The White House stance on torture has me confused!

[Free4Life11]

Bush says we don't torture, yet the White House is opposed to the Senate legislation banning torture? I'm not really understanding this. And then Cheney said he wants the CIA excempt from the torture laws -- is it ok for the CIA but not Saddam??

I'm not being sarcastic either, I really DON'T get it.

 

[missypie]

Likewise not being sarcastic, but if I understood our President yesterday, if WE do it, it's not torture.

 

[WIcruizer]

I don't want to understand it, or know about it. I prefer it to be a gray area.

 

[DawnCt1]

I think when a country is at war with a faceless, determined enemy, bent on killing liberals and conservatives alike, we should not advertize what we do or don't do. I sure would like to know that if a captive terrorist has information that might prevent the next 9/11 or worse, that that particular captive would be very unsure and fearful of what awaits him. If he knows for sure that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn't cooperate, then why should or would he cooperate? I dont' think we need to tie our hands so publicly. I think that the president is trying to prevent that "public tying".

 

[DawnCt1]

I don't want to understand it, or know about it. I prefer it to be a gray area.

Exactly, that is a clear and concise way to consider it.

 

[Teejay32]

I don't have much of an opinion on this, because I think interrogating terrorist suspects is a waste of time anyway, but I do know where the biggest difference in opinions are: what methods constitute "torture" and how necessary they are. We're all against beating confessions out of people; we might not all be against sensory deprivation (for example.)

IMO it's a debate that should happen -the days of the gray area are gone. (I think.)

 

[Sparx]

I don't understand it. another poster said, "if we do it, its not torture"
personally, It is my opinion that if they are out there, and they are torturing, that means that htey will do alot more. and we need to be prepaired. Be that the ability to do whatever is necessary, or whatever is 'right', we need to be ready. jmo.

 

[Puffy2]

We are either "different" (more civilized) from other nations or we are not. The US can not have it both ways.

Torture doesn't bring more info - it does bring lies and it also makes marters out of religiously motivated men (and women). It also puts our troops at greater risk when they are captured. It is poor practice and policy and weakens our national security.

 

[DawnCt1]

We are either "different" (more civilized) from other nations or we are not. The US can not have it both ways.

Torture doesn't bring more info - it does bring lies and it also makes marters out of religiously motivated men (and women). It also puts our troops at greater risk when they are captured. It is poor practice and policy and weakens our national security.

No one is advocating torture as a policy nor does anyone feel that its a useful way to gleen information, but I think we don't need to hog tie ourselves to the point where it "never with no exceptions". Never say never.