to utilise human shields as a valid weapon in their fight against the west.
The only other option is for Israel to accept the ongoing launching of rockets into it's territory, rockets that continue to improve in payload, range and accuracy.
If you think that that's the best option let me know. I'll come around to your house once a day and punch you in the face. Sometimes I might miss, sometimes I might knock you out. One day I might bring a baseball bat. But still, you shouldn't have a problem with that. It's not like I'm going to do any real damage, is it?
Harry
Now the laws of war are pretty clear on this matter (such laws codified in various international conventions throughout the years, the most famous being the Geneva Convention). A military force has to do it's best to prevent civilian casualties, however, the safety and well being of it's own forces are ALWAYS paramount.
They are more important than civilian lives, important cultural buildings or vital infrastructure. There are very obvious and simple reasons for this.
Firstly, it's going to happen anyway. No soldier is going to let himself or his comrades be killed because they are being fired upon from a position that they cannot return fire to.
Secondly, if it wasn't codified like that, it would in fact encourage combatants to use human shields as a part of their military options.
Possibly the most famous example of this in action is the case of Monte Cassino. In Italy, during WW2, the allies were confronted with the difficult task of capturing the town of Monte Cassino, including the very famous and very ancient monastary, which dominated the surrounding landscape and provided an excellent view of the western lines. Despite the irreplaceable nature of the monastary and it's artistic contents the allies chose to level it to the ground, to ensure that it couldn't be used for military purposes. Ironically, the rubble they created provided an excellent base for the Germans who then occupied it and fought stubbornly to hold it.
However, the principle is very clear. The military objective is paramount.
Now the Israeli army is a modern, westernised, military force, with respect for the rules of law and codified rules of engagement. Hamas are a bunch of gangsters with no such things and only one objective, the complete destruction of the state of Israel.
Hamas are actively utilising schools, hospitals and civilian housing as places from which to launch rockets and fire on the Israelis. One prominent Hamas leader who was recently killed was actually keeping his extended family close to him, on the assumption that the Israelis would never accept that many civilian casualties to take him out (he was wrong and his family joined him when he went to receive his 64 virgins). The Israeli forces have to combat Hamas and they have to do that wherever Hamas presents itself.
Therefore, the only people who can be criticised for these women and children dying are those members of Hamas itself.
By the UN and the international media blaming Israel and pouring forth condemnation on it's head, they are effectively encouraging Hamas and other similar groups to utilise human shields as a valid weapon in their fight against the west.
The only other option is for Israel to accept the ongoing launching of rockets into it's territory, rockets that continue to improve in payload, range and accuracy.
If you think that that's the best option let me know. I'll come around to your house once a day and punch you in the face. Sometimes I might miss, sometimes I might knock you out. One day I might bring a baseball bat. But still, you shouldn't have a problem with that. It's not like I'm going to do any real damage, is it?
Harry
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