| "We do not Torture", so don't make it illegal
Bush: "We do not torture" Quote:
The United States will do what it takes to protect itself but "we do not torture," President Bush said on Monday in response to criticism of reported secret CIA prisons and the handling of terrorism suspects.
Bush defended his administration's efforts to stop the U.S. Congress from imposing rules on the handling of terrorism suspects.
He did not confirm or deny the existence of CIA secret prisons that The Washington Post disclosed last week and would not address demands by the International Committee of the Red Cross to have access to the suspects reportedly held at them.
"We are finding terrorists and bringing them to justice," Bush said at a news conference with Panamanian President Martin Torrijos. "We are gathering information about where the terrorists might be hiding. We are trying to disrupt their plots and plans. Anything we do ... to that end in this effort, any activity we conduct, is within the law."
Vice President Dick Cheney has been spearheading an effort on Capitol Hill to have the CIA exempt from an amendment by Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain that would ban torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners.
The exemption would cover the secret prisons that The Post said were located in several eastern European democracies and other countries where key al Qaeda captives are being kept.
"We do not torture and therefore we're working with Congress to make sure that as we go forward, we make it more possible to do our job," Bush said.
| So the Bush administration argument is that it would be bad to ban torture which they don't do anyway, (but whatever you do don't ban it). Even though torture is already illegal under international treaties ratified by the US Senate, it would be very bad to prohibit the CIA from torturing people, which they don't do. Trust me.
Has insanity overtaken the entire Bush administration?
Rick
"When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross." Sinclair Lewis |