Republican presidential candidate John McCain said President Bush should veto a measure that would bar the CIA from using waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods on terror suspects.
McCain voted against the bill, which would restrict the CIA to using only the 19 interrogation techniques listed in the Army field manual.
His vote was controversial because the manual prohibits waterboarding — a simulated drowning technique that McCain also opposes — yet McCain doesn’t want the CIA bound by the manual and its prohibitions.
McCain clarifies:
“I think I can show my record is clear. I said there should be additional techniques allowed to other agencies of government as long as they were not” torture.
There. Clear as mud…
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I may never understand why some attempt to draw fine lines between what is and what isn’t torture.Because experienced, trained, effective interrogators know that torture, “enhanced interrogation techniques,” bullying and abuse do not work. They do not result in useful information.If we leave the (considerable!) moral question aside, this is like arguing over which chemicals will finally-definitely-we-really-mean-it-this-time turn lead into gold.
This is why I consider the current administration to be evil, rather than merely misguided. Torture is a policy which is sub-bestial, and is directed to no good end whatsoever.