We’ve had this discussion before about Torture. This SERE style water boarding which our own troops go through is hardly “severe” as defined in the GC. Secondly there are plenty of areas in the GC which exempt these guys from its rules. I suppose you can point to GC text which supports your view as I can find plenty that support mine. The definition of “severe” is important as well according to the GC. No broken bones, no blood, no scars = not severe. Stress positions and loud music were once considered the new form of “harsh interrogation” … now people like you want to consider it “torture”. Seems to me you want to redefine “torture” to mean anything uncomfortable.

Some idiot pointed out the “Nuremburg Rules” previously as the forerunner to the GC and defines turture, etc. Turns out these rules referred to by a Liberal on here relate to Human Testing, per Mengele’s atrocities. They have nothing to do with this issue, yet your friend there pretended to know what the hell he was talking about. All this talk of “24″ scenarios is kinda false in the sense that the 24 show has only scapegoated Muslims once, then apologized for it. Other years the Germans, Russians, USA Corporations, Jack’s Father, etc. were the evildoers. I think USA Corporations are owed an apology for this years show. Muslims are made out to be harmless innocents who get unfairly targeted …

Lastly thanks to people like you so eager to take down Bush the Abu Graib photo’s were splattered all over the place. A situation in Iraq arguably winding down then exploded because people like you gave them the ammo to recruit with. Now, even your own hero Obama agrees releasing this kind of material is harmful to the War and our Troops. Same thing I have been saying all along, but only now does a Liberal like Obama agree …

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pentagon_abuse_photos

First of all, none of the “3 guys” you are talking about sliced off the heads of anyone to the best of my knowledge, and only one of them had anything to do with leveling the WTC on 9/11.

Second, the kind of morality I endorse is the kind that says we do not use the barbarity of others to justify committing barbarities ourselves.

Third, the public has not, actually, been shown, or informed about, any evidence whatsoever that any specific attack or “planned killing” was stopped by torturing KSM, Abu Zubaydah, and Binalshibh, among many others.

Fourth, their citizenship is irrelevant to domestic and international law on torture. Torture is illegal, at all times, in all places, against anyone, and for any reason. There are no circumstances under which torture becomes legal. None.

Fifth, you are misinformed on the Geneva Conventions. Common Article 3 specifically protects categories of combatants who do not fit into any of the other categories for protection. Common Article 3 forbids torture and/or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment against anyone who does not meet the requirements for the GC’s other categories. There is, in fact, no category of human being who is left outside of the GC’s protection. Everyone has some level of protection, and at minimum that would include protection from being tortured.

Sixth, and arguably most important: Torture. is. illegal. It’s illegal whether you’re talking about mean people or nice people, civilized people or savage people, citizens or non-citizens, uniformed combatants or non-uniformed combatants, civilians or soldiers, terrorists or pacifists. There are very, very few blanket prohibitions in law, but this is one of them. There are absolutely no circumstances in which torture becomes acceptable under the law. Period.

Besides, they are not US Citizens, not part of any Army, thereby we are not obligated to cover them under the Geneva Convention.

Ugh, you’re kidding right?? As if the Republican Congress even had their foot in Clinton’s White House or any Congress for that matter. It was Clinton’s call, not the GOP. Your rant is partisan and delusional.

Torture you say Billy?? 3 Guys water boarded and the Left is comparing Bush & Co to the Inquisition … geez, hardly. Let’s at least not make unreasonable comparisons. Is holding your head under the sand for so long torture Billy??

He learned the idea because Cheney used to make him get a hall pass to walk around the white house.

The reason Bush didn’t want to declassify those documents is because they show Clinton tried to kill Bin Laden several times, but every time he did the Republican Congress got their panties in a knot and cried about it

You know if they had something tangible on Clinton, Cheney would have released it. Instead they had guys like Richard Clarke and John O’Neal telling Bush Co. that Al Qaeda was a threat that they ignored. Those guys both then quit in disgust (and O’Neal then died on 9/11).

Why do you think Bush had his lawyers present when he faced the 9/11 Commission?

Obama should release the Clinton documents on their efforts to kill Bin Laden. But Republicans will regret it…