Bush Says U.S. ‘Does Not Torture’

October 5, 2007 · Filed Under Legal News, Terrorism, Terrorists, White House

Once again left-wing wimps are howling about the U.S. “torture” policies that are once again front and center thanks to that liberal rag known as the New York Times.

The Times reported that the first 2005 legal opinion authorized the use of head slaps, freezing temperatures and simulated drownings, known as waterboarding, while interrogating terror suspects, and was issued shortly after then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales took over the Justice Department.

That secret opinion, which explicitly allowed using the painful methods in combination, came months after a December 2004 opinion in which the Justice Department publicly declared torture “abhorrent” and the administration seemed to back away from claiming authority for such practices.

A second Justice opinion was issued later in 2005, just as Congress was working on an anti-torture bill. That opinion declared that none of the CIA’s interrogation practices would violate the rules in the legislation banning “cruel, inhuman and degrading” treatment of detainees, The Times said, citing interviews with unnamed current and former officials.

President Bush once again defended his administration’s detention and interrogation policies for terrorism suspects on Friday, saying they are both successful and lawful.

“When we find somebody who may have information regarding a potential attack on America, you bet we’re going to detain them, and you bet we’re going to question them,” he said during a hastily called appearance in the Oval Office. “The American people expect us to find out information, actionable intelligence so we can help protect them. That’s our job.”

It’s beyond belief that some people are actually worried about the CIA slapping terrorists around a bit or waterboarding them. Those people want to kill us and whatever the U.S. Government needs to do to make those people talk they should do. I sleep better at night knowing that we have the guts to do what’s necessary to keep our country safe.

-Chris Jones
The Hot Joints