by David Edwards and Mike Sheehan
Raw Story February 7, 2008
The controversial interrogation technique of waterboarding was a hot topic in a House Judiciary Committee hearing today, at which Attorney General Michael Mukasey said the Justice Department would not investigate the legality of the actions of U.S. interrogators on terror detainees. CNN’s Situation Room reports that Vice President Dick Cheney, an ardent defender of U.S. tactics in the war on terror, was “defiant” about the use of waterboarding on suspects in an appearance today at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C.
Cheney said that he supported President Bush’s national security decisions, which included the approval of waterboarding along with other harsh interrogation tactics. “I’ve been proud to stand by [Bush], by the decisions he’s made,” said Cheney, who then asked aloud, “Would I support those decisions today?” “You’re damn right I would,” he answered himself, to loud cheers.
Bush Regime is Proud of its Torture Practices
by Kenneth J. Theisen February 10, 2008
You have to give the Bush regime credit for consistency. On the subject of torture it has consistently been in favor of it. And it has consistently put its beliefs into practice. Of course upholding immorality should not be something to brag about. But then I am not Dick Cheney who did just that. This week the VP told the Conservative Political Action Conference, “It’s a good thing we had them in custody, and it’s a good thing we found out what they knew.” He was referring to three top al Qaeda leaders who underwent waterboarding and other forms of torture at the hands of the CIA in 2002 and 2003. He also stated to the conservative group, that President Bush in permitting torture has “made the right decisions for the right reasons. And would I support those same decisions again today? You’re damn right I would.” In the past Cheney said the use of waterboarding was a “no brainer.”
This week the Bush regime openly acknowledged its use of waterboarding. Its use was confirmed by CIA Director Michael Hayden who attempted to justify its use to prevent catastrophic attacks on the U.S. But Hayden also created doubt as to the legality of this torture method. In testimony before the House Intelligence Committee he said, “It is not included in the current program, and in my own view, the view of my lawyers and the Department of Justice, it is not certain that that technique would be considered to be lawful under current statute.”
But Attorney General Michael Mukasey told the same committee that he would not start a criminal investigation as to whether the past use of waterboarding by U.S. agents was illegal. Mukasey admitted that the Justice Department had authorized waterboarding in the past and that was why the Department of Justice could not now prosecute agents of the government for its use. The attorney general also stated that he refused to say whether the use of the rack or thumbscrews constituted torture. He said answering this question “would indicate the contours of what may or may not be permitted under a program that is classified.”
And this week, White House spokespeople maintained that Bush can still order the use of waterboarding as long as Bush authorizes it after consulting with intelligence officials and the attorney general. In other words, “we did it before and if we want we can do it again, so screw you” seems to be the official Bush regime stance.
Amnesty International USA executive director Larry Cox was critical of the latest developments in Washington. He stated, “Everyone in the world knows that waterboarding is torture and illegal. The U.S. government admits having done it. Yet the highest law enforcement official in the land refuses to investigate this scandal.”
But while the Bush regime seems to accept almost any form of torture, Louise Arbour, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, told the press on February 8th “I would have no difficulty describing the practice (waterboarding) as falling under” international definitions of torture.
It is clear that the Bush regime will continue to use torture as long as it continues in power. Can you accept this – and if not what will you do to halt this regime’s crimes?
and this is RESISTANCE:
Several legal and human rights organizations have assembled pages document the Bush Regime’s history of torture. The following are the web sites of some of those organizations.
American Civil Liberties Union http://www.aclu.org/safefree
Center For Constitutional Rights http://ccrjustice.org/illegal
Amnesty International http://www.amnesty.org/en
United Nations Office of the High Commissioner For Human Rights http://www.unhchr.ch/html
Human Rights Watch hrw.org
The following articles and interviews provide information on important elements of the Bush Regime’s promotion and defense of its practice of torture.
From Democracy Now: The 911 Commission and Torture:
http://www.democracynow.org
White House: President Bush Could Authorize Waterboarding Again
http://ap.google.com/article
Democrats Seek Criminal Iinquiry into Waterboarding
http://www.star-telegram.com
UN Blasts White House on Waterboarding
http://www.chron.com/disp
New Charges of Gitmo Torture
http://www.time.com/time
White House Insists on Confirmation of Torture Memo Author
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpoin
Feds Want Rendition Lawsuit Dismissed
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080206
Young Activist Fights For Detainee Rights at Guantanamo
http://www.mtv.com/news
Many artists, directors, producers and curators have created and assembled works denouncing the torture policies of the Bush Regime. Below is an initial and partial selection of some of those works.
Hip Hop Artists Urge Guantanamo Shutdown
http://natoreyes.wordpress.com
Taxi to the Dark Side (Movie)
http://www.taxitothedarkside
Exhibit Brings Detainees’ ‘Pictures from Home’ (Photo exhibit)
http://www.npr.org/templates
Society For Ethnomusicology Statement Against Torture
http://webdb.iu.edu/sem
The Road To Guantanamo (Movie)
http://www.variety.com/review
Echoes of Guantamo (Play)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi
Poems From Guantanamo
http://www.npr.org/templates