Bush vetoes bill banning waterboarding

[DoubleEdgeSword]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush said Saturday he vetoed legislation that would ban the CIA from using harsh interrogation methods such as waterboarding to break suspected terrorists because it would end practices that have prevented attacks.

"The bill Congress sent me would take away one of the most valuable tools in the war on terror," Bush said in his weekly radio address taped for broadcast Saturday. "So today I vetoed it," Bush said.

The bill he rejected provides guidelines for intelligence activities for the year and has the interrogation requirement as one provision. It cleared the House in December and the Senate last month.

"This is no time for Congress to abandon practices that have a proven track record of keeping America safe," the president said.

Supporters of the legislation say it would preserve the United States' ability to collect critical intelligence while also providing a much-needed boost to country's moral standing abroad.

"Torture is a black mark against the United States," said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California. "We will not stop until [the ban] becomes law."

The bill would limit CIA interrogators to the 19 techniques allowed for use by military questioners. The Army field manual in 2006 banned using methods such as waterboarding or sensory deprivation on uncooperative prisoners.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/08/bush.torture.ap/index.html

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Truly disgusting that in this country we have a president who would think nothing of using torture on another human being.

[pinky]

In addition, do we really have proof that these tactics have prevented any attacks?

Disgusting.

[Whoda Thunk?]

Just when I think he can't sink any lower or make any mistake dumber than previous ones, he proves me wrong.

[tiger_rascal]

I dont think he cares. I dont think he ever cared.

In addition, do we really have proof that these tactics have prevented any attacks?

Disgusting.

Exactly.

[LesterX]

In addition, do we really have proof that these tactics have prevented any attacks?

Disgusting.

Of course not, but George Bush never let a lack of proof get in the way of the b#llsh%t he spews to the public.

Does it really surprise anyone that George Bush thinks it's okay to torture the (alleged) "evildoers?"

[SparkleHugs]

Elizabeth on the view (an avid bush supporter) always says we have been safe for 7 years. I may be the only one, but I never felt unsafe. sept 11 was tragic, but i always deemed it a fluke, someone overlooked something at some point and 3000 people died because of it. I didnt think that anyone was going to fly planes or bomb every city in the country. I have no doubt there are always plots to harm America, but hell...there are terrorist attacks every day everywhere in the world that has nothing to do with America. These tactics are not going to do anything but psychologically screw up the people they are doing it to.

My friends husband was just let out of the Marines (medical stuff). and I asked him if he thought waterboarding was torture and he exclaimed YES! apparently during some training he had to be waterboarded, but during the background info on the story he had to tell the people who were to capture him he dozed off and had no idea what the answers were to the questions they were asking him and he was waterboarded for 5 minutes straight. Even though he knew it was a training session, he was also convinced that these people wer going to kill him and he was infact dying. Torture is torture.

Do think think that Congress can get ogether 3/4 of the vote to override the veto?

[pinky]

Probably not. The vote in both houses was less than the number needed to override.

The Dems don't have enough votes to make anything happen if Junior doesn't want it to.

[Richard Tafoya]

On the bright side, Gallup shows that a majority of Americans are currently planning to vote for the local Democratic congressional candidate over the Republican candidate come November.

The worsening recession will probably make that even more pronounced as the year goes forward.

With both a Democrat in the White House and a broader majority of Democrats in both houses of Congress, a lot can happen to reverse the many blunders of the Bush administration in 2009 and beyond.

[pinky]

These next 10 months can't go by fast enough.

[DoubleEdgeSword]

Amen, Claire. We'll be cleaning up this adminstration's mess for years.

[pinky]

Someone over in BSB actually told me I should respect him. That if I don't like the fact that he's my leader (as if!), I should leave America and go to another country.

Just like back in the Vietnam era......America, love it or leave it!

I love this country far too much to leave it, and let it go to people like Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, and all their yesmen. :greyno:

[DoubleEdgeSword]

I saw that. Seems that's the standard answer for those who don't like it when we question our president. Ah well, they forget that the president and all of the elected officials serve us, not the other way around. We the people... doesn't quite sink in for some.

[db44]

A family member sent me this link via email:

http://www.democraticmajority.com/notorture

[Annoyedlistner]

How can we preach Human Rights to other countries........

This is disgusting, one of the most vile things that President Bush has ever done.

Yet he calls himself a Christian......