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A President Who Tortured
Waterboarding will leave an indelible stain on the legacy of George W. Bush.
Friday, February 8, 2008; Page A18
"We do not torture."
-- President Bush, Nov. 7, 2005
" Waterboarding has been used on only three detainees. . . . We used it against these three high-value detainees because of the circumstances of the time."
-- CIA Director Michael V. Hayden,
Feb. 5, 2008
THE ADMISSION this week by CIA Director Michael V. Hayden that three terrorism suspects were subjected to waterboarding in 2002 and 2003 puts to rest any doubt about whether President Bush authorized torture.
For centuries, civilized countries have considered waterboarding, or simulated drowning, to be torture. The United States rightly condemned as war criminals Japanese soldiers who employed the technique against U.S. personnel during World War II. It prosecuted U.S. military officers who waterboarded prisoners at the turn of the 20th century. The practice, which causes its victims to feel that they are about to die, is unquestionably cruel. Every administration prior to this one has judged it to be prohibited by U.S. law and treaty obligations. It is incontestably a blot on the reputation of this country and a breach of the very values we claim to want to export to the rest of the world.
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Americans torture is against domestic and international law, just as illegal invasions are - these actions not only can't win a war on terror they are the very building blocks used to create a war OF terror. They are impeachable offences. War crimes are crimes. The US Constitution makes treaties like the UN Charter and the Geneva Conventions part of US supreme law and the President is obliged by his Presidential Oath to see that the law is faithfully executed. He is not allowed to break the law or to assume for himself the absolute power of a tyrannical unitary executive in a system that deliberately separates and distributes power between three arms of government.
Impeachment is not an option. It is now an imperative.
The very same President that is setting aside Americas word on treaties with foreigners is demanding that American telecommunications companies that assisted him in illegally spying on Americans be given legal immunity so that they cannot be sued by American citizens.
Wake up America. The threat to the Constitution and to America is a domestic one. And everyone of your representatives has an obligation to defend the constitution, your constitution, from domestic enemies.
Allow your representatives not to keep that promise and all your elections and all future promises your representatives make you will be meaningless because your future representatives will know that you accept and expect that they will lie to you on even the most serious and fundamental of matters.
Impeach.
