Fact Checkers Dismantle Cheney’s Pro-Torture Press Appearances

[deminks]

http://www.mediaite.com/online/fact-checkers-dismantle-cheneys-pro-torture-press-appearances/

Last week Former Vice President Dick Cheney volubly defended the CIA’s torture funplex enhanced interrogation techniques performed under his administration. In an interview with Fox’s Bret Baier and then more at length to Chuck Todd on Meet the Press he made numerous arguments in defense of the torture program, none of which are testing well with the fact checkers — not surprising, given that he hadn’t even read the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report for at least one of them.

First PolitiFact rated Cheney’s claim that terrorists were not covered by the Geneva Convention “mostly false,” writing:


Cheney has a point that unlawful combatants are not afforded as high a level of protection as prisoners of war or civilians. However, his comment glosses over the fact that unlawful combatants are still accorded a minimum degree of protection, including a ban on “violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture,” and “outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment,” both of which have been validated by the Supreme Court.


(snip)

Cheney also refuted an argument of Todd’s — roughly that waterboarding sure was a crime when we prosecuted Japanese soldiers for it after World War II — by arguing that we actually pursued them for a bunch of other, worse atrocities.

Thursday morning Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler gave that argument three Pinocchios (out of four), calling it an “excellent example of political misdirection.” Kessler concluded:

(end snip)

If his mouth is moving, there is a lie coming out of it.

[nichomachus]

1. Cheney doesn't care

As long as he can get his propaganda out first, that's what most Americans will remember -- not the truth that comes out later.

[colsohlibgal]

2. Cheney Is Pure Evil

Darth Cheney has a heart black as coal. Bush was a half bright rich guy doofus and was Cheney's hand puppet.

[countryjake]

3. I wonder what his definition of "worse atrocities" might be.

If I find him on my tv again this weekend, the tube will be broken.

Such propaganda, it hurts.