The Rank, Reeking Horror of Torturing Some Folks

[Scootaloo]

82. WilliamPitt didn't edit anything.

Back in August, President Obama - who saw this report and all of its grisly details coming a mile away - let drop the least anonymous penny in history: "We tortured some folks." Later in his remarks, the president said, "And, you know, it's important for us not to feel too sanctimonious in retrospect about the tough job that those folks had. A lot of those folks were working hard under enormous pressure and are real patriots, but having said all that, we did some things that were wrong."

"Later in his remarks" is not an edit, but a factual statement - especially since "later' is exactly two sentences later.

With respect to the larger point of the RDI report itself, even before I came into office I was very clear that in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 we did some things that were wrong. We did a whole lot of things that were right, but we tortured some folks. We did some things that were contrary to our values.

I understand why it happened. I think it’s important when we look back to recall how afraid people were after the Twin Towers fell and the Pentagon had been hit and the plane in Pennsylvania had fallen, and people did not know whether more attacks were imminent, and there was enormous pressure on our law enforcement and our national security teams to try to deal with this. And it’s important for us not to feel too sanctimonious in retrospect about the tough job that those folks had. And a lot of those folks were working hard under enormous pressure and are real patriots.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/08/01/press-conference-president

This is what the man said. and the context clearly shows that he is coming to the defense of those who conductedthese acts, while trying to condemn the acts themselves.

However, our legal system does not operate on the philosophy of "hate the sin but love the sinner."