The only Republican I know of who came out against torture yesterday. Think about that:
The release of a Senate report on the CIA’s former interrogation program brought both political division and shock on Tuesday. While the shock was more universal, the division fell mostly along partisan lines with one notable exception: Senator John McCain.
In a nearly 15-minute speech from the Senate floor, McCain offered what is arguably the most robust defense so far of the report’s release, referencing hisown experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam and rebuking his Republican colleagues by endorsing the study’s findings.
It is a thorough and thoughtful study of practices that I believe not only failed their purpose—to secure actionable intelligence to prevent further attacks on the U.S. and our allies—but actually damaged our security interests, as well as our reputation as a force for good in the world.
His longtime amigo Senator Lindsey Graham was one of many politicians and intelligence officials to say that the report—which contained graphic accounts of physical and psychological abuse—could damage American interests abroad and that the timing of its publication was “politically motivated.”
“The timing of the release is problematic given the growing threats we face,” Graham said on Tuesday. “Terrorism is on the rise, and our enemies will seize upon this report at a critical time. Simply put, this is not the time to release the report.”
McCain responded directly to the claim. He condemned the use of misinformation to garner support for past CIA practices and linked this history to the current campaign to keep the Senate report under wraps. “There is, I fear, misinformation being used today to prevent the release of this report, disputing its findings and warning about the security consequences of their public disclosure.”
So where has this egotistical asshat been for the last 15 years?
He only wants to oppose torture if it gives him a chance to talk about his own experiences and soak up all the adulation for being heroic and mavericky.
Otherwise, as long as it was kept under wraps, he is just fine going with the flow of his party.
On the issue of torture John McCain is 100% correct. On all other issues, including war and peace, he is absolutely wrong. McCain is a creature of the oligarchy who panders to the fear of the masses. McCain keeps alive the notion repeated endlessly by every other Republican that America is exceptional so “love it or leave it.” Someone on the FOX War Network even had the audacity to say today that those who opposed releasing the “Torture Report” were the real patriots. Implying that the rest of us, including McCain, were traitors.
I don’t give a shit about McCain, what I care about is this…
Obama let them walk.
Fuck!
This morning the UN and several human rights groups called for the prosecution of all US officials responsible for the CIA torture.
So nobody has walked yet.
But like anything else it takes direct action to get the desired result.
Flood the White House and especially the Justice Department with messages demanding that these criminals be prosecuted.
Do it daily and get your friends to take part.
I’m glad to hear McCain found it in him to say what he knows.
I’m also with coloradoblue on *anyone* who has let the perps walk. Spain, at least, has arrest warrants out for Bush and Cheney. All we need now is for the International Court to get its act together and to expand the list to everyone in leadership who was/is involved.
Unfortunately Quixote the US in not a member of the ICC (along with Israel, China and some other lovely countries) so I’m not sure how there could be any action there. If a specific country, like Spain, issued arrest warrants there might be a possibility of some good but after Spain announced actions the US under obama put immense pressure on them to lay down and go take a nap like a good little subservient country.
Why is killing somebody with a drone more legal then torturing somebody? Shouldn’t Obama be prosecuted too?
Yes, Imhotep, Obama is as much as, or even more of, a murderer and war criminal than bush the stupid. By not punishing the crimes of bush II he is complicit. His drone murders and the murder of at least four american citizens without due process are also crimes.
In many respects obama the feckless is even worse than bush the stupid.