TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Override Veto Of Torture Ban
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Published: March 11, 2008
Against the advice of former military leaders, President Bush continues to insist that harsh methods of interrogation have secured valuable information for the country in the war against terrorism.
So over the weekend, the president vetoed legislation that would have banned "waterboarding" and other secret methods because he says they are valuable tools. Bush is wrong.
The United States should never condone torture, and Congress should act quickly to override the president's veto.
Recently, a group of generals visited the Tribune and argued persuasively that the country should preserve the tradition of honoring national and international standards for prisoner treatment. They said torture does not yield reliable information and so doesn't make us any safer. Instead, they said it puts U.S. troops at risk of criminal charges, creates new enemies and causes psychological damage to the tortured and those inflicting the pain.
Democrats who led the effort against waterboarding do not appear to have the votes to override Bush's veto, but the vote would be symbolic nonetheless.
Supporters of torture say dangerous times require difficult decisions, and they're right. It is difficult to remember that constitutional protections are never more important than when the temptation is greatest to evade them.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( Veedub447 ) on March 11, 2008 at 1:31 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
If waterboarding is not torture, then can we waterboard kids in public schools to make them behave?
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Posted by ( Cynic ) on March 11, 2008 at 8:18 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Does torture (or "harsh interrogation techniques") extract valuable, accurate information? Easy way to tell: ask John McCain, who's been through it. Did he provide crucial information to aid the enemy under torture? And if he didn't, why should we expect others to?
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Posted by ( REHESS61 ) on March 11, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
There are no rules to warfare,if there were ,no one would have gotten beheaded. wake up america!! these people want to kill [ YOU ]
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Posted by ( JackNelsonSteward ) on March 11, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Yes, there ARE rules to warfare and this country has been at the forefront of creating them.
If we abandon those rules we abandon some of the moral principles that define our nation and we join those we call our enemies in criminal behavior. If you adopt the tactics of your enemy, he has defeated you.
It is tempting to react with emotion to the atrocities others commit. At that point we have a choice: Who are we? Are we a nation founded on human rights and dignity, or is that just a pose we affect? Are our principles powerful enough to sustain us in times of danger or are they so weak we must abandon them unless they are easy and convenient?
You choose.
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Posted by ( soldier62 ) on March 11, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The same author(s) who wrote this editorial will be the first to ask "Why didn't we connect the dots?" following the next attack.
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Posted by ( JackNelsonSteward ) on March 11, 2008 at 4:43 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
We didn't connect the dots because we were asleep at the wheel.
We had enough intelligence before 9/11 to have possibly prevented the attack. We didn't "connect the dots" because the people who had the pencil were using the eraser to clean their ears.
Not one bit of that intel was gained by torturing anyone.
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Posted by ( drdneast ) on March 11, 2008 at 5:42 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If anyone ever tortured me I would tell them exactly what they wanted to hear. I would even lie and confess that I voted for Bush both times if that's what they wanted to here. Hey Trib, didn't your editorial board endorse this moron both times. LOL. I told you so.
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Posted by ( tampaguy69 ) on March 11, 2008 at 9:19 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I have a suggestion... waterboard that little p***k bush, cheney, rumsfeld, and the new attorney general and THEN see if they think it is torture.
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