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From the AP:
President Barack Obama left the door open Tuesday to prosecuting Bush administration officials who devised the legal authority for gruesome terror-suspect interrogations, saying the United States lost "our moral bearings" with use of the tactics.

The question of whether to bring charges against those who devised justification for the methods "is going to be more of a decision for the attorney general within the parameters of various laws and I don't want to prejudge that," Obama said. The president discussed the continuing issue of terrorism-era interrogation tactics with reporters as he finished an Oval Office meeting with visiting King Abdullah II of Jordan.

The Washington Post questioned why Obama had come to the decision to potentially allow prosecution:

There was no immediate explanation of the reversal in Obama's position on the officials who formulated the interrogation policy, but it came amid mounting pressure from congressional Democrats and human rights activists for greater accountability regarding the program.
The AP documented how Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was barraged with questions about the President's latest on the torture issue.

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said in a television interview over the weekend that the administration does not support prosecutions for "those who devised policy." Later, White House aides said that he was referring to CIA superiors who ordered the interrogations, not the Justice Department officials who wrote the legal memos allowing them.

White House press secretary Gibbs was peppered with questions at a Tuesday briefing about whether Obama's latest statements conflicted with signals the administration had sent earlier and Emanuel's statements of Sunday.

"Instead of referring to what anybody might have said ... I think it's important to refer to what the president said," Gibbs replied. He said that Obama has said "he does not believe that people are above the rule of law." And his spokesman reiterated Obama's position that any determination on whether laws were broken "would be rightly determined by the United States Department of Justice."

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
But there was no torture, so I guess this is a moot point.

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Originally posted by whozit:
I love it,

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Barry wants to put Bush officials on trail

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he makes nice with Hugo and other S. American dictators. I bet he would have shook hands with Hitler in 1939.

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Originally posted by chrisisall:

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Originally posted by whozit:
I love it,

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Then why don't ya marry it?

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Barry wants to put Bush officials on trail

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Please, make it more difficult...lol

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he makes nice with Hugo and other S. American dictators. I bet he would have shook hands with Hitler in 1939.

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And here we are again in Straw Man Alley.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Originally posted by Kwicko:

Mike

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Originally posted by whozit:

Is that were Barry bought his cocaine?

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Originally posted by chrisisall:

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Originally posted by whozit:

Is that were Barry bought his cocaine?

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What is this? Crappy Shakespeare or something?
I can't read this stuff, it hurts my brain.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Originally posted by whozit:
Oh no wait! Straw Man Alley is where Barry meets Perez Hilton on Saturday nights!

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Originally posted by whozit:

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Originally posted by chrisisall:

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Originally posted by whozit:

Is that were Barry bought his cocaine?

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What is this? Crappy Shakespeare or something?
I can't read this stuff, it hurts my brain.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Oh no wait! Straw Man Alley is where Barry meets Perez Hilton on Saturday nights!

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Originally posted by whozit:
They kiss and exchange Gerbles.

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Originally posted by chrisisall:

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Originally posted by whozit:
They kiss and exchange Gerbles.

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I made a thread for your ilk, W:

http://168.215.229.9/mthread.asp?b=18&t=37913

You're welcome.


The laughing Chrisisall

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Originally posted by rue:
Not trying to pre-judge the outcome of any (as yet non-existant) trials - but - what will you do if Bush officials are found guilty of torture ?

Will you keep repeating there was none ?

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Silence is consent.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

Water boarding isn't torture.

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In 1947, a Japanese soldier who used water boarding against a U.S. citizen during World War II was sentenced to 15 years in U.S. prison for committing a war crime.

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Originally posted by chrisisall:
*still waiting to hear the 'Rapo denial*


The laughing Chrisisall

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Originally posted by Storymark:
I am amazed there is actually someone as stupid as Whozit.

Doubly amazed that he seems to be so willing to flaunt that stupidity on such a regular basis.

"I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him."

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

I'll deny waterboarding is torture for the terrorist until the end of time.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
you hate America and are for the terrorist.

Straight up. There's simply no denying that.

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you hate America and are for the terrorist.

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Originally posted by rue:
"I'll deny waterboarding is torture for the terrorist ..."
"... we have civilian terrorist ..."

Which ONE damnit !

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Select to view spoiler:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by chrisisall:
*still waiting to hear the 'Rapo denial*


The laughing Chrisisall

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What's to deny ? That was a soldier in uniform, and we have civilian terrorist, not covered by Geneva. Why the hell aren't you jumping on about the terrorist in Iraq, who sawed the heads off of civilians, soldiers, and mutilated, them beat them, and did all manner of unspeakable things.

I'll deny waterboarding is torture for the terrorist until the end of time.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

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Originally posted by rue:
"I'll deny waterboarding is torture for the terrorist ..."
"... we have civilian terrorist ..."

Which ONE damnit !

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I'm pissing you off on purpose, and loving it.

haha.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
I'm watching Cheney now, explaining the very real threat of al Qaeda and attempting to get and set off a nuclear device in any number of U.S. cities. Very real and legit threats.

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Originally posted by chrisisall:

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
I'm watching Cheney now, explaining the very real threat of al Qaeda and attempting to get and set off a nuclear device in any number of U.S. cities. Very real and legit threats.

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You're buying this AGAIN? LOL.
Where's his PROOF?? Another say-so that can be explained later?
I believe they want to blow us up (your terrorist friends), but the targets are few IMO, and hard to get at just now. They might blow up Albuquerque, but then who would care?

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Flippancy aside for a moment, I believe in the next decade we will suffer another terrorist attack, possibly nuclear,.....

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... thinking about going after those who defended this country, successfully.

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

Then you agree w/ Cheney, in that the THREAT , at the very least, is real.

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Thank you.

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The only ones being divisive here is YOU, and the current President, who is thinking about going after those who defended this country, successfully.

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Originally posted by Kwicko:



So nothing Obama does before September 12, 2009 counts either, right?

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You're a dick. First, I'll be clear and up front about that.

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Since you insist that waterboarding isn't torture unless it's done to someone in uniform, let me put a scenario to you:

Say the Iranians have tried and convicted a 30-year-old Iranian-American woman - an American citizen not serving in the military or the diplomatic corps - on charges of spying. Now, since she's clearly NOT a soldier, nor wearing the uniform of any recognized armed forces, then they are clearly within their rights to waterboard her, are they not? I mean, they can use whatever means necessary to "break" her, since she is, in essence, a "terrorist" - at least in their eyes, and according to their law.

So you're totally okay with them doing this, yes?

By the way, her name is Roxana Saberi. She was a former contestant in a Miss North Dakota beauty pageant, holds two masters degrees, and is a graduate of Northwestern, with a degree in journalism.

Iran has a golden opportunity here. They can use the exact same methods that the U.S. has used, and we can't say shit about it, OR they can gain international favor by NOT torturing this girl, and then they end up looking more civilized than we do. Either way, it doesn't work out too well for us...

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You , as well as anyone w/ an above room temp IQ should know that " going after the terrorist " clearly means POST 9/11...

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Well I noticed that rappy has nothing to say about Iran waterboarding a journalist.-Signy

I'm watching Cheney now, explaining the very real threat of al Qaeda and their attempting to get and set off a nuclear device in any number of U.S. cities. Very real and legit threats. You guys are naive beyond all levels of comprehension. -rapo

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Originally posted by Geezer:
Obama is threatening Bush Administration officials with prosecution - which will ruin them politically and financally, even if they're found innocent

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Originally posted by AURaptor:

Q: why is it ok to shoot 3 pirates in the head to save 1person, but wrong to waterboard terrorists to save thousands?

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Originally posted by AURaptor:
Chris,

The evidence does NOT agree with your answer. At the very least, having the option to use harsh interrogation should be available.

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