Time to Come Clean (on torture), By NICHOLAS KRISTOF

[jefferson_dem]

Time to Come Clean
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

If, God forbid, terrorists release nerve gas in movie theaters from Los Angeles to Washington tomorrow, the debate about torture will change 180 degrees. The public will turn on President Obama for having “coddled” terrorists.

In short, today’s revulsion at waterboarding is broad but fragile. And that makes it essential that the United States proceed with an independent commission to investigate harsh treatment and tally its costs and benefits.

President Obama worries that the commission will be a distraction, but the truth is the opposite. Revelations will continue to trickle out — including a new hoard of photos of abuses scheduled to be released by May 28 — creating a constant roar of charges and counter-charges. Liberals will jab Mr. Obama from the left, and Dick Cheney from the right, until the president resembles St. Sebastian (the human pincushion). Mr. Obama won’t be able to escape torture.

“He’s trying to get it off the news cycle, and that’s not going to happen,” said Elisa Massimino, chief executive of Human Rights First. “You can’t say you’re going to follow the evidence and then not look for any.”

Morton Halperin of the Open Society Institute, a leader in the coalition supporting a commission, said: “He’s better off saying, ‘there’ll be a commission report, and I’ll deal with it when it’s over.’ It’s a much more credible way to get it off the table.”

There are three solid reasons for a national commission:

First, it could help forge a consensus against torture, for almost everyone in the national security world believes that the result would be a ringing affirmation that we should not torture.

<SNIP>

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/26/opinion/26kristof.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Uh... They Already Confessed To War Crimes

Just what might we expect to find in an investigation that we don't already know?

[HereSince1628]

2. The benefits, of course, for their "Innocent By Reason of Torture Works" defense

This isn't about whether or not someone committed torture.

We know that someone did.

This is about whether or not terror should be illegal.

The rightwing, disguised as heroic terror fighters, has slid down the slippery slope.

Their plan is to construct a wave of popular support to decriminalize their debauchery of truth, justice and the American way.

I am sure Superman, Captain America, and the Green Lantern are rolling over in their graves.

[Captain Hilts]

4. People are still holding the military and the Sen/House intel cmtes responsible. We need to know

more about the process that made this possible.

[lunatica]

6. Prosecutable evidence and a semblance of justice

And the truth about those who haven't 'confessed' yet. Are you against any of this?

[mmonk]

3. I would trust no commission that had Kean or Hamilton.

Sorry.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Read their book on the 9-11 Commission

and count how many times they speak of election timing in the first 20 pages or so. No book has ever angered me so much, and it was not the facts that did it, it was the exclusively political point of view they used in approaching the job. Repulsive, considering the subject matter.

[Senator]

7. K&R