The U.S. government always treats detainees humanely
The arrogance of the Bush administration still amazes me after all these years.
Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a notorious Guantanamo detainee, has asked a military court, via his lawyer, to forbid prosecutors from using statements he made to prosecutors government interrogators as evidence against him in an upcoming trial. The lawyer claims Hamdan’s statements are inadmissible because he was coerced (viz. tortured) into making them. However, that’s all a big lie according to the Pentagon.
A Pentagon spokesman, Cmdr. Jeffrey D. Gordon, said the policy had always been “to treat detainees humanely.” He added that Qaeda operatives were trained “on the legal and public relations benefits of publicizing torture while in detention.”
Put aside Hamdan’s innocence or guilt, villain or angel; how can the government make such a bold and blanket statement of its policy and innocence especially in light of the Yoo memo released earlier this week? Does the administration really believe the public is that naive?
I know, just because a legal opinion existed in the OLC, and despite how ludicrous the argument is, it doesn’t by default mean anyone was tortured (which is Yoo’s current position). However, there is overwhelming evidence the government has in fact tortured detainees.
In addition to other undeniable evidence (including admissions) the government has tortured detainees – Abu Ghraib for example – just this week CIA Director Michael Hayden boasted with great delight on Meet the Press, “we have not waterboarded anyone, now, in over five years.”
Moreover, three days ago in an interview with Esquire, Yoo said, “The memo released yesterday does not apply to Iraq. It applied to interrogations of al Qaeda detained at Guantanamo Bay."
So, according to Cmdr. Gordon, Yoo wrote an 80-page opinion, specifically intended for and limited to Guantanamo (if you believe that), just for grins. And Gen. Hayden really said the CIA has never done waterboarding instead of “in over five years.” What a relief that is.
