We followed the rules established by Congress in a bipartisan fashion. According to the National Security Act Congress has to be briefed on the issue and give their approval. They did just that. Backtracking now after approving it and being "outraged" that it occurred is odd in my view. We did follow the rules.
The law says who is entitled to the protection of the United States law. I have already outlined the major problems trying these people in Federal Court. It seems Obama has bought in to that as well because he is saying he might restart military tribunals.
I do not think we really lost any of the moral high ground for waterboarding three people. We lost more world popularity simply by invading Iraq, and a lot of it had nothing to do with waterboarding.
Where is the indictment and evidence?
Well if that baby rapist killer is an American citizen I would not either, and since we did not torture Bin Laden's chauffeur we are in the clear.
Bush simply operated within the legal framework that was establish, with Congressional approval for all actions.
12 hours did make the difference. The rescue was delayed solely because of that fact. When the go ahead was received it was to late. I doubt the two soldiers parents would take much comfort in the fact that their kids are dead because a call was possibly routed through an American telecom company.
I never denied that this was done, I simply said that it is a violation of the Geneva Convention to fight in this manner, nullifying your POW status if we should choose.
That is easy to say since we won the Cold War, but had we lost it the world would be a very different place no doubt about that. As for the domino theory and containment, that was a widely accepted theory back when it was enacted and it is up for debate the merits of it, but it is one of those things we will never know how it would have turned out otherwise. So it is all speculation.
Tomato Tamoto.
I think it would "politically" tear the country apart. But I think It would also show we don't allow anyone even our President to act above the law. It's dicey I'll grant you. It's hard to convict a President.
And I don't blame Bush for 9-11. I'm saying to Conservatives shut up about how much safer you make anybody... because you don't.
