Petraeus agrees with Obama: It’s time to close Guantanamo and end torture.
Petraeus agrees with Obama: It’s time to close Guantanamo and end torture.
In an interview this past weekend with Radio Free Europe, Gen. David Petraeus said that he supports President Obama’s decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and opposes the use of enhanced interrogation techniques:
PETRAEUS: In fact, I have long been on record as having testified and also in helping write doctrine for interrogation techniques that are completely in line with the Geneva Convention. And as a division commander in Iraq in the early days, we put out guidance very early on to make sure that our soldiers, in fact, knew that we needed to stay within those guidelines.
With respect to Guantanamo, I think that the closure in a responsible manner, obviously one that is certainly being worked out now by the Department of Justice — I talked to the attorney general the other day [and] they have a very intensive effort ongoing to determine, indeed, what to do with the detainees who are left, how to deal with them in a legal way, and if continued incarceration is necessary — again, how to take that forward.
But doing that in a responsible manner, I think, sends an important message to the world, as does the commitment of the United States to observe the Geneva Convention when it comes to the treatment of detainees.
Will Petraeus change the minds of any conservatives who are currently criticizing Obama for these same opinions? Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has called Petraeus one of the “wisest people” he knows, and conservatives have said that it would be a “dream” to have the general run for president.
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Whether he’s agreeing with me or not, I have a problem with a currently serving military commander speaking out on public policy. Civilian control of the military is a key building block of stable democracy; upholding that includes preventing the military from interfering in political matters. You can look at China or North Korea for examples of countries who have to take the military’s opinion into account before making policy. It’s important we don’t move in that direction whatsoever.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:24 pmAlso: prepare to watch the wingnuts throw their “hero” under a bus now.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:24 pmTime for Dick, Rush and Newt to go after the General. Or will they?
PEACE
May 26th, 2009 at 3:24 pmHow long until Rush goes with the Betrayus theme?
May 26th, 2009 at 3:24 pmThe list of people who wont kiss Limbutt is growing every day
May 26th, 2009 at 3:27 pmWho new Mancow’s waterboarding would have such far reaching implications?!?!
May 26th, 2009 at 3:27 pmThis isn’t going to go over to well at Corporate headquarters(FoxNews)!
How soon will Rove start criticizing Petraeus as being a far left Liberal?
Cue Rush and his trolls questioning the General’s patriotism, virility and childrens’ paternity.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:28 pmDr. Hussein Matt Says:
“I Hope Petraeus Fails”
~Boss Limbaugh, May 2009
Petraeus is in charge of Iraq and Afghanistan. That “I hope he fails” thing will take on an entirely new spin when applied to him.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:31 pmwhere’s proud mary and O(bviously)S(tupid) crowing about how obama is continuing 43’s path of destruction and torture? guess stories like these takes the hay out of their strawmen.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:32 pmwe all know that valiant war hero anal cyst tub-o-lard isn’t above smearing vets. just ask powell.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:33 pmHE HAS SPOKEN!!
Now lets see what the Rushpuppetcans have to say about this. I still believe the good General is still a handpuppet but at least on this he’s correct.
RIP
May 26th, 2009 at 3:35 pmSGT Stephen R. Sherman
C CO 1-5 IN (STRYKER)
KIA 3 Feb 2005
Mosul, Iraq
Gen. Petraeus? “There’s a Mr. Limbaugh on the phone for you. He says it’s urgent.”
May 26th, 2009 at 3:38 pmtullypain,
May 26th, 2009 at 3:42 pmanother good ole christian homeschooled moron who earned a flagging from me
tullypain needs to be banned.
Hate speech does NOT equal free speech.
TP, please fix the “report abuse” feature so we can all flag these morons.
PEACE
May 26th, 2009 at 3:47 pmI’m sure Rush will borrow from ElBruce and say that active soldiers should not dabble in policy decisions and should leave those sort of weightier matters to their betters, like Rush….
May 26th, 2009 at 3:47 pmIt’s time to end torture. It’s time to shine the light of truth on the last eight years of Bush torture, treason and tyranny. It’s time to completely withdraw US military occupiers from Afghanistan and Iraq. Imagine Iraqis running Iraq and Afghanis running Afghanistan, without “benefit” of US torture chambers, US military bases, Halliburton, Blackwater and all the other facets of US imperial occupation.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:47 pmBozo–I have several christian home-schooled friends and only a few of them are Republican morons.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:48 pmtullypain,
May 26th, 2009 at 3:48 pmthat’s not very nice.
we all know your old man fcuked a cow and conceived you but we still extend human rights to you.
Above the Clouds,
May 26th, 2009 at 3:51 pmas one in the field of education, I have no problem should people want to home school their kids. however, there should be a series of standardized tests these kids have to take every step of the way to see if they’re being educated properly.
Is Rush off the air already today. Now he’ll have to wait until tomorrow to call Petraeus a faux general.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:52 pmtullypain must have a chip on his shoulder: He can’t advance past the rank of Private on Call of Duty because there’s a pesky Muswim with a sniper rifle he can’t figure out.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:55 pmOn noes! An anal cyst somewhere in the world is growing irritable
May 26th, 2009 at 3:55 pmMy bet is that we don’t hear a darn thing about this from the right-wing propaganda machine. They are completely in a corner now.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:58 pmBozo–as one who values the importance of a strong public school education, it is a painful landing for those “christian home-schooled” kids who will eventually have to deal with a world that is quite different from what mom and dad teach them. And they will need to interact with Democrats and liberal/progressive people once in a while, too!
May 26th, 2009 at 4:04 pmDon’t you find it interesting that military and ex-military personnel (Powel, McCain, and Petraeus), who know first hand the effects of torture, are opposed to it?
While the “real” experts like Limpbaugh, Beck, Hannity, O’Reilly, Rove, Ginrich, and Cheney, who have a combine ZERO in terms of military service, think it’s ok.
As a Vietam vet, I get really P$ssed at these loudmouths who claim that they no what what’s best.
Even at my age, I bet after 10 minutes I could have anyone of these jerks swear to God that they voted for Obama and have the hots for Pilossi.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:06 pmHow long before they start painting the General as a hippie, war hating liberal?
May 26th, 2009 at 4:06 pmAbove the Clouds,
May 26th, 2009 at 4:07 pmplus, there’s the very real chance you’ll be creating a socially stunted adult since interaction amongst one’s peers is a significant part of maturity, both academically and socially. you don’t get that when it’s one on one in a room with mom all day.
tullypain Says:
Muslims aren’t human, so they have no human rights.
I think he was being ironic folks…
I don’t get Petraeus. Is he genuine or is he just a sh1t-eating grinner who blows in the wind? I guess the ambiguity I feel about him is part of the skills he has that got him to General status in the first place.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:22 pmHe said this on an interview on Radio Free Europe. I’m guessing we won’t hear a peep about it from the MSM.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:33 pmraynman Says:
I’m sure Rush will borrow from ElBruce and say that active soldiers should not dabble in policy decisions and should leave those sort of weightier matters to their betters, like Rush….
Except that when they see Petraus as agreeing with them, they do things like crying about how Obama has to “sit down with” him like he’s a foreign leader instead of an employee.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:38 pmoilforillegals
Bite me you simpleminded moron, bite me you simpleminded moron, bite me you simpleminded moron
May 26th, 2009 at 4:39 pmTully you are a subhuman bigoted moron. You are a disgusting piece of filthand an ignorant brainwashed troll. Stick your stupid up your A$$ and STFU
May 26th, 2009 at 4:40 pmAs I’ve said elsewhere, Petraeus is the ultimate Repub hero. Everything he ever said was taken as gospel— until now? Will the Repubs embrace his words & STFU about Gitmo & torture? Yeah, sure they will. Watch for Limbaugh, Cheney, & Rove to find a way to now malign their supreme hero. Limbaugh, Cheney, Rove– radical right wing extremists who have nothing to say to the real world, not even normal Repubs. Limbaugh, Rove, Cheney– abnormal, abhorrent, aberrations. (The Bible tells me so)
May 26th, 2009 at 4:40 pmtullypain Says: Muslims aren’t human, so they have no human rights.
tullypain isn’t even a legitimate human being. Let’s discard this piece of excrement to a place he/she belongs: the sewer. Anyone who automatically denies rights to others, because of their religion, is a blight on everything Jesus taught. Yes, tullypain, that means you are a blight on religion.
May 26th, 2009 at 4:46 pmIs it possible that the rethuglicans will throw both General Petraeus and conservative radio host Eric “Mancow” Muller under the bus in the same week?????
May 26th, 2009 at 5:03 pmFor Decades,The Republicans have used the Canard that “The Democrats are anti-military and Against the Troops.
This line of BS reached its epiphany during the 2000 election when Cheney assured the military that “Help is on the Way”
Help Indeed. Bush’s Bungling Darn near Broke our military…and the “Help” Cheney really meant was for Unregulated Looting of the National treasury by Defense Contractors. The Troops??? not so much.
President Obama ( and the First Lady) have been skillfully demonstrating their REAL CONCERN for the Military and Military Families. Obama recognizes HOW important it is… Politically and Moraly… to Make sure our Troops have What they need, when they are sent to places where their lives are on the Line…. And that they are Taken Care of, when they return.
I think Obama sees Gen. Petraeus as a confidant and an ally.
SMART
We’ll SEE what the Republicans think.
May 26th, 2009 at 5:39 pmIt will be hard but not impossible for the hypocrites of the repugniscum party to throw Petraeus under the bus now.
May 26th, 2009 at 5:41 pmLintball will lead the charge.
Mullen has also agreed that Gitmo should be closed, along with McCain, Powell, and others.
Uncle Fester Lurks Says:
Is it possible that the rethuglicans will throw both General Petraeus and conservative radio host Eric “Mancow” Muller under the bus in the same week?????
It’s a big bus.
May 26th, 2009 at 6:05 pmoilyMoron
You are too stupid to live. First 49% is NOT a minority. Second having AN opinion in a minority is not BEING a minority. Try to remember how bad the cons got their butts kicked in the last two elections. Then again you dont care if what you say is a lie or not. You are an ignorant brainwashed punkass troll and being an ignorant troll parading your stupidity is what you DO. Just go kill yourself. You are of no use to humanity
May 26th, 2009 at 10:38 pmoilforillegals Says:
progressives=monority…still
“Forty-nine percent (49%) of voters nationwide now disagree with President Barack Obama’s decision to close the prison camp for suspected terrorists at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey, conducted after the President’s speech on Guantanamo last week, shows that 38% agree with his decision.
Link: 49% Say U.S. Should Keep Guantanamo Prison Open. Oops, you got it completely backwards! Like, the other way around! Wow, I just Googled “Rasmussen Guantanimo” and it gave me the exact using-your-logic-your-logic-is-wrong reverse freebie on a silver platter. Damn, that was easy.
You suck.
Try harder next time, ‘k?
May 27th, 2009 at 12:17 amOh noes? Someone is a frequent visitor to I can haz cheeseburger!
I LOVE that site! Have you seen Pundit Kitchen?
Sorry to get off topic. To make up for my off topicky-ness, I’ll say “YAY!” I’m glad someone of his stature and position has validated this. The far righties are going to be hard pressed to ridicule General Petraeus.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:38 amEl Bruce you have to understand he doesnt CARE if its true or not. HE is a punkass troll. Trolling is all its about. Truth, facts, these things dont enter into it. If he has to lie and turn things around to poke tat us that is what OilyMoron will do. He is a punk.
May 27th, 2009 at 12:39 am.
Q U E S T I O N:
Why would I stop doing what otherwise would be considered ILLEGAL, if it doesn’t benefit me, somehow?
Oh, because it’s ILLEGAL?
WTF?!?! You mean the Rule of Law matters in America? Who are you kidding? In America, we do as the “Leader” says, not as the Law dictates. NO?
.
May 27th, 2009 at 1:37 am.
Dear America,
Which is more important…
… Playing follow the Leader or following the Rule of Law?
Because by all indications, playing follow the Leader has more appeal to your elected Officials than any Law does.
The fact that elected Officials have to spoon feed you “their” answer to follow them and NOT the Law, is a scary proposal to even entertain, but you continue too…
.
May 27th, 2009 at 1:42 amEugeneDebs Says:
El Bruce you have to understand he doesnt CARE if its true or not. HE is a punkass troll. Trolling is all its about. Truth, facts, these things dont enter into it.
And between his attack and my response, we both get to educate any third parties on a significant political fact. I wouldn’t have thought of bringing up Rasmussen’s latest poll regarding Gitmo by myself. We’re a team, the trolls and us anti-trolls. We need them to ineptly raise such issues so that we can spell them all out clearly and thoroughly as we debunk the idiots.
The trolls don’t realize that they are merely grist for our mill.
May 27th, 2009 at 1:54 amEl Bruce true enough my friend. I dont think they will ever catch on
May 27th, 2009 at 8:10 amPetraeus will now become vilified by the right. You watch at some of the things they will say about him at this agreement with Obama. And they will conveniently forget just how great they said he was just last year. A bad or selective memory is vital to being in politics. Just like lying.
May 27th, 2009 at 6:17 pmHe cannot be believed. He had plenty of time to protest the torture policies of his boss, and did not. He was promoted for being a team player, and in that respect he is no different than Powell who has proven over the decades there is nothing he will not do to gain another star–Even lying and committing war crimes. Petreaus in one of those political warriors who was in the Bush camp hook, line and sinker and now is in the Obama camp. He has no loyalty except to himself, no original thoughts except those put there by others. His moral compass is MIA.
May 27th, 2009 at 7:26 pmI would love to hear the Liberals discuss what our enemies did to American prisoner’s. Do you think that they should cut off the hands first or how about pulling out the fingernails before cutting off their head and dragging them through the street? Do you think they are violating their Geneva Covention or ours?
You are going to have to explain this article in the New York Times.Where is your discussion about this???
U.S. Relies More on Aid of Allies in Terror Cases
Published: May 23, 2009
WASHINGTON — The United States is now relying heavily on foreign intelligence services to capture, interrogate and detain all but the highest-level terrorist suspects seized outside the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, according to current and former American government officials.
Will you considering prosecuting your POTUS for this. Water boarding is legal next to what these guys do.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/world/24intel.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss&pagewanted=all
May 30th, 2009 at 8:41 pm