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Committee Passes Measure Banning Waterboarding
Presidential veto, here we come.
The intelligence bill passed today includes, as anticipated, a measure (sponsored by Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Chuck Hagel (R-NE), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Russ Feingold (D-WI)) that would effectively ban waterboarding. That's because it would limit CIA interrogators to using techniques approved by the Army Field Manual.
If President Bush signs the bill, says Sen. Feinstein in a statement, "all U.S. government interrogations – military and civilian – would be conducted under the same rules and regulations, and eight specific techniques, including waterboarding, would be prohibited."
But the White House has said that he will veto it. So then it becomes a question of whether Congress has the votes to override it.
Here's the measure's language:
“No individual in the custody or under the effective control of an element of the intelligence community or instrumentality thereof, regardless of nationality or physical location, shall be subject to any treatment or technique of interrogation not authorized by the United States Army Field Manual on Human Intelligence Collector Operations.”
Comments (14)
Les wrote on December 6, 2007 6:15 PM:We need some tactics to protect america
Michael A wrote on December 6, 2007 6:26 PM:like waterboarding or the head choppers win.
George Bush is our commander in cheif and it's out of patriotisum and love for god that I respect the office of president that he holds.
If we lose sight of these truths then we lose america and our self repect as the greatest country on earth.
We have to forgive him for protecting our values and our lives. Lets not turn this in on ourselves.
Les, you are joking, right? You can't possibly be serious.
I find it a tragedy that we need freaking legislation in the 21st century united states of america to spell out that soldiers and us personnel are prohibited from torturing people. This is really, really pathetic. They should add to the legislation that a violator of the statute will be immediately shipped to the hague for a war crimes trial. Hear that king and darth vader.
johnnydoughey wrote on December 6, 2007 6:40 PM:We didn't need this legislation. The sad fact is that the folks we elected to protect us and insure equal protection just passed a law which exonerates those who have already been torturing folks.
Their defense (if it is ever needed, that is) will be:
"Sorry folks... as you can see, Congress and the Senate did not make waterboarding illegal until... (fill in the date)"
Anyone out there still believe our leaders are protecting anyone else but the leaders... of BOTH parties?
anonymouse wrote on December 6, 2007 6:53 PM:"George Bush is our commander in cheif and it's out of patriotisum and love for god that I respect the office of president that he holds."
Yes...
and I'm sure that God would be pleased with us for deciding torture was the christian thing to do.
Of course, He will have to explain to his son just why He allowed Him to teach all those desciples who gave us the new testament... and why He had Him die on the cross... IMHO
linda wrote on December 6, 2007 7:16 PM:christ, difi should be mortified beyond relief, but instead she'll proclaim it a great victory. man, the depths of depravity we've sunk to these past seven years... and the sad thing is this 'accomplishment' will not be of interest to the public, nor implemented by the president.
moondancer wrote on December 6, 2007 7:32 PM:Gee Les, if only George Bush felt the same way as you do. I would like to give him that kind of support. But to do that would mean that I'm legally insane. You know repeating the same behavior expecting a different result.
regular lurker wrote on December 6, 2007 8:04 PM:He has betrayed us/me so many times, that that is my expectation. In fact, it is so bad congress is passing a law to ban behavior he deems fruitful even though its ALREADY illegal. We have to have duplicate laws to hope to reign in his perfidy.
So save your Pollyanna platitudes for the next deserving president. This one has only earned the scorn of America.
Some seriously sick f*cks are in the White House.
Wagner wrote on December 7, 2007 12:40 AM:Its a shame that we the people have to spell out to our leaders, in 6th grade language, that it is wrong to torture, and that we the people will not stand for it.
On the other hand, if spelling it out in a manner that any simpleton can understand is our only option, then spell on.
GMFORD wrote on December 7, 2007 1:19 AM:I agree with you Wagner.
I do, however, think that the language 'any instrumentality thereof' was necessary to add since this administration has outsourced many of the military and intelligence functions. This legislation seems to me to make it clear that contractors too must follow the Army Field Manual.
Cordier wrote on December 7, 2007 9:55 AM:Les ~
Bush is not my Commander-in-Chief. He is commander of the armed services, get the difference?
I agree this pandering by di-fi et al is a smarmy attempt to cover the crimes that have already been committed by this administration. Covering their a$$'s, so to speak...
Waterboarding in WWII was a crime for the Japanese and it's a crime for the US today. Shameful rhetoric.
chabuka wrote on December 7, 2007 12:43 PM:another worthless piece of paper to be filed next to the signing statements...waterbording was illegal..before Bush/Cheney, Rumsfeld and the CIA decided to use it anyway..
DfrtYhyu wrote on December 7, 2007 3:41 PM:Amazing how paparazzi photographers go crazy to catch a glimpse of Britney Spears without her under wear!
parrot wrote on December 8, 2007 4:18 AM:Seems Paris is enjoying it.
This is ludicrous! Since when does the President have the right to veto a law that is unnecessary in the first place?! The laws have already been broken--trying to pass more laws to have the crimes committed explicitly illegal is stupid if those crimes have already been committed and are begin ignored.
But then, that's what the idiots running Congress and America these days think pass for patriotism. Sad really, and a poor reflection on the intellectual and moral forces at work in America today.
REID wrote on December 13, 2007 5:36 PM:You people are depressing!