New Book Contradicts Bush’s Claim That He Never Saw Secret Red Cross Report On Torture
New Book Contradicts Bush’s Claim That He Never Saw Secret Red Cross Report On Torture
In August 2007, investigative journalist Jane Mayer reported in the New Yorker that a highly confidential report by the International Committee of the Red Cross had found that interrogation methods used in CIA detention facilities were “tantamount to torture.” According to Mayer’s sources, the report warned that CIA “officials may have committed ‘grave breaches’ of the Geneva Conventions.”
After the article was published, President Bush was asked in a news conference if he “had read” the Red Cross report. “Haven’t seen it; we don’t torture,” Bush bluntly responded before moving on to another question. Watch it:
But Mayer’s upcoming book, The Dark Side, appears to contradict Bush’s claim that he never saw the report. In a preview of the book, the New York Times reports today that it claims the CIA “shared the report” with Bush:
The book says the C.I.A. shared the report, which Ms. Mayer first described last year in less detail in The New Yorker, with President Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Red Cross report, according to Mayer’s book, found that the torturous interrogation methods used by the CIA “could make the Bush administration officials who approved them guilty of war crimes.”
As ThinkProgress noted at the time of Bush’s denial, Mayer originally reported that top administration officials, including Rice and National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, were “believed to have seen” the report.
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BUSH: Amurkins don’t torture. Because I said so, and I’m the Deciderer.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:26 pmYeah, I bet.
¶ AIO
July 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pm.
It’s not ignorance when George Wost Bush does it…
.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:32 pmThe silver-spoon-in-his-stupid-mouth-moron , doing what he does best ; lie ………….
July 11th, 2008 at 1:34 pmGood thing…so it won’t be torture next year when we are seeking answers from You, Dick, Condi and the rest.
I can’t wait!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:36 pmHonestly, who gives a crap? We’re in indefinite “Martial Law Light”. Obama lied to you and we now live in a permanent surveillance state.
Do you know I had to show my driver’s license the other day to buy Advil Cold and Sinus? And now I have an electronic record of this in a government computer?
July 11th, 2008 at 1:40 pmMore lies.
More denial.
Same Shit, Different Day.
To date, Bush has lost each court review of Gitmo detainees.
He even had the gall to state ‘he didn’t agree with the SCOTUS’s decision, even after appointing stooges to support his reign.
Torture is torture, no matter how lofty your ideals become.
Torture is torture, no matter how you parse words to define it.
Torture is torture, regardless of political party or wealth.
Torture is torture, and torturers must pay a steep price.
Folks, this is just one issue. War crimes, treason and lying to the public are still to come.
Your day(s) in Court will be well deserved, amigo.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:40 pmWar crimes trials - coming soon to an International Court near you!
July 11th, 2008 at 1:46 pmThe United States has entered the Pantheon of tyranny and fascism. We are led by a War Criminal. We need to fight to take this country back and to deal out harsh punishment to those such as Bush. Bush deserves to die for his crimes. He deserves to be tried, convicted and executed on public television. Sic temper tyrannis.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pm“HAS MADE the Bush administration officials who approved them guilty of war crimes.”
There, fixed it for them.
Worst, most criminal occupier of the White House ever.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pmGuido the Loving OBGYN Says:
Honestly, who gives a crap? We’re in indefinite “Martial Law Light”. Obama lied to you and we now live in a permanent surveillance state.
Do you know I had to show my driver’s license the other day to buy Advil Cold and Sinus? And now I have an electronic record of this in a government computer?
You are right. I went to buy beer the other day at a 7/11 store and they wanted to scan - not just view, but scan - my drivers license. I asked where does the info go, and the pimple filled clerk shrugged his shoulders and said “I don’t know, but you can’t by beer without a scan of your CDL.”
I pushed over most of the small displays on the counter before flipping off the video recorder. We are indeed living in fascist lite.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pmWell, actually Bush didn’t technically SEE it ’cause Condy read it to him as a bed-time story and there weren’t any pictures. He slept through a bunch of it too. She’s not such a captivating readifyer.
/snark off
July 11th, 2008 at 1:48 pmSome people might even think this is sufficient reason to impeach and remove from office. Fortunately for Little Georgie, few Democrats in Congress agree with that.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:51 pmPlausible deniability here. After all, if GDumbya reads anything that’s not entitled “The Pet Goat”, it’s completely unintelligible to him anyway.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:51 pm“Had read” versus “had seen” are two different things.
Bush was asked if he “had read” it. He answered that he he “hadn’t (sic) seen it.”
These guys parse up the wazoo. I think the distinction is important.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:52 pmGuido the Loving OBGYN Says:
Honestly, who gives a crap? We’re in indefinite “Martial Law Light”. Obama lied to you and we now live in a permanent surveillance state.
Do you know I had to show my driver’s license the other day to buy Advil Cold and Sinus? And now I have an electronic record of this in a government computer?
That’s because if you’re buying Advil Cold and Sinus (or anything that contains pseudophedrine) you MUST be making crystal meth. You can actually be denied your cold/sinus purchase if you buy too much in a specific period of time (which I can’t recall).
July 11th, 2008 at 1:55 pmIn Shrub’s defense: In the same way that the WH didn’t get the EPA report because they refused to open the email, the WH could have intentionally danced around the torture report.
If it didn’t have enough pictures perhaps ?
July 11th, 2008 at 1:55 pmGuido the Loving OBGYN Says:
Do you know I had to show my driver’s license the other day to buy Advil Cold and Sinus? And now I have an electronic record of this in a government computer?
Thats so the DEA can raid you later to see if you are making meth from your advil.
How dare you get a cold and need medicine that drug dealers can make crank from. You should be ashamed
July 11th, 2008 at 1:57 pm/snark
There will never be war crimes trials for American politicians. It’s insane to think this.
Stratrat I believe the DL scan was to verify it was a vaid ID. To buy products with Diphenhydramine, however, you have to be on file. Name and everything. It’s a behind the counter drug, now. But it is funny and appropriate that the clerk has no idea what ahppenes when your DL is scanned. It’s perfect. It exactly describes America.
July 11th, 2008 at 1:59 pmStratRat Says:
You are right. I went to buy beer the other day at a 7/11 store and they wanted to scan - not just view, but scan - my drivers license. I asked where does the info go, and the pimple filled clerk shrugged his shoulders and said “I don’t know, but you can’t by beer without a scan of your CDL.”
What state do you live in? Here in Oregon they ask to see ID if you look too young, but no one scans anything. Of course, I don’t buy beer at a 7/11, either; maybe it’s their policy rather than the state’s.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:02 pmYawn. Let me know if evidence turns up that he’s ever told the truth!
July 11th, 2008 at 2:03 pmDry drunks always lie when confronted it’s part of the disease The man all those Americans wanted to have a beer Now they know who would have picked up the tan
July 11th, 2008 at 2:04 pmThomasMc Says:
Yawn. Let me know if evidence turns up that he’s ever told the truth!
plan for a long nap.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:05 pmBut it is funny and appropriate that the clerk has no idea what ahppenes when your DL is scanned. It’s perfect. It exactly describes America.
Until I know, and can verify where the info is going and to whom, I will avoid the nazis at 7/11. I don’t want to make too big a deal out of it, but to me it is another slippery slope.
What if your ex-wife wants to subpeona the records of the store to see just how much beer, wine or whatever you purchase so she has leverage during the child custody hearings? What if an insurance company wants to know your intake? How about a future employer?
Too many missing pieces of civil liberty for my taste. I guess I’ll make my own beer, from now on. Blech!!!
July 11th, 2008 at 2:06 pmOoh they taught the Chimp to parse words by using tense changes. He said “we don’t torture” not “we have never tortured.” If the dungeon master is off today he may be able to convince himself in his own little mind that he isn’t lying.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:08 pmAnd again the so-called media will say:
“So what!!! He is a down to earth guy who I would love to have a beer with!!”
Enough of exposing this man of his lies, impeachment is off the table, and we have NOONE in congress or running for President of these Un-United States that is going to hold ANYONE accountable. This is just to fill the news cycle until Obama F’s up again.
Oh yea and since we’re electing based on POW status:
Johnson/Lynch or Lynch/Johnson 2012
In case you didn’t know, didn’t care. or didn’t want to know. Shoshana Johnson was that “other” female POW.
RIP
July 11th, 2008 at 2:09 pmSGT Stephen R. Sherman
C CO 1-5 In (STRYKER)
KIA 3 Feb 2005
Mosul, Iraq
What state do you live in? Here in Oregon they ask to see ID if you look too young, but no one scans anything. Of course, I don’t buy beer at a 7/11, either; maybe it’s their policy rather than the state’s.
I live in California (San Diego). I am 50 years old, but I’m told I look much younger (thanks Mom & Dad). Still mature enough looking for the clerk to realize I am ‘of age’. I do believe it is the stores policy, but still the info lives somewhere. I am trying to go through life anonymously (sp?)
July 11th, 2008 at 2:09 pm.
So when detainees have died during harsh interrorgation, that wasn’t TORTURE?
.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:12 pmThere’s a link to an article on rawstory.com about the 90th city council to vote for impeachment. I’ve also read about a town (VT maybe) that voted to arrest bush &/or cheney if they ever set foot there. It’s not nearly what those criminal bastards deserve, but it’s something. Maybe if enough small towns did that it would severly curtail where they could freely travel. Better than nothing.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:14 pmClinton got hammered for his lie, courtesy of the Republicans. This President lies, obfuscates, exagerates, prevaricates ad nauseam, and what do the Republicans do? Why chortle and laugh, as they would for any of the Good Old Boys. And what do the Democrats do? Why assume the position, of corse. I know the Democrats don’t have enough of a majority to be truly effective, but is the Honorable Representitive Dennis Kucinich the Only remaining member of Congress who will Stand Up and Be Strong? Come On 1/20/09!
July 11th, 2008 at 2:15 pmImpeach Pelosi, Cheney and Bush and Save the Constitution!
StratRat Says:
Too many missing pieces of civil liberty for my taste. I guess I’ll make my own beer, from now on. Blech!!!
My friends have come very close to the taste of our favorite beer which is not available in our state (Fat Tire). There are some pretty good kits out there. Although, if I lived in CA, I wouldn’t want to drink home brew either.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:20 pmNotice no trolls have slithered into this thread. Maybe they know it would be a supreme waste of time to try and refute anything said about BushCo and torture.
July 11th, 2008 at 2:21 pmSo, has herr dubyah ever been truthful about anything?
July 11th, 2008 at 2:58 pmAll Georgie’s going to do for the rest of his term is lie about what he never saw, lie about what he never knew, and lie what isn’t his fault (it’s those liberals that did it!).
July 11th, 2008 at 3:00 pmBear in mind that Red Cross reports are based only on the prisoners that R.C. is allowed to see. We know that some prisoners were isolated and considered to officially not exist and that there were (are?) entire prisons that the Red Cross would have no knowledge of since they were secret black sites. A fully-informed report would come to a much more unequivocal conclusion that this is torture, not something tantamount to torture, i.e. if this was their conclusion based on what the CIA and military allowed them to see, imagine how bad it really was (is).
July 11th, 2008 at 3:01 pmJust like Lord Nelson, putting the telescope to his blind eye and proclaims to see nothing.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:05 pmA town in CA voted to impeach bush/cheney 5-2. Just a symbolic gesture. All bush’s comments to truth, “didn’t happen.” Or he falls back into phrases totally off the subject, “No Child Left Behind ” when asked about the economy, falling mortgages, or whatever he doesn’t want to talk about.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:19 pmI know the Red Cross wants to be neutral but if it knows that torture is being committed and doesn’t disclose it, thus allowing the torturers to continue torturing, what good is the Red Cross?
July 11th, 2008 at 3:31 pmJust another lie - nothing to see folks, move along—–
With Bush, one gets the feeling that the deliberate lies are as sinister as the VP, and sometimes done because the “staff” doesn’t inform him of what he doesn’t want to hear.
With McSame, one senses the lies are done because he doesn’t remember, is confused and he has switched horses so many times.
July 11th, 2008 at 3:44 pmEver watch bush’s interviews ? Asked a insightful question and he goes on and on until your brain goes numb, and when the reporter interrupts he snaps, “Let me finish.” Good way to avoid answering.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:17 pmMore lies from the pathological liar and sociopath in chief - so what else is new. That’s the status quo for this man. Pretty damn embarrassing to the people of this country and an international buffoon.
July 11th, 2008 at 4:22 pmkonchster Says:
Dry drunks always lie when confronted it’s part of the disease The man all those Americans wanted to have a beer Now they know who would have picked up the tan.
Yeah, and so do malignant narcissistic sociopaths.
http://tinyurl.com/56drl8
July 11th, 2008 at 4:25 pmStratRat,
What 7-11. I live in San Diego and I will go in and tell them no to my ID. If they give me any s**t, then I will put the price + tax on the counter, take the beer and walk out.
July 11th, 2008 at 7:01 pmActually they couldn’t scan my drivers license. The mag stripe was obliterated when I first got it. Pretty much the first act I took when I received it.
July 11th, 2008 at 8:55 pmA report like this could trigger proceedings that would lead to Bush&CO facing international justice. But the report is already more than a year old - so why have not these prceedings begun already?
July 11th, 2008 at 11:12 pmThe International Red Cross is calling for an International Tribunal regarding American war crimes.
For the first time in our history we are considered a rogue nation. This not the only call for us having to answer for war crimes. In our name and with our apathy Bush and his criminal enterprise have made us outlaws. There are petitions world wide calling for Bush and his administration to be called before a world court. There is no longer a way for our blindness to exist regarding what has happened. Like it or not, we have to answer to the world for what Bush has done.
We cannot simply say it’s not true. Or there are others that are worse. If we are to have any credibility left as a country, and if we are not total hypocrites, then we must admit what these mad men have done. Germany and Japan had to answer for their crimes. So must all nations eventually. It really does not matter if the body count by those two country’s so long ago was bigger. The crimes are the same. It is irrelevant as to the number. When people die I assure you to their families the number is huge. Does the number have to be six million before it is real.
The sad fact is, if the congress had done it’s job and brought impeachment and criminal charges against these officials we would NOT NOW being facing things internationally. When it was shown to us these past three years what was done by our government, many people refused to acknowledge Bush criminality.
When the world could see that our words to the sins of other country’s were not the same as our own, they knew these men would never stand trial here. It is a glaring fact that Bush spends his time lecturing other country’s on their duty and obligations of law, while ignoring his own deeds. This man who preaches Democracy abroad while taking it away here.
Can you say irony?
Now we have the humiliation of a world taking into their collective hands, what we should have done. Or never should have allowed Bush to do what he did in the name of safety.
There is no way to say the whole world is wrong and we are right. It just isn’t so. And denying it will not change the facts.
The newspapers here, the corporate, lazy undemocratic newspapers that have sat by and reported very little of the truth since the beginning of the war, have still refused to stand up for Democracy, the free and objective press. And most of all for the uncomfortable truth. These entrenched, unprincipled media, that want the comfort of doing nothing while still calling themselves journalists. This arm of Democracy that fails daily in it’s job to inform with objectivity and balance. With all the resources in its hands it coasts along barely doing it’s job. They have masters. Corporate masters. The same as congress and senate. Our Democracy is a joke. A very bad joke. But nobody but Bush is laughing. To inform the population. To keep government honest. To shine the light. Shame on the media. And shame on us for not demanding it do it’s job.
If you love this country as I do, then we must take responsibility for what is done in our name. Democracy and truth do not live and thrive in a lie. And the truth does not stop at our borders. What is that saying? “The truth is out there.”
And now it’s here. We can force the congress and these weak politicians to do their job, or kick them out. I say kick them out. I hate to sound like a preacher. But it is our national soul that is at stake. It is our conscience as a people and what we stand for. If we are not willing to see these people pay either here or from the world court, then we deserve the contempt of the world. And we tell our children and citizens that the rule of law only holds for others. Not us. Once we have made that decision then Bush is right.
The Constitution is just,”a goddam piece of paper.” And he has spent nearly eight years proving it. I am an American. I have the right and obligation to say when something is wrong. I have the right to expect my rights to be honored by those we elect. I love this country. But love is sometimes tough when it needs to be. And pretending everything is alright when it’s not is not love. It is stupidity and we pay every day for stupidity.
July 11th, 2008 at 11:57 pmbush’s nose keeps getting longer and longer every time he opens his a**hole…..er, mouth.
July 12th, 2008 at 8:54 amCurious
Very well composed comment. Thanks.
July 12th, 2008 at 10:47 am