It’s not torture unless your first objective IS to hurt, maim or kill them

CNN–Previously secret torture memo released
“WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Bush administration told the CIA in 2002 that its interrogators working abroad would not violate U.S. prohibitions against torture unless they ‘have the specific intent to inflict severe pain or suffering,’ according to a previously secret Justice Department memo released Thursday.

“The interrogator’s ‘good faith’ and ‘honest belief’ that the interrogation will not cause such suffering protects the interrogator, the memo adds.

“‘Because specific intent is an element of the offense, the absence of specific intent negates the charge of torture,’ Jay Bybee, then the assistant attorney general, wrote in the memo.”

Oh yeah, and Tinkerbell will be saved if everyone says, I DO believe in fairies. Basically, what the memo is saying is that intent is more important than what you actually do. Like if you shoot someone, but don’t intend to kill them, it’s not murder if they die. After all, you didn’t think they would die, did you? So, if your superior tells you, don’t worry, it isn’t really gonna hurt them, you’re fine. Or if you’re a Pollyanna or think that these people you’re torturing are just characters in a Warner Brothers cartoon.

Coleen Rowley and Ray McGovern have a good discussion on the lies the administration told us and itself to justify its use of torture in ConsortiumNews: <A href=”http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/071808e.html”>’Justifying’ Torture: Two Big Lies.</A> They make the interesting point that torture does NOT get us any real information, but it CAN be used to get “confirmation” of misinformation we want to spread. Say WMDs. Ordinary questioning reveals that the WMDs had been destroyed in the 1990s. Torture gets the prisoner to “admit” knowing about secret caches of them and continuing programs. Now you have “plausible evidence” to accuse Iraq of a WMD program. Is it true? WTF cares, the tanks have to roll by March…

Stand up and sing the National Anthem, Mr. Ashcroft.

Tactics 101: Always Negotiate From Strength–Oh Well, Lost That Opportunity

(BostonGlobe) Pentagon hunting for clues on power, makeup of weapon

(AP) Study: 655,000 Iraqis die because of war

And while we were horsing around, killing almost 2/3 of a million people to prevent Saddam Hussein from developing a non-existent weapons program, we let slip the opportunity to negotiate with Kim Jung Il from a position of strength. Now that nutcase HAS nuclear weapons and our position is so weak, we have virtually no carrots and no sticks except the BIG stick, which we can’t use unless we feel we can afford to have South Korea or Japan hit with retaliation.

Tomorrow is the best birthday in the world hahaha MINE. Congratulations to all who share this wonderful date with me, a holiday where you get a day off and don’t lose any presents, and we’ll see you next week.

Note To Rick Santorum: Those WMDs Aren’t The Only Things Past Their Expiration Date

(AP) Poll: Santorum Approval Rating Declines

(NBC) Republican Lawmakers Say Iraq May Have Had WMDs

(AFP) Iraq chemical weapons too old to use: US intelligence officials

(HuffintonPost/Cesca) Senator Rick Santorum Finds Old Crap, Makes Ass of Himself

And in other news, my kidneystones have been errr evacuating one at a time, so pardon me if my cartoons haven’t been as complex as I usually like to make them…a good time to start transitioning to real pen and ink work instead of the marker pens I usually use. 🙂