BUSH FOOLS AMERICANS BY APPEARING TO ACCEPT MCCAIN'S BAN ON TORTURE

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Fri, 16 Dec 2005 14:31:08 -0800 (PST)

BUSH FOOLS AMERICANS BY APPEARING TO ACCEPT

MCCAIN'S BAN ON TORTURE

 

 

 

 

 

BUSH FOOLS AMERICANS BY APPEARING TO ACCEPT MCCAIN'S BAN ON TORTURE

 

BY: EVAN AUGUSTINE PETERSON, III

 

 

 

12/17/05

 

 

Published by Coalition For Free Thought In Media

 

 

In Washington politics, things are seldom what they

appear to be - especially when devious Machiavellians are running the

White House.

And we often end up getting a fairy-tale version of reality because

the USA's government-corporate-media complex prefers to ignore

unpleasant-but-true stories while it promotes pleasant-but-false stories.

 

 

For instance, the mainstream media is burying a major

Bushite deception right now, so as to leave the American people with

the rosy-but-false impression that Mr. Bush has adopted a " new

position " concerning torture. [1]

 

 

On Wednesday of this week, a non-binding House vote

overwhelmingly favored the McCain Amendment, which would ban torture

by the military, the CIA, and mercenaries under contract with the U.S.

government. [2] Then on Thursday, Mr. Bush reportedly RESCINDED his

opposition to the McCain Anti-Torture Amendment (which he had

threatened to veto). [3]

 

 

BUSHITES MISLEADING THE PUBLIC TO A ROSY-BUT-FALSE

CONCLUSION.

 

 

Oh happy day! The U.S. government finally appears to

have understood what civilized people everywhere already knew: torture

isn't wrong merely because it's illegal (i.e., " malum prohibitum " ,

or " wrong because prohibited " ); rather, torture is illegal because

it's just plain wrong (i.e., " malum in se " , or " wrong in itself " ).

 

 

However, human-rights groups should not prematurely

celebrate a " victory. " Mr. Bush has learned nothing, and he

hasn't changed his position on torture. He misled us into war under

false pretenses, and now he's trying to mislead Congress and the

public into believing that his administration has forsworn its

advocacy and use of torture.

 

 

Consider this: Bush ONLY rescinded his opposition to McCain's

Anti-Torture Amendment because he'd already circumvented its most

important provision! The key provision would have made the

Army's formal interrogation standards - which can be found in the Army

Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation - the UNIFORM STANDARD for

the entire government.

 

 

And torture-survivor McCain chose the Army's long-standing

interrogation standards because they were written to conform with

international-law conventions that strictly prohibit belligerents

from humiliating, abusing, or torturing prisoners

and detainees.

 

 

So how did Mr. Bush fool everyone? [4] By getting his

Pentagon minions to issue their first official change to the Army

Field Manual in thirteen years. More importantly, the Pentagon

radically altered the Army Field Manual by inserting a 10-page

CLASSIFIED addendum that contains new, highly-permissive interrogation

standards. The DOD's new interrogation standards intentionally BLUR

the Army's formerly clear-cut standards.

Furthermore, these new standards not only permit, but also teach,

abusive interrogation techniques that will violate international law

because they are obviously tantamount to torture. [5]

 

 

WHAT CONCLUSIONS CAN WE DRAW FROM THIS

STORY-WITHIN-THE-STORY?

 

 

DON'T BE FOOLED, folks! The McCain Anti-Torture

Amendment WON'T ban torture, depite the fact that its operative

provision would have made the Army Field Manual's clear-cut standards

the uniform standard for the entire government. But now it won't,

because the Pentagon has revised those interrogation standards not

only PERMIT, but also TEACH, techniques of humiliation and abuse that

are tantamount to TORTURE.

 

 

Here's the bottom-line conclusion: " The idea that we

have a 'Vice President For Torture' now appears quaint. What we

really have is an entire administration [that is] openly and

unapologetically for torture. " [6] Of course, the Pentagon's re-write

of the Army Field Manual, the chief executive's approval thereof, and

every human-rights violation flowing therefrom, will be a PROSECUTABLE

WAR CRIME.

 

 

WHAT'S THE MORAL OF THIS STORY-WITHIN-THE-STORY?

 

 

The ultra-militaristic Bushites and their Pentagon

minions are arrogant, treacherous, " above-the-law " despots who

will stop at nothing to have their way. Even if their way is clearly

" malum in se. " [7] Even if their way destroys our nation's moral

credibility. [8] Even if their way dooms democratic governance under

the rule of law. [9] If there is any justice left inside the USA,

" having their way " will lead directly to their IMPEACHMENT and REMOVAL

from office.

 

___________

 

ENDNOTES

 

 

[1] In all fairness to the mainstream press, NY Times

reporter Eric Schmitt probably broke this unpleasant-but-true

story. Nevertheless, it would have had a swift burial if it hadn't

been picked up by online journalists and pundits.

 

 

[2] Eric Schmitt 12-15-05 CD/NYT article, " House Backs

McCain On Detainees, Defying Bush " :

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1215-04.htm

 

 

[3] Liz Sidoti's 12-15-05 AP/AOLNews article, " Bush

Accepts McCain's Ban On Torture: Move Comes After House And Senate

Back Language " :

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id-20051214093209990014 & _...

 

 

 

[4] He fooled almost everyone. Mr. Bush probably

consulted beforehand with Republicans like House Armed Services

Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA), who has vehemently opposed

the McCain Amendment. The ultra-militaristic Hunter undoubtedly would

applaud - if he didn't actually propose - the Pentagon's vile

revisions to eviscerate the Amendment.

 

 

[5] Judd Legum, et al., in the American Progress

Action Fund's 12-15-05

Progress Report article, " Torture: Bush Administration

Changes Army Field Manual To Skirt Anti-Torture Legislation " (read

the full text here):

 

 

" With Congress on the verge of passing the sweeping

McCain Anti-Torture Amendment, the Bush Administration has moved to

get around the proposed rules should they become law. [A] The McCain

Amendment would make the 'Army Field Manual on Intelligence

Interrogation' the standard for questioning subjects. That manual

explicitly prohibits the use of 'coercive interrogation techniques.'

Realizing this, the Pentagon one-upped McCain and simply re-wrote the

manual. For the first time in thirteen years, the Pentagon approved 'a

10-page classified addendum to a new Army field manual' that 'would

help teach [interrogators] how to walk right up to the line between

legal and illegal interrogations.'

[C]

'This is a stick in McCain's eye, " one official said.

'It goes right up to the edge.' "

[A] Nico Pitney's 12-14-05 ThinkProgress.org

article, " As Torture Amendment Nears Passage, Pentagon Rewrites Army

Detainee Standards " :

http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/14/torture-rewrite/

DOD's addendum to the Army Field Manual on

Intelligence Interrogation:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/policy/army/fm/fm34-52/t...

[C] Eric Scmitt's 12-14-05 IHT/NYT article, " New

Army Rules May Snag Talks With McCain On Detainee Rights " :

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/14/news/torture.php

[6] Ibid; see Nico Pitney at [4][a] above.

[7] Ray McGovern's 12-13-05 CD/TD essay, " McCain's

Defining Moment "

[Contains excellent moral reasoning about torture, but

it no longer matters if Senator McCain compromises his amendment's

language in negotiations with the Republican leaders. Mr. Bush's

minions in the Pentagon have already checkmated McCain by issuing a

major revision to the Army Field Manual's interrogation standards.

Even if the McCain Amendment passes, their revision's purpose is to

ensure the continuation of " coercive interrogation techniques " that

humiliate, abuse, and torture prisoners and detainees.]:

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1213-34.htm

[8] NY Times' 12-16-05 editorial, " Ban Torture.

Period. " [This is a good editorial, so far as it goes. However, its

theme should've gone farther than " when it comes to torture, the

nation and its military men and women need moral clarity, not more

legalistic wiggle room. " ]:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/opinion/16fri1.html?th & emc=th

[9] Elisa Massimo's 11-21-05 CD essay, " Heading Toward

the Dark Side "

[The Bushites claim they're " above the law " whereas

their enemies are " below the law. " These claims are calculated to

subvert the rule of law and convert Americans to the Dark Side.]:

http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1121-25.htm

___________

AUTHOR'S NOTE TO ONLINE EDITORS AND READERS:

This essay was written by Evan Augustine Peterson III,

J.D., who is the

Executive Director of the American Center for

International Law ( " ACIL " ).