London Bombs Justify 'Torture', Says Bush

[Purveyor]

Source: Guardian UK

President George Bush cited the London July 7 bombings in an interview broadcast last night to justify his support for waterboarding, an interrogation technique widely regarded as torture.

In an interview with the BBC he said information obtained from alleged terrorists helped save lives, and the families of the July 7 victims would understand that. Bush said waterboarding, which simulates drowning, was not torture and is threatening to veto a congressional bill that would ban it.

In a wide-ranging interview, Bush:

· Defended the existence of Guantánamo Bay where many of those caught up in the US "war on terror" are held, and claimed that the US was a defender of human rights.

· Insisted the US still occupied the moral high ground worldwide.

· Stood by his decision to remove Saddam Hussein and claimed he would be vindicated as long as the US did not leave Iraq prematurely


Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk:80/world/2008/feb/15/terrorism.usa1

[maddezmom]

1. it is torture and his own justice department said it wasn't legal...anymore

:puke:

[liberal N proud]

2. London?

London bombs justify the US torture of people?

SICK BASTARD

[davekriss]

28. You know what's scary?

He really believes it. Aristotle rightly said that all men seek the good. Even Bush. The problem is with the varied, unexamined, and often wrong understanding of what "the good" means. Out of this darkness spins the whole bloody march of history. And, of course, the heightened insanity of the Bush years.

We really need a national dialogue reclaiming what we believe as a people to be good and just and wise, to wrest these terms from those who are so obviously wrong and unjust and unwise.

[Warren Stupidity]

3. Criminals always have their reasons and their excuses.

These dumb fucks should be encouraged to offer up more voluntary confessions of their crimes. Keep the documentation coming, eventually there will be justice.

[Warpy]

4. What a vicious little man he is!

NOTHING justifies torture. I don't care what somebody else does, it's incompatible with who I am.

Not only that, Stupid, but it doesn't work. You never get reliable information. You just get a lot of raving from a broken human being who will say anything to get it to stop.

[librechik]

5. Is that how they found out about the plot? NO!

it was a neighborhood tipster. And then BushCo was so eager to shout to the world that they had found another terror cell that it spoiled the case by trumpeting the news too early, before the investigation was complete. It's all about PR to them , not about "getting the terrorists."

[noel adamson]

6. "Torture justifies London Bombs" say bombers...

[conspirator]

7. Bully logic: to avoid a nuclear with Iran you need a preemptive nuclear war n/t

[theoldman]

8. I would like to see one solid example of where torture

prevented a bombing. How about just some information that was useful in preventing an attack of any kind. The fact that we have not been bombed only means that they have not tried. BTW, I have not been bitten by a mosquito all winter. Get the point?

[leveymg]

9. But, chimpy, the 07/07/05 attacks happened years after you waterboarded those people.

So, what was gained by torturing them?

Imbecile.

[Supersedeas]

12. odd how the timeline doesn't fit the facts and yet the Media skips mindlessly past that

[leveymg]

16. Bush is the media. The media is Bush. eom

[Brigid]

10. So let Bush be waterboarded . . .

then we'll see if he sings the same tune. As for the other comments, the man really is delusional. "Vindicated" about Iraq?" The US a "defender of human rights?" The US holds the "moral high ground" in the world? What, is he kidding? :banghead:

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. Why are his handlers letting him loose to

spew this idiocy?

WTF? How can any GOPer think this helps their party win in Nov? :shrug:

[biermeister]

14. what's more disturbing-

the fact that this idiot is our president and represents us to the world or

the fact that our congress has not impeached the criminals the run our government?

[springhill]

27. The fact that they haven't been impeached yet.............

because it means that they are collectively responsible for the torture that has and is currently going on. And who in their right mind thinks that the prisoners at Gitmo and Guantamo Bay aren't still being subjected to some of the same torture techniques that we saw in those photos a few years ago. They've been ignoring established law in just about every area of government and we don't have enough to impeach? This country is really fucked up. (Excuse my language, but in this case, it's approprate).

[DUlover2909]

13. Is a sensory depravation tank torture?

You can break someone in just a few hours in one of those with the help of some drugs.

[gratuitous]

15. Bushie scared!

That means someone has to be tortured, so that Bush doesn't feel scared anymore. Isn't that what it boils down to?

[whosinpower]

17. Witchcraft justifies torture too

So said the spanish inquisition.

One fundamental difference between Bush and Hitler - Hitler hid or denied that they were torturing people. Bush openly advocates it....and yet it is a slippery slope of depravity that injures not only the victim but the one who does the torture is also permanently scarred. And yet, let us not forget that had the Abu Ghraib scandal not surface - this arguement probably would not be occuring today.....he got caught and if forced to justify it.

This argument and open discussion marks the end of the "shining city on the hill" mentality of most americans. Moral high ground? Invading another country with no legal basis or hyped justification, torture as POLICY, destroying key infrasctructure of that nation, killing hundreds of thousands of innocents....and then demanding that that same nation give up their natural resources before the occupation can end....that is moral high ground? It smacks of empire building, and there are precedents in past history of those nations who went this way....Germany...Rome......Soviet Union.....

[tanyev]

18. Meanwhile, his good buddies in Saudi Arabia threatened Britain unless they called off investigations

BAE: secret papers reveal threats from Saudi prince
Source: The Guardian

Spectre of 'another 7/7' led Tony Blair to block bribes inquiry, high court told

Saudi Arabia's rulers threatened to make it easier for terrorists to attack London unless corruption investigations into their arms deals were halted, according to court documents revealed yesterday.

Previously secret files describe how investigators were told they faced "another 7/7" and the loss of "British lives on British streets" if they pressed on with their inquiries and the Saudis carried out their threat to cut off intelligence.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3183471

[libodem]

30. Just scrolling through to see

if this had been added. What tanyev said!

[fascisthunter]

19. Nothing Justifies Torture, You Sick Vile Man (nt)

[Virginia Dare]

20. I wish he'd choke on his pretzel logic...

we "defend human rights" by torturing people? WTF??????? Is this guy series, or is this some guy running around in a President suit playing a sick joke on us?

[Heywood J]

21. This is just embarassing.

If it helps, very few people internationally pay attention to him anymore, except to laugh. He's such a lame duck at this point that it's not even funny - he'll say anything at all to possibly sound relevant. Hence the last minute push for the I/P trip last month. This is transparent pander for either self-delusion or to go through the motions for the next eleven months.


"No legacy for you!"

[Supersedeas]

33. the international community surely pays attention--and adjust their policies accordingly

[Lydia Leftcoast]

22. Bushboy, you'd better hope you never fall into the hands of the Iraqis, because

you bombed them thousands of times worse than Islamic militants and IRA irregulars together ever bombed London.

[Finite]

23. Yeah I was reading this..

This is so offensive, don't try and capitalise on what happened to us in London! Don't try and justify this military-industrial complex bandwagon with their blood

[Barrett808]

24. 339 days until we are rid of this evil toad

So says my Bush Countdown Clock.

[dipsydoodle]

25. I have no recollection of any President of the USA

passing that remark with regard to the IRA.

Mind you - the USA didn't officially classify the IRA as being terrorists until after 9/11. If that's not fucking cynicism then I don't know what is.

[bobthedrummer]

26. "BAE: secret papers reveal threats from Saudi prince

Spectre of 'another 7/7/' led Tony Blair to block bribes inquiry, high court told"
by David Leigh and Rob Evans (2-15-2007 Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/feb/15/bae.armstrade

The "War on Terror" is also a lie.

[Realityhack]

29. No exceptional circumstances...

"No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture."
UN Convention against torture

[Solly Mack]

31. Anyone thinking America's image is going to be improved

by allowing Bush to go free is an idiot.

Simply leaving office isn't enough either.

[libodem]

32. The Bush Administration

complicity in all of the world-wide 'terra' problems is shielded with their crazy snag and drag torture schemes, to make them appear utterly innocent of any blame, because they are so outraged they are beating detainees half to death. Ohhh, we water-board and torture because we are so trying to get a confession out of innocent Afghan farmers. Why? Because we couldn't possibly blame the Saudis.

[cureautismnow]

34. If the evil-doers waterboard our troops...

...then that's okay according to the Chimp-in-Chief since it's not torture. That should comfort the families of future American POW's. :argh:

[LynnTheDem]

35. Torture is the "moral high ground".

When you're a MFing idiot like George bUsh.

And his suck-up stupid rightwingnut twits.

[Tindalos]

36. I am so mad right now.

How dare he use that tragedy to justify his sick plans? I know I shouldn't be surprised, given his history, but...

Excuse me, I have to go swear uncontrollably now.

[superconnected]

37. Hasn't he ever heard of stop vicious cycles

How are we better than the terrorists if we torture?

We aren't, we become uncivilized animals just like them.

[superconnected]

38. BTW, Who would Jesus torture?

[CJCRANE]

39. Bush was tired of talking about 9/11

so he thought he'd mention 7/7 instead.

[bobthedrummer]

40. Update: "Britain powerless in face of Saudi threats, court told"

by David Leigh and Rob Evans (2-16-2008 Guardian)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/fab/16/bae.armstrade