Leon Panetta Said What?

[guido911]

Interestingly, Rumsfeld said that this information wasn't likely obtained with torture.

I just assumed you had a source for that. Here's Rumsfeld explaining his position on "waterboarding" and its success on an evil Fox News show.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/05/03/rumsfeld_those_who_deny_waterboarding_helped_arent_facing_the_truth.html

[nathanm]

Yeah, it turns out he decided to walk back his previous comments when he went on Fox. Serves me right, believing he wasn't being as untrustworthy as usual.

[guido911]

Yeah, it turns out he decided to walk back his previous comments when he went on Fox. Serves me right, believing he wasn't being as untrustworthy as usual.

Do you have a link to support your initial point?

[nathanm]

Do you have a link to support your initial point?

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/DonaldRumsfeld-gitmo-waterboarding-osamabinladen/2011/05/02/id/394820?s=al&promo_code=C30F-1

I don't appreciate the implication, by the way.

[guido911]

http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/DonaldRumsfeld-gitmo-waterboarding-osamabinladen/2011/05/02/id/394820?s=al&promo_code=C30F-1

I don't appreciate the implication, by the way.

Not giving a rat's heiron what you think about my "implication". Here is Rumsfeld setting the record straight (go to 2:30).

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/05/03/rumsfeld_those_who_deny_waterboarding_helped_arent_facing_the_truth.html

[nathanm]

Not giving a rat's heiron what you think about my "implication". Here is Rumsfeld setting the record straight (go to 2:30).

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/05/03/rumsfeld_those_who_deny_waterboarding_helped_arent_facing_the_truth.html

Funny how he contradicts himself (and many experts in interrogation)

[Conan71]

Yeah, torture is a red herring. 

For what it's worth, there's a lot of people attacking Obama from the left on exactly those issues you bring up.

In the context it was used against the Bush Admin by the peaceniks, it very much was a red herring.  The Bush Admin did nothing different from it's predecessors.  The implication was that water boarding was invented during the WOT which is total BS, it's been around for centuries.  Had you ever heard that term prior to 2007 or so? 

[Teatownclown]

Leon said, "time for a martini....a Bin Ladentini.

[nathanm]

In the context it was used against the Bush Admin by the peaceniks, it very much was a red herring.  The Bush Admin did nothing different from it's predecessors.  The implication was that water boarding was invented during the WOT which is total BS, it's been around for centuries.  Had you ever heard that term prior to 2007 or so? 

Nobody claimed Bush invented it. The Bush administration was the first (that I'm aware of) US Administration in modern history to claim that torture is AOK, though. Obviously, prior to the 1900s torture was the norm even among the most 'peacenik', and was pretty standard until after WWI. I generally prefer to move forward rather than backward, however.

His administration not only argued that it was reasonable under the circumstances, but also that it was legal, despite longstanding Congressional prohibitions on the practice and our ratifying a treaty banning the practice in 1992. If you hadn't noticed, treaties ratified by Congress are as good as the Constitution itself in authority. (Article 6)

[guido911]

High-ranking Obama administration official Panetta finally gets it.

BAGHDAD — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Monday appeared to justify the U.S. invasion of Iraq as part of the war against al-Qaeda, an argument controversially made by the Bush administration but refuted by President Obama and many Democrats.

Panetta made his remarks during his his inaugural visit to Iraq as Pentagon chief. Speaking to about 100 soldiers at Camp Victory, the largest U.S. military installation in Baghdad, he said his primary goal as defense secretary was to defeat al-Qaeda worldwide...

"The reason you guys are here is because on 9/11 the United States got attacked," Panetta told the troops. "And 3,000 Americans — 3,000 not just Americans, 3,000 human beings, innocent human beings — got killed because of al-Qaeda. And we've been fighting as a result of that."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/national-security/panetta-echoes-bush-comments-linking-iraq-invasion-to-war-on-al-qaeda/2011/07/11/gIQA3m3h8H_story.html

[Emphasis added]. I know, he misspoke or something.

edited.

[Teatownclown]

I bet LP gave the go ahead to kill Karzai's 1/2 brother. He's the assassin in chief for sure.  

He's doing a bang up job eliminating al queda leaders with drones alone!

edit: I bet his visit to Karzai was an offer the President of Afghanistan couldn't refuse....his 1/2 brother was the horses head.