Bush ‘approved’ of top advisers’ talks on interrogation.
Bush ‘approved’ of top advisers’ talks on interrogation.
ABC News recently revealed that President Bush’s most senior and trusted advisers met in “dozens of top-secret talks and meetings in the White House” beginning in 2002 to approve the use of “combined” interrogation techniques. In a new interview with ABC’s Martha Raddatz, Bush confirms that he approved of these meetings:
President Bush says he knew his top national security advisors discussed and approved specific details about how high-value al Qaeda suspects would be interrogated by the Central Intelligence Agency, according to an exclusive interview with ABC News Friday.
“Well, we started to connect the dots, in order to protect the American people.” Bush told ABC News White House correspondent Martha Raddatz. “And, yes, I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.”
During the interview, Bush also defends using waterboarding against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, stating, “We had legal opinions that enabled us to do it. And, no, I didn’t have any problem at all trying to find out what Khalid Sheikh Mohammed knew.”
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Bush tells the truth??? WTF
You know all those times when Bush told us things were going great in Iraq? Turns out he didn’t really mean it.
“How worried were you?” Raddatz asked.
“I was worried. Look, I’m worried any time it looks like we’re going to fail in Iraq,” Bush said.
During that time in 2006, when many were saying Iraq was in a full-blown civil war, Bush kept his rhetoric upbeat saying in speeches that, “We’re winning” and “We have a plan for victory.”
Raddatz asked the president about that and the president insisted he did it to keep up troop morale.
“That’s as much to try and bolster the spirits of the people in the field as well — you can’t have the commander-in-chief say to a bunch of kids who are sacrificing that either it’s not worth it or you’re losing. What does that do for morale?” Bush said.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:05 pmDuring the interview, Bush also defends using waterboarding against Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, stating, “We had legal opinions that enabled us to do it.”
Umm , no , moron ; “legal opinions” that have never read nor that do not understand the Constitution do not enable you to do anything.
You enabled yourselves by hand-picking those who agree with your warped views ; plus you’ve been aided by a Democratic party whose Speaker of the House took impeachment off the table , thus giving you another free alley……….
April 11th, 2008 at 7:06 pmOf course he approved. Sock puppets have no choice but to approve.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:08 pm.
The Memo with G.W.Bush signature on it…
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB127/02.02.07.pdf
.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:11 pmAh, good, another piece of evidence for the eventual trial of GDumbya and the rest of his war criminal brigade.
Some day, he’s going to wish there was an 18-minute gap in that videotape.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:12 pmBush has equated his personal “legal opinions”
(read: appointed minions)
with the Constitution, the Geneva conventions and international law.
His ignorance and arrogance make me sick.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:13 pmWhat kind of people are they? Why did they decide to use torture? They didn’t speak publicly about it for a long time but now it’s like the edge is off and they feel free to talk about it in the open.
I can’t imaging that they didn’t know how ineffective that torture had proven to be and so that only leaves you with a couple of other reasons.
One and I discount this one but only by relegating it to a secondary and disturbing reason and that would be that they wanted to hurt someone.
The best I can figure is that they thought they could terrorize the terrorists……and that’s really giving them the benifit of the doubt.
The part that scares me is the quiet that surrounds issues like this in America. Where is the outrage. Why are the “Christians” going along with this?
It was a fatal mistake though, for us as well as them. This is a black mark against us as members of the world community and it will take some time to erase.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:22 pmAdd Bush to this illusrious group of criminals – Bush, Cheney, Condi, Tenet, Ashcroft, and John Yoo (Yoohoo, Mr. Yoo, but you’d better be lawyering up and soon!).
April 11th, 2008 at 7:23 pmMr. Conyers? It’s your move.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:24 pmHang ‘em. He’s no different then Sadamm.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:32 pm“That’s as much to try and bolster the spirits of the people in the field as well — you can’t have the commander-in-chief say to a bunch of kids who are sacrificing that either it’s not worth it or you’re losing. What does that do for morale?” Bush said.
What does their Commander in Chief lying to them do for their morale?
April 11th, 2008 at 7:33 pmYou bet Bush knew. Why do you think they taped these sessions? It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Bush and Cheney were sitting on the other side of the one way glass, knocking back shots while watching the show.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:35 pmThe Memo with G.W.Bush signature on it…
http://www.gwu.edu/ ~nsarchiv/ NSAEBB/ NSAEBB127/ 02.02.07.pdf
Please send Nancy Pelosi this link and ask her how she can keep impeachment off the table. And while you are at it, you might want to point out that if she had allowed Bush to be impeached after the Democrats took control of Congress, there are over 1,000 soldiers who may still be alive today. The blood of those soldiers is on her hands.
http://speaker.gov/contact/
April 11th, 2008 at 7:39 pmZed,
There are rules of LAW to follow…
Without that what remains in ANARCHY!
Our Founders roll in their graves.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:45 pmHis “legal opinions” would not stand up in court.
April 11th, 2008 at 7:47 pmPrior legal proceedings are on the books all the way back to our own soldiers prosecuted for waterboarding prisoners in the Philippine invasion and our prosecution of war crimes after WWII.
#14…M
April 11th, 2008 at 7:57 pm#14…I sent Ms. Pelosi the following:
How much more evidence of torture do you need to put impeachment back on the table, front and center? By not impeaching you are making yourself complicit in torture. Are you part of the problem or part of the solution?
April 11th, 2008 at 7:58 pmSTART IMPEACHMENT NOW!!!!!
Too quick on the trigger finger @ #19….oopsie
April 11th, 2008 at 7:58 pmZed Lefflin
flagged….Why don’t you try putting a few words in your own mouth.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:00 pmCharles Manson has nothing on G.W. Bush – same guy, different life circumstances.
Congratulations, USA, on having a psycho cult-leader miscreant for a President.
What next?
April 11th, 2008 at 8:01 pmPlease be easy on King George the Dumb. They told him it was only torture if they squeezed the balls of his pet goat. For Gentlemen of Middle Eastern heritage it was erotic and added to their pleasure. That is how they convinced him that “Gitmo” was really a bordello which provided the virgins for the Arabs promised by Allah without having to leave this world.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:07 pmDidn’t Bush specifically state “We don’t torture. The United States does not torture.”????
Okay, I know he’s a delusional, imbecilic liar, but even this surprises me. I hope the rest of the world is ready to escort (or do I mean “rendition”?) these traitors to the Hague. And the way this admin keeps pissing on the CIA, I don’t think they’re going to get a lot of help out of this from those fine folks.
PEACE
April 11th, 2008 at 8:09 pm“Well, we started to connect the dots”
Just like a coloring book!
How romantic can it get?
April 11th, 2008 at 8:11 pmZed,
I too, wish not for ANARCHY, however the Administration appears to operate IN that state. When left to their own devises, what laws apply to the people when the Nation is no longer a Nation OF laws, but instead, wo/men?
Americans are blind sheep. Doing what they are told, FOR THEIR SAFETY, while their Herders lead the way over the cliff.
Witness the traffic out the window? Who’s complaining?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been wearing IMPEACH on my clothing DAILY whenever I go out into public. It is my duty, as an American, to stand up FOR America and Her principles and values. Sometimes people chide me, “It ain’t gonna happen.” I simply retort, “I see your making sure of that.” Other people ask, “Why?” I say, “I was born into a Nation that prided itself on principles and values. Now, I see those principles and values mean nothing.”
The longer, and it has been far too long, this madness goes on, the less credible our Government has with it’s own people, let alone the entire world. Pelosi and CONyers are just the tip of the iceberg that stuck the S.S. America. Watch them scramble for reelection, a seat on a life boat, if you will, as the ship goes down. They don’t want to define impeachment for fear it is they who ALSO are implicated.
That link to the Memo HAS been in the public domain for years now. Notice the date of unclassification. Since Dec. of 2007. CONyers is well aware of this mess… Yet he refuses to move for POLITICAL REASONS… WTF???
.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:15 pmOops, meant that link has been public for months now…
April 11th, 2008 at 8:17 pm.
I long for the day T.P. has IMPEACHMENT as a Topic to be filed under…
.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:21 pmSee kids all ya need is a ” legal opinion ” and you can get away with any crime you want . Need to make a with drawl from a bank , get a legal opinion . Need to get rid of your annoying neighbor , get a legal opinion . Want to crush somebodies testicles , hey , get an legal opinion . Want to torture a suspects kids, you know inflict some kind of unbearable pain , as described by the accused war criminal Attorney from Ca. who provides legal opinions , order one up .
Hey and if you want to satisfy the darkest deviant desires one late night , you can watch cd’s of torture at your home in Crawford AND you know DAMN well these Sociopath Criminals do exactly THAT .
Send them all to the Hague for a trial they never gave all the accused and that’s all they are , accused and Any conviction they obtained should be thrown out .
April 11th, 2008 at 8:24 pmBush is a war criminal. He must be put under immediate arrest.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:25 pm“… we started to connect the dots …”
Translation: ” …we started to make up stuff …”
Hey Dubya, time to go home and take your big shiny marbles with you. Oh yeah, you lost your marbles years ago.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:27 pmmycatsmarterthanDubya,
April 11th, 2008 at 8:28 pmBush should be put in a straight jacket and left to rot.
Bush is the ONE elected official I can totally believe when he says: “I don’t remember”.
He’s a few corn kernels shy of a turd-full.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:33 pmBush is a stupid Nazi Chimp.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:52 pmI think Frank White is a troll, folks.
Let the flagging begin.
April 11th, 2008 at 8:59 pmAfter the dems take control I’ll bet we could elicit some confessions before repairing the mess they have made of the constitution and international law.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:02 pmThe Republic of Stupidity Says:
April 11th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
I think Frank White is a troll, folks.
Let the flagging begin.
Sure feels that way, doesn’t it?
April 11th, 2008 at 9:10 pmThe Republic of Stupidity,
April 11th, 2008 at 9:19 pmWhich comment I made bothered you? Please explain before you accuse me of being a troll. In the other thread about McCain I had a good back and forth with Pete. He can vouch for me.
I apologize if I wrote something offensive and I will watch what I write, sorry.
Sorry, dude, my Troll-dar™ is pinging like crazy.
Yer a troll.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:23 pmRight, Merlin.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:23 pmThe Republic of Stupidity,
No please, look at my other posts.
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/04/11/mccain-defiant-on-vote-against-1990-civil-rights-bill/
Please I’m sorry for whatever offended you. Can you tell me what I did wrong? I don’t want any problems here. I like this website and I want to contribute.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:25 pmSorry… yer a troll.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:32 pmWar Crimes. War Crimes! WAR CRIMES! WAR CRIMES! When will this man be impeached? When will he stand trial for War Crimes?
April 11th, 2008 at 9:39 pmWe have now allowed the Bush Administration to turn America into a lawless Rogue Nation. I have never been so embarrassed, disappointed, humiliated to be an American.
A step closer to Neu Neuremberg! Trial of the century!
April 11th, 2008 at 9:45 pmTrolls can’t read. Trolls have no soul. Trolls don’t know the law. Trolls have never seen the constitution. Trolls have taken an oath to BushCo. Trolls are paid to show up here and spew their illiterate garbage as if we will buy it. Trolls need to go away now.
The entire Bush administration is guilty of crimes against humanity and the citizens of the United States. Don’t try to make excuses or pretend it hasn’t happened. There is too much evidence in the public domain. The only question is who will actually prosecute since we can’t count on anybody. I hope I live to see it.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:49 pmWell, he is the “decider”. Nothing happens without his decidering.
April 11th, 2008 at 9:54 pmYou’re A-OK in my book, Frank White! Not sure what those other guys are talking about. Peace.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:00 pmmycatsmarterthanDubya,
April 11th, 2008 at 10:03 pmThank you!
He approved it! Good! It is on record: Bush is a War Criminal!
April 11th, 2008 at 10:09 pmMy pleasure.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:09 pmHey! My cat is smarter than Bush as well. And she ain’t very smart.
I haven’t seen anything wrong in FW’s posts either. Let us not follow the “guilty until proven innocent” example of our glorious neocon masters.
Now? I’m gonna get sqiffy and seduce someone.
G’night good people.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:11 pmYou too trolls, wherever you are.
Thanks Pete, you are one of the good guys. It is getting nasty out there, no?
April 11th, 2008 at 10:17 pmmycatsmarterthanDubya,
April 11th, 2008 at 10:18 pmYeah everyone is being accused of being a troll.
Too funny, the trolls are commiserating…
April 11th, 2008 at 10:28 pmTo me, the fact that they are not being held accountable for their crimes is very close to being as bad if not worse than the crimes themselves.
April 12th, 2008 at 10:52 amI can’t help but think there is something very big that is controlling the people that should be holding this administration accountable.
Conyers is like . . we’ll ask them if they want to volunteer testimony. If they don’t volunteer, we’ll subpoena. When they don’t respond to the subpoenas, we’ll just say . . okay, lets’ have some lunch.
Frequently, those who defend the “right to torture” argument provide examples of the technique “working”… “X gave up Y, which allowed us to capture Z”.
It would seem difficult to argue against something that appears to have been successful. There are several arguments to counter this mistaken belief:
First and foremost, if you are relying on prisoners for your intel, you’ve failed. The job of the CIA is to gather intelligence, infiltrate groups, make contacts, and general intelligence gathering. Relying on prisoners for your intel is incredibly dumb. Relying on “tortured” prisons for accurate intel is even dumber.
April 12th, 2008 at 11:36 amBush is a traitor-a subverter of the Republic, a Constitutional pox, a Straussian liar and, of course, a preemptive murderer. So, by all means obey his every wish and genuflect accordingly. Certainly, there’s a place in Bush’s library for his yellow flag treatment of our soldiers.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/neo_con_trifecta.html
Let me be the first to donate a picture to hang in it.
April 12th, 2008 at 1:15 pmAnd now it’s been shown with material fact that all Bush officials including Bush hinself are culpible in high crimes even though people had connected the dots and knew they were ALL were involved. But don’t expect anything from Conyers or Pelosi or Reid. It will have to take a tribunal outside this country to bring Bush and his felow criminals to justice.
April 12th, 2008 at 1:23 pmFrank W – the trolls got pretty nasty last night. I am not sure if you are still reading this thread but I hope you will continue to post your comments at TP. You are always welcome here. Cheers!
April 12th, 2008 at 2:00 pm