Ashcroft: Detaining Terror Suspects At Guantanamo Bay ‘Has Been A Humanitarian Act’
Ashcroft: Detaining Terror Suspects At Guantanamo Bay ‘Has Been A Humanitarian Act’
Last month, former Attorney General John Ashcroft spoke before the Hudson Union Society in New York. During his speech, Ashcroft asked the question, “What do we do with people apprehended in the war,” and proceeded to defend and support the Bush administration’s detention policies since 9/11.
Ashcroft said he is “stunned” that so many Americans (and the Supreme Court it turns out) think that terror suspect detainees should have their day in court. He then meandered through the alternatives to detention, such as “kill[ing] everybody on the battlefield” or releasing prisoners, which he said he “is not in favor of.” But astonishingly, Ashcroft then concluded that the detention of suspected terrorists “has been a humanitarian act.”
ASHCROFT: You know I’ve got a son who’s a naval officer and he spent two tours of duty in the Gulf so our family is not in favor of releasing people once they have been captured so they can take another shot at our family but there are people who say to do that.
So I think detaining people, removing them from the stream of battle by the collective wisdom of mankind, has been a humanitarian act in terms of war circumstances.
Watch it (beginning at 1:36)
But the torturing of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and the use of many other non-humanitarian interrogation techniques has been well documented. In 2004, the Red Cross found “cruel, inhumane and degrading” treatment of detainees while inspecting the facility. And according to a Justice Department report released last May, many FBI agents complained about abusive interrogation at Guantanamo.
Just last week, former Lt. Col. Darrel Vandeveld, once a U.S. prosecutor at Guantanamo, told CBC radio that after a suicide attempt, one Gitmo detainee, Mohamad Jawad, was subjected to nearly two weeks of sleep deprivation. Guards implementing the so-called “frequent flyer program” moved Jawad from cell to cell 112 times in less than a two week period.
Indeed, yesterday a Senate panel released a report which found that the Bush administration, not guards or interrogators, is responsible for the abuse of detainees at Gitmo. Thus, by calling detention at Guantanamo Bay a “humanitarian act,” perhaps Ashcroft is laying the groundwork for an insanity plea.
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Perhaps Asscroft needs to spend a few vacation days in an 8 x 5 cage at Gitmo. Perhaps his attitude would change. Then again, he’s a Repignican and they think their Cheney doesn’t stink so why would an 8 x 5 cage get his attention?
December 12th, 2008 at 10:26 amAshcroft is just another clueless Republican. Remember, this is the same person that lost the election to a dead man.
So is Ashcroft admitting that he is a drug addict?
December 12th, 2008 at 10:28 amI’m not certain that Ashcroft and I share the same concept of “humanitarian act”.
No, now that I think about, I’m pretty sure we’re talking about two totally different things.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:32 amBut Obama is caving on a lot of things. He’s a BIG disappointment.
It is too early to call Obama a disappointment. So far, I think he is handling the transition well. His centrists appointments aren’t always my first choice, but have a practical orientation.
As for Ashcroft, his values are so bizarre and distorted that he might actually believe what he says about Gitmo.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:32 amRepublicans live in opposite-land. Torture is humanitarianism. Up is down. Good is bad, and vice versa. War is peace. Work is freedom. They’re like Bizarro, except also really evil.
And the morphine comment doesn’t exonerate him from this. Even if he’s high as a kite all the time, morphine doesn’t typically cause delusions of bassackwardness.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:32 amI would ask why in the world we continue to listen to people who are no longer relevant, but then I consider the entertainment factor associated with it and how compelling that is.
What’s sad is that Ashcroft no doubt actually believes the blather he spews.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:36 amF uck you, Ashcroft.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:38 amRaw Story reports that, during the same interview, Ashcroft said he makes the best decisions “when I have a lot of morphine in my system.”
– - “Let the Eeeeeeeagle crash and burn…”
December 12th, 2008 at 10:40 amAs is the utter destruction of the GOP.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:44 amRaw Story reports that, during the same interview, Ashcroft said he makes the best decisions “when I have a lot of morphine in my system.”
– - To support his case Ashcroft went on to say, “I lost my bid for the senate seat from Missouri because Mel Carnahan, even though he was dead, was still hooked up to a morphine drip.”
December 12th, 2008 at 10:45 amAshcroft “stunned”? One could only hope. “Stun him, bro”.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:46 amJust to be clear here, folks, I think Ashcroft is saying that detaining people in Gitmo is a “humanitarian act” to the benefit of American troops – his logic being that by holding a bad guy at Gitmo, that’s one less person out there who’s likely to shoot at American soldiers.
By this reasoning, imprisoning every Iraqi and Afghani is technically an “humanitarian act”. It would also solve Iraq’s refugee crisis. Maybe Ashcroft is on to something. I’m sure that well-known humanitarian Saddam Hussein would have agreed.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:47 amSo I think detaining people, removing them from the stream of battle by the collective wisdom of mankind, has been a humanitarian act in terms of war circumstances.
________
Really? So all 6 billion of us voted for this and decided that locking people up indefinitely was in the best interest of the species?
News to me.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:48 amHey, John, isn’t there a naked statue somewhere for you cover up? Stop talking and get to the important work you are called to do.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:49 amWhy is it that repubs always pretend that they “know” what is best for others? While I don’t mind folks having opinions, I do resent their efforts to impose their beliefs on all the rest of us through the political process.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:53 amWell, sure, I’m all in favor of fcking for virginity, too!!
/snark
December 12th, 2008 at 10:55 amWho says wingers don’t do irony?
December 12th, 2008 at 10:55 amAshcroft said he is “stunned” that so many Americans (and the Supreme Court it turns out) think that terror suspect detainees should have their day in court.
And I am stunned that a former Attorney General (and a not particualrly good one, at that) would believe that a government should have the right to pick someone up, declare them an enemy combatant, and not even give them the opportunity to challenge their designation or detention in court! Why the presumption of, not just guilt, but of blood on their hands? Has he never heard of an innocent person being wrongfully convicted? And he doesn’t even want to give them the opportunity to be wrongly convicted! He wants to throw them in jail, guilty or not, without anyone digging into the truth. This is not the thinking of a person who believes in supporting and defending our Constitution.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:56 amThis is so weird. Not long ago, even President Bush admitted Guantanamo was a big mistake and said he wanted to close it down. Now there’s a full-court press by Republicans and the administration to sell Guantanamo as some kind of gift to humanity.
I hope Obama issues the close-down order on January 20.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:56 amhussein toasterhead Says:
Really? So all 6 billion of us voted for this and decided that locking people up indefinitely was in the best interest of the species?
News to me.
Dude, where have you been? After 9/11, Bush’s first act was to hold a global referendum on scrapping habeas corpus. The results came through and it was pretty close so there was going to be a recount except the Scotus stopped it and ruled in favor of Bush. It’s kind of how everything happened the last eight years.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:58 amThat settles it. I hereby nominate John Ashcroft for a George Bush Free-Dumb medal.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:58 amWayne A. Schneider Says:
This is not the thinking of a person who believes in supporting and defending our Constitution.
_____________
We’re talking about someone here who thought it was a high priority to cover up the boobies on a statue.
December 12th, 2008 at 11:00 amSimply a war criminal’s opinion.
December 12th, 2008 at 11:03 amNo different than “killing in the name of peace”.
A in a day’s work for war-profiteers.
December 12th, 2008 at 11:08 amWe’re talking about someone here who thought it was a high priority to cover up the boobies on a statue.
Actually, just one, TRoS. And at a cost to the taxpayers of about $8000! That action suggested a certain amount of sexual repression, to me. Poor guy needs to get laid. I’m positive he would have a different opinion of women’s breasts in public. Even fake ones.
December 12th, 2008 at 11:14 amAshcroft said he makes the best decisions “when I have a lot of morphine in my system.”
Let the opiate soar!
December 12th, 2008 at 11:20 amASHCROFT: You know I’ve got a son who’s a naval officer and he spent two tours of duty in the Gulf so our family is not in favor of releasing people once they have been captured so they can take another shot at our family but there are people who say to do that.
Right. As a Naval Officer floating around the Persian Gulf Ashcroft’s son is totally at risk from all those Gitmo guys who were captured in landlocked Afghanistan before Ashcroft Junior went anywhere.
And speaking of not going anywhere and not getting shot-at, let’s not forget that Ashcroft managed a record SEVEN deferments during Vietnam, but still found time to run for political office.
December 12th, 2008 at 11:45 amSo I think detaining people, removing them from the stream of battle by the collective wisdom of mankind, has been a humanitarian act in terms of war circumstances.
A kinder, gentler, White Man’s Burden.
At least he isn’t calling them wogs.
December 12th, 2008 at 11:51 amI get so sick of these bald faced lies. How can you reconcile all the reports of atrocities at Guantanamo Bay with this happy talk? You can’t. Ashcroft has redefined “humanitarian” to include TORTURE. I doubt there is any hope for his soul.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:21 pmCan anyone say: “Gilded cage”?
These feux-moralists make me sick.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:38 pm“ASHCROFT: You know I’ve got a son who’s a naval officer and he spent two tours of duty in the Gulf so our family is not in favor of releasing people once they have been captured so they can take another shot at our family but there are people who say to do that.”
By that logic, if Ashcroft’s son were captured, he would be OK with the Taliban or Al Quaeda – or whoever we’re fighting – holding him indefinitely … as a humanitarian act, of course.
This also makes me wonder (again) about exactly how “stunningly” bad Bush’s anti terror/surveillance program had to be for this miserable excuse for a human being to refuse to sign off on it.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:48 pmI wonder if any of these people are having second thoughts about their actions in recent years since Mcjohn didn’t win the election.
December 12th, 2008 at 12:55 pmAnd what exactly is this “collective wisdom of mankind” BS?
December 12th, 2008 at 1:03 pmJust got back from the blood work lab. Apparently I do not have any LSD, or other hallucinogenic drugs, in my system. I have an appointment later to have a CAT scan to make sure I have no tumors causing the delusions my doctors say I am having, after reading this article.
My doctors are quite concerned about the hallucinations that some political figure is saying that unlimited detention without charge and torture were “Humanitarian Acts.”
God I hope I am OK! I’m scared!
December 12th, 2008 at 1:29 pmAhh just read the update. Cancelled the Cat scan. Turns out it was the political figure with the hallucinogenic drugs in his system and not me with tumors.
Whew that was a close one!
December 12th, 2008 at 1:31 pmAmazing really. That people involved in this whole scheme, who KNOW that innocents have sat for years there just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, can say this with a straight face is just amazing.
If everyone in Gitmo had taken a shot at his family, perhaps I cut him some slack (doubt it, but hey, I don’t want Americans getting killed anymore than the next American, I just think we shouldn’t send them places where that’s about all that will happen so someone can earn a short term profit). But that’s not the case. And he knows it.
December 12th, 2008 at 1:37 pmI am still wondering how the alleged Middle Eastern terrorist conned their way into having access to the World Trade Center buildings to wire them with the demolition charges. Bush’s younger brother Marvin was in charge of WTC security prior to 9-11, why did he allow them? Then again, were any one of the so called terrorists demolition experts? That was a near perfect demolition job, but like the so-called hijackings, almost nothing agrees in the official scam story given by Bush and confirmed by the 9-11 Ommitions Commission. And as well, the suspect terrorist were tortured to require them to tell of their needed guilt, when they had nothing at all to do with 9-11. Our only hope of getting over the Bush years is to appoint a truly independant prosecuter to find out what really happened on Sept 11, 200l, that Ashcroft strangely avoided.
December 12th, 2008 at 1:38 pmPerry logan Says:
Who says wingers don’t do irony?
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Oh they do irony all the time they just dont do INTENTIONAL irony. I think they have that gene removed at birth to FUNCTION as Republicans
December 12th, 2008 at 1:59 pmI guess in the same way as beating Ashcroft to death with a rubber chicken would be a humanitarian act by making the world a better place.
December 12th, 2008 at 2:00 pmAs opposed to what?
December 12th, 2008 at 2:57 pmKilling them on the spot?
A humanitarian act would be the executuion of the War Criminals of this immoral adiministration, Asscroft included!
December 12th, 2008 at 3:46 pmA lot of the detainees have tried to kill themselves and wish they had been killed on the spot. That the likes of Ashcroft feel free to spout about how “humanitarian” their evil is does not bode well for the world. It’s the mark of sociopathy–people are supposed to be grateful for the horror they suffer.
December 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pmHe then meandered through the alternatives to detention, such as “kill[ing] everybody on the battlefield”
Problem being, of course, that the majority of detainees…at any time…were not captured on any battlefield, but turned over by bounty hunters. No doubt there’s some real “bad guys” in the lot, but most are innocent of any terrorist or actual combat activity. At least they were when they went in. If this happened to me, I’d probably be ready to go after the people that destroyed my life, if I was released. It’s no wonder the U.S. is afraid to release these people, either into the U.S. or other countries. We’ve always created our own monsters.
December 12th, 2008 at 4:45 pmAnd if we just dropped the bomb on Iraq, they would have been instantly vaporized and not experienced any pain or even fear. This would have been the most humanitarian act possible ????
December 12th, 2008 at 9:58 pmAshcroft is not convincing anyone except the loyal bushie neocon kool-aid drinkers who mistakenly believe in Bush’s phony “war on terror” bullcrap.
December 12th, 2008 at 10:07 pmJack Ass-Crack is a genuine psychotic, and should be paid no attention to.
He believes in Diabolical Naked Statues, The Evils of Dancing, and Calico Cats as The Embodiment of Demons!!
December 13th, 2008 at 6:00 pm