Obama: I Believe Waterboarding Is Torture

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Obama: I Believe Waterboarding Is Torture
By Brian Beutler - April 29, 2009, 8:23PM

Jake Tapper just asked Obama if he thought that the Bush administration "sanctioned torture" in its use of waterboarding and Obama, after a moment's hesitation, said "Waterboarding violates our ideals and our values. I do believe that it's torture."

In his opening statement he also said that his administration put an end to torture, and there's no reason to say that unless you think torture was happening. But it's probably the most direct admission to date and, given recent events, it comes at noteworthy time.


Read more: http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/obama-i-believe-waterboarding-is-torture.php?ref=fp1

[KakistocracyHater]

1. Life is not a movie, or the tv show '24'

what part of that do they not understand?

[L. Coyote]

2. While he dodged the question TWICE!

That "could" mean the DoJ is considering criminal charges or at least a special prosecutor.

[EFerrari]

10. If Obama were really against prosecution, those memos would never

have come out. They'd have been tied up in court until everybody forgot why they cared about it.

[L. Coyote]

12. The court ordered the release. They could have been more redacted, of course, but

they had to come out. Only the court ordered memos are released, so far.

[Vattel]

3. sure he thinks it's torture,

but that doesn't mean he thinks it is criminal.

[eomer]

7. Yes it does.

It is clear Obama knows that torture is criminal.

The question is whether he will block prosecution but there is no doubt that he knows it was criminal.

[jefferson_dem]

4. Obama says waterboarding was torture

Source: AP

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Wednesday night that waterboarding authorized by former President George W. Bush was torture, and the information gained from terror suspects through its use could have been obtained by other means.

"In some cases it may be harder," he conceded at a White House news conference marking a whirlwind first 100 days in office.

<SNIP>

Obama also said he was "absolutely convinced" he had acted correctly in banning waterboarding and approved making public the Bush administration memos detailing its use as well as other harsh interrogation. "Not because there might ot have been information that was yielded by these various detainees ... but because we could have gotten this information in other ways, in ways that were consistent with our values, in ways that were consistent with who we are."

Obama has come under heavy criticism from former Vice President Dick Cheney and other Republicans for his actions, who have questioned whether they have rendered the country less safe.

Cheney as well as some congressional Republicans have urged Obama to release memos they say will show waterboarding was successful in obtaining information. But the president, in a White House exchange with House Republican leader John Boehner last week, said the record was equivocal.

Obama told reporters he has read the documents Cheney and others are referring to.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/obama-asserts-waterboardi_n_193270.html

[jody]

5. OK but in Obama's world does he believe torture is a crime under U.S. or international law? n/t

[L. Coyote]

13. And if he does, can he say so without prejudicing prosecutions?

There is a fine line here, and it is not easy to read between a fine line!

[jody]

14. After reading several threads on this topic, I read several dozen Executive Orders signed

by Presidents giving DoJ authority to do a variety of tasks and noted "The FBI Strategic Plan 2004-2009 serves as a high-level road map for the next five years, with strategic goals and objectives that address the mission of the FBI and fulfill the imperatives of the President, the Attorney General, and the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI)."

Imperative is defined as "1 a: of, relating to, or constituting the grammatical mood that expresses the will to influence the behavior of another b: expressive of a command, entreaty, or exhortation c: having power to restrain, control, and direct"

Recalling from experience how Presidents from FDR on used their authority and the agencies in the executive branch such as DoJ, FBI, et al to push the civil-rights movement, Obama could as a minimum issue an executive order to all executives under his immediate authority to cooperate in a thorough investigation of the torture issue with DoJ taking the lead and prepare a report answering whether there is or is not evidence to prosecute the case.

IMO the majority of We the People expect that from our President and not some evasive statement.

[ProgressIn2008]

6. How nice for him. So what's he going to do about it" ? nt

[LynnTheDem]

8. So does US and international law.

But it isn't anything to do with anyone's "belief"; it's a simple FACT.

[Solly Mack]

9. Thank you

[Vidar]

11. You're catching on.