'We Must All Be Prepared to Torture' Let's get to it!
by Fred Branfman
"We must all be prepared to torture."- Charles Krauthammer, "The Truth About Torture," The Weekly Standard, Dec. 5, 2005
Note: Quotes below are from Krauthammer's piece.
Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced in a press conference Wednesday that, swayed by the powerful arguments of an article in The Weekly Standard, he is prepared to torture Vice President Cheney and presidential adviser Karl Rove for information that is "urgently needed" to save American lives.
"I have determined that American lives can be saved by ending the ongoing stonewalling by these two suspects, who have clearly orchestrated a campaign that endangers U.S. intelligence agents' lives," Fitzgerald said. "The Weekly Standard has opened my eyes to the fact that my being previously unprepared to torture is deeply immoral, given the American lives that I believe can be saved by the urgently needed information Cheney and Rove possess."
Fitzgerald stressed that he is not legally required to explain his decision.
"As an agent of the executive branch, I am no more legally required to provide my rationale for torturing these suspects than is President Bush. Following the ancient doctrine that 'might makes right,' Mr. Bush has taken it upon himself to torture anyone he wishes, without explanation, on the simple assertion that he believes it will save American lives. Mr. Bush has also made it clear that he intends to keep torturing if he wishes to, and does not feel bound by the agreement he reached with Sen. McCain banning the practice.
"Since executive power has been delegated to me to investigate the leak of a CIA agent's name, I have as much legal authority to torture in this case as does the president. I want to assure the public that, unlike the president, I will not torture the innocent. But I'm sure you can understand that I can say nothing else at this point, given the sensitive nature of the information involved."
Fitzgerald stressed that the vice president could surely have no moral objection to being tortured to save American lives.... http://tinyurl.com/88f5n
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by Fred Branfman
"We must all be prepared to torture."- Charles Krauthammer, "The Truth About Torture," The Weekly Standard, Dec. 5, 2005
Note: Quotes below are from Krauthammer's piece.
Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald announced in a press conference Wednesday that, swayed by the powerful arguments of an article in The Weekly Standard, he is prepared to torture Vice President Cheney and presidential adviser Karl Rove for information that is "urgently needed" to save American lives.
"I have determined that American lives can be saved by ending the ongoing stonewalling by these two suspects, who have clearly orchestrated a campaign that endangers U.S. intelligence agents' lives," Fitzgerald said. "The Weekly Standard has opened my eyes to the fact that my being previously unprepared to torture is deeply immoral, given the American lives that I believe can be saved by the urgently needed information Cheney and Rove possess."
Fitzgerald stressed that he is not legally required to explain his decision.
"As an agent of the executive branch, I am no more legally required to provide my rationale for torturing these suspects than is President Bush. Following the ancient doctrine that 'might makes right,' Mr. Bush has taken it upon himself to torture anyone he wishes, without explanation, on the simple assertion that he believes it will save American lives. Mr. Bush has also made it clear that he intends to keep torturing if he wishes to, and does not feel bound by the agreement he reached with Sen. McCain banning the practice.
"Since executive power has been delegated to me to investigate the leak of a CIA agent's name, I have as much legal authority to torture in this case as does the president. I want to assure the public that, unlike the president, I will not torture the innocent. But I'm sure you can understand that I can say nothing else at this point, given the sensitive nature of the information involved."
Fitzgerald stressed that the vice president could surely have no moral objection to being tortured to save American lives.... http://tinyurl.com/88f5n
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posted by Dan at 10:51 AM
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