« Prime Time Thread | Main | Quote of the Day »
December 16, 2008
Cheney Admits To Authorizing Torture
KARL: Did you authorize the tactics that were used against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed?CHENEY: I was aware of the program, certainly, and involved in helping get the process cleared, as the agency, in effect, came in and wanted to know what they could and couldn't do. And they talked to me, as well as others, to explain what they wanted to do. And I supported it. There was a period of time there three or four years ago when about half of everyting we knew about al-Qaeda came from that one source. So it's been a remarkably successful effort. I think the results speak for themselves.
KARL: In hindsight, do you think any of those tactics that were used against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others went too far?
CHENEY: I don't.
KARL: And on KSM, one of those tactics, of course, widely reported was waterboarding. And that seems to be a tactic we no longer use. Even that you think was appropriate?
CHENEY: I do.
Simply put, a prosecutor only needs to show that waterboarding is, in fact, a form of torture as defined and prohibited by Geneva (lots of precedent for waterboarding = torture) and boom. War crime conviction. However, someone as smart and devilish as Vice President Cheney doesn't go around confessing to things he could feasibly be prosecuted for.
There are safety nets for him, possibly beginning with a presidential pardon. And who knows, he's not a healthy man -- in a serious sense, he might not be around much longer. Beyond that, there are a wide array of protections including executive priviledge. Bottom line, a conviction of Cheney is extraordinarily unlikely. Unfortunately. Because there he is on television and in our internet saying, "I supported it."
Filed under: Cheney || Torture
 |  |  |  |  |
Posted By Bob Cesca | December 16, 2008 9:45 PM
Comments
"You're damn right I ordered the Code Red!"
Dude just admitted to being a war criminal. BRAGGED, even.
This is really through-the-looking-glass stuff.
Posted by: josh dobbin ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.bobcesca.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 16, 2008 10:05 PM
At least the fictional Col. Jesssup served his country in uniform, though.
The worst part of this is the normalization and mainstreaming of torture. Once something is done, it becomes somehow a "every thing has 2 sides" debate, because people are, by nature, not just stupid, but loathe to make definitive stances, when it comes down to it.
Sometimes, there are not two sides to an argument. Sometimes shit is TORTURE, which used to be the definition of "wrongdoing."
At least, for most or recorded history.
Posted by: josh dobbin at December 16, 2008 10:10 PM
And then we have Bush saying "So What"
http://girldujour.wordpress.com/2008/12/17/ws-legacy-so-what/
More and more quality.
Posted by: girl du jour at December 16, 2008 10:28 PM
It is almost as if he is baiting us and waiting to see what we will do. I say fry the bastard and ask questions later...
Posted by: willpen at December 16, 2008 11:36 PM
its amazing how the msm is all over the whole blago mess aka "the obama scandal" yet noone other than maddow and olberman seem to give a shit about our vice president admitting to fucking torture.wheres the "liberal media" when y'need em?are they still in a tank somewhere?
Posted by: 24hourjack at December 17, 2008 8:34 AM
keep in mind that these guys were in office for nine months prior to 9/11...it was on THEIR WATCH that we had our worst terrorist attack in history. did they go after bin laden after the "cole" attack in october 2000? no. did they heed warnings that bin laden was determined to strike in u.s.? no. in fact, c. rice did not list al queda as one of the "top 5" challenges facing the u.s in early 2001. what gall they have to say now that they protected america.
Posted by: aleonard at December 18, 2008 12:14 PM
