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Ear to the Ground

Clarity on Bush’s Torture Push

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Posted on Sep 18, 2006

In case you’re wondering what people like Sen. John McCain and Colin Powell are fighting against in Bush’s interrogation legislation, read about the euphemistically named “temperature extremes” treatment here.

  • Also, despite denials, Bush is likely pushing on for the use of “water-boarding.”

  • Andrew Sullivan:

    Note the Orwellian euphemism: “temperature extremes.” Let’s follow Orwell’s example and ask directly what that actually means in real English. Here’s one account from the field:

    “When the Navy SEALS would interrogate people, they were using ice water to lower the body temperature of the prisoner and they would take his rectal temperature in order to make sure that he didn’t die. I didn’t see this, but that’s what many, many prisoners told me who came out of the SEAL Compound, and I also heard that from a guard who was working in our detention facility, who was present during an interrogation that the SEAL had done.”

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    By Jason Mailley, September 26, 2006 at 11:56 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    I never thought I would ever see a day where USA would debate over such a sick theme as “torture”. And moreover to see people agreeing with it. This country is really sick, the american values are now a big joke. I´m gone already, to those who can, it is still time to escape… It is going to get a lot worse. I deeply hope I am wrong !

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    By MARIAM RUSELL, September 19, 2006 at 5:16 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Scott, The Army, Navy, FBI, CIA, etc. all say that no good information comes from using torture. Why compromise all your values for nothing.
    ASIDE FROM THAT, I REPEAT, THIS IS OUR CHILDREN WHO ARE BEING TURNED INTO MONSTERS. DO YOU WANT YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER TO BE TAUGHT WATERBOARDING AND ALL THE OTHER DEBASED PROCESSES INVOLVED IN TURNING A HUMAN INTO A TORTURER.

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    By Scott Hall, September 19, 2006 at 5:10 am Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    I say to the Bush administration, keep up the good work guys. We need to use any method necessary to prevent another 9-11 in this country. There is NO way that you can compare what we are doing to get information from these “scum” of the earth, to what Hitler did! Where are our ovens of death and the “millions” of Jews that we have killed. People need to stop having a bleeding heart for these radical islamics and wake up to what they are capable of doing! They preach hatred towards this country and would rather see us dead.

    Report this

    By MARIAM RUSSELL, September 18, 2006 at 12:59 pm Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Remember all the books and articles, not only on the German atrocities, but the actions in Argentina, and so many other cases where we as Americans claimed the moral highground and were quite rightly shocked and horrified that humans could do these things, even educated humans, doctors, etc, who did not have the excuse of not being civilized, not being white, not being like us. Part of that time we were ignoring the fact that we had done much the same things in Vietnam, but until there were books and movies we could pretend not to know.
    CAN WE STILL PRETEND NOT TO KNOW.
    CAN WE AGREE TO TURN OUR SONS AND DAUGHTERS OVER TO THESE PEOPLE SO THEY CAN BE MADE INTO MONSTERS.

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    By felicity smith, September 18, 2006 at 11:30 am Link to this comment
    (Unregistered commenter)

    Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, TAKE NOTE. Your “torture” policies authorize American officers to commit acts for which the Second World War Allies had hanged Gestapo and SS officers and Japanese prison-camp commanders. 

    And don’t forget that Hitler and Goebbels committed suicide - to avoid a similar fate?

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