Condemnation of US Torture of Terrorists Reaching Fever Pitch
Jim Kouri, CPP
November 10, 2005
While Jordanian police officers scour the rubble of three US hotels in Amman searching for body parts and clues, and Jordanian intelligence and law enforcement investigators attempt to identify and apprehend the terrorists responsible for killing and maiming hotel patrons and staff, the US liberals and their allies in the news media are embroiled in their attempts to portray the Central Intelligence Agency and the Bush Administration heartless torturers.
During this war on terrorism, the definition of torture has become so convoluted that Americans are confused as to what is acceptable and what is not in a time of global war. It's understandable why liberals believe aggressive interrogation is something to be avoided at all costs: they still believe that we should employ a law enforcement model to combat terrorism. Treating terrorists as we do auto thieves and robbers is their obvious goal.
While the people really fighting the war on terrorism never even mention the word "torture," the mainstream media are keeping it on the frontpages of newspapers, on the covers of newsmagazines and as lead stories on news broadcasts. Here are some headlines from just today's lead stories:
Q & A on US policy on torture, proposed ban
Mounting uproar over secret CIA prisons and torture
Cheney requests anti-torture exemption
UN Blasts Practice of Outsourcing Torture
Pentagon Issues Ban on Detainee Torture
The Global Struggle Against Torture: Guantanamo Bay and Bagram
Human Rights-US: Exporting Torture
Nothing seems to give these left-wing America haters more joy than to accuse men and women serving their country of being torturers and abusers. It's as if Americans are slitting throats, decapitating heads and hanging bodies from bridges instead of the vicious terrorists we face. Employing Stalinist tactics these America-haters even have their own cadre of useful idiots such as the New York Times' favorite Republican, Senator John McCain.
To be sure, no one is condoning the use of torture. The original interpretation of torture was extreme measures that could cause death or serious injury to a suspect. No reasonable person would condone such conduct. But now torture includes humiliating a suspect, loud noises such as blasting heavy metal music, sleep deprivation or having suspects stand in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time. The liberal reaction to the treatment of terrorists should be juxtaposed with US government treatment of American citizens during the administration of their hero, President Bill Clinton.
Once upon a time there was a religious sect named the Branch Davidian whose leader was a charismatic, sociopath who conned his followers into believing he was a modern day Messiah. They created a compound in Waco, Texas where they became self-sufficient and desired only one thing from society: to be left alone. Of course, in order to protect themselves and their property they maintained an arsenal within their compound which greatly distressed the federal government including Attorney General Janet Reno. In order to rationalize what was to come, there were phony allegations of child abuse and sexual assault leveled at the inhabitants of the Branch Davidian compound. The Reno Justice Department leaked phony stories about Branch Davidians buying semi-automatic firearms -- which is legal in Texas -- and turning them into fully automatic assault weapons.
At the same time that Reno and her cronies in the Justice Department were prohibiting federal law enforcement from taking action against suspected terrorists and their sympathizers, they were planning a quasi-military operation to disarm and arrest members of Branch Davidian.
The rest is common knowledge. The extreme measures used against American citizens (including sleep deprivation, blasting loud music and noise, etc.) went unchallenged by the news media of the day. When the compound was attacked using military tactics and excessive deadly force that resulted in the death dozens of men, women and children, and with the compound engulfed by flames, there was absolutely no condemnation of Bill Clinton or Janet Reno. Even conservatives appeared to condone such horror being inflicted on their fellow citizens. Apparently, in American if you're a Democrat politician you can escape punishment for even the most unconscionable behavior.
These same liberals, including some of the same people who not only condoned but praised US actions in Waco, are beating their breasts over the thought that perhaps some terrorist thug is getting smacked around a bit in a prison cell in a far off country. Does this make sense?
During this war on terrorism, the definition of torture has become so convoluted that Americans are confused as to what is acceptable and what is not in a time of global war. It's understandable why liberals believe aggressive interrogation is something to be avoided at all costs: they still believe that we should employ a law enforcement model to combat terrorism. Treating terrorists as we do auto thieves and robbers is their obvious goal.
While the people really fighting the war on terrorism never even mention the word "torture," the mainstream media are keeping it on the frontpages of newspapers, on the covers of newsmagazines and as lead stories on news broadcasts. Here are some headlines from just today's lead stories:
Q & A on US policy on torture, proposed ban
Mounting uproar over secret CIA prisons and torture
Cheney requests anti-torture exemption
UN Blasts Practice of Outsourcing Torture
Pentagon Issues Ban on Detainee Torture
The Global Struggle Against Torture: Guantanamo Bay and Bagram
Human Rights-US: Exporting Torture
Nothing seems to give these left-wing America haters more joy than to accuse men and women serving their country of being torturers and abusers. It's as if Americans are slitting throats, decapitating heads and hanging bodies from bridges instead of the vicious terrorists we face. Employing Stalinist tactics these America-haters even have their own cadre of useful idiots such as the New York Times' favorite Republican, Senator John McCain.
To be sure, no one is condoning the use of torture. The original interpretation of torture was extreme measures that could cause death or serious injury to a suspect. No reasonable person would condone such conduct. But now torture includes humiliating a suspect, loud noises such as blasting heavy metal music, sleep deprivation or having suspects stand in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time. The liberal reaction to the treatment of terrorists should be juxtaposed with US government treatment of American citizens during the administration of their hero, President Bill Clinton.
Once upon a time there was a religious sect named the Branch Davidian whose leader was a charismatic, sociopath who conned his followers into believing he was a modern day Messiah. They created a compound in Waco, Texas where they became self-sufficient and desired only one thing from society: to be left alone. Of course, in order to protect themselves and their property they maintained an arsenal within their compound which greatly distressed the federal government including Attorney General Janet Reno. In order to rationalize what was to come, there were phony allegations of child abuse and sexual assault leveled at the inhabitants of the Branch Davidian compound. The Reno Justice Department leaked phony stories about Branch Davidians buying semi-automatic firearms -- which is legal in Texas -- and turning them into fully automatic assault weapons.
At the same time that Reno and her cronies in the Justice Department were prohibiting federal law enforcement from taking action against suspected terrorists and their sympathizers, they were planning a quasi-military operation to disarm and arrest members of Branch Davidian.
The rest is common knowledge. The extreme measures used against American citizens (including sleep deprivation, blasting loud music and noise, etc.) went unchallenged by the news media of the day. When the compound was attacked using military tactics and excessive deadly force that resulted in the death dozens of men, women and children, and with the compound engulfed by flames, there was absolutely no condemnation of Bill Clinton or Janet Reno. Even conservatives appeared to condone such horror being inflicted on their fellow citizens. Apparently, in American if you're a Democrat politician you can escape punishment for even the most unconscionable behavior.
These same liberals, including some of the same people who not only condoned but praised US actions in Waco, are beating their breasts over the thought that perhaps some terrorist thug is getting smacked around a bit in a prison cell in a far off country. Does this make sense?
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