An ongoing Taliban-led assault Tuesday on a Pakistan military-run school has left at least 130 people dead, mostly children and teenagers in grades 1-10, officials say, in the worst attack to hit the country in years.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the assault in the northwestern city of Peshawar and rushed to the area to show his support for the students.
We wouldn’t want to waterboard any of these people.
It’s just not us.
DiFi and the Dems did nothing but aid the extremists and our enemies with that bs report. Not to mention make the world less safe for Americans abroad and their interests.
“Army Brigadier Gen. Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor, acknowledged that last week’s release of the torture report gives the defense side the advantage of seeing their long-running complaints about torture at CIA detention sites officially documented.
Martins said it “increases the likelihood that more of the processes [in the case] will be open to the public and assures the accused will be able see and consult with defense counsel about certain information not previously available to them.”
As frustrations mount about the delays in the military tribunal system, Martins insisted the case will move forward. Although they are far from reaching a trial date, he said the prosecution team is committed “for however long this takes.”
“Some of the defendants, if not all, likely will try to use their torture as a reason for leniency to spare their lives in the death penalty case, hoping to win some sympathy from a military jury.”
___________________________
“The Taliban has called for an international investigation into the human rights standards of the United States after the Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats released a lengthy report criticizing enhanced interrogation techniques used in the war on terror.
Under Taliban rule, Afghans were subject to public floggings or executions for “violations” such as women wearing nail polish or exposing any skin, or both teachers and students trying to learn in underground schools. Women had zero rights and weren’t allowed to leave their homes except with a male relative. Nowadays, the Taliban commits acts of violence against activist or working women, and the Pakistani Taliban shot Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012 while she was going to school.
“Since the inception of America’s occupation of Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate has provided information to the international community regarding America’s barbarities and inhumane treatment of the Afghan populace. At the time, no nation dared listen to our nation’s pleas or show even slight response for fear of estranging America,” the Taliban said in a statement posted on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan website over the weekend.
“Now after 14 years of such barbarities, the US Senate itself has lifted the curtain off of America’s intelligence arm, the CIA, and revealed the extent of their tortuous treatment of unarmed prisoners. In reality the practices of CIA mentioned in this report are only a fraction of those committed by this agency throughout America’s occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.””
Let me clarify something here as well. I’m not saying torture is acceptable, it’s not. But this all old news. The whole world knows what we did, and has for years. What I have a problem with is them bringing this out years later for purely political purposes. Even Obama was against this because he knew the problems it would bring. But DiFi didn’t care about the real consequences for our military, or the consequences for American interests.
They took an old wound and tore it open again, and for what?
To score political points and get revenge on the agency that had the nerve to spy on Congress. Why does she think she should be immune to what every other citizen has to take? They spy on us constantly, yet DiFi has no problem with that.
This is just spoiled little Democrats using a scorched earth policy because they lost elections and won’t be in power any longer. It disgusts me.
My position?
If I were president and knew of a guy who had information to save a single life, I would call jack Bauer and say, “Jack, this guy has information we need. Get it.”
“Most Americans don’t object to the CIA’s interrogation techniques that some call torture, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
After being told the CIA used “harsh interrogation practices on suspected terrorists,” 51% of those surveyed said the practices were “acceptable under the circumstances.” Only 28% said the interrogations were wrong and 20% said they didn’t have an opinion.
President Barack Obama ended the practice, known legally as “enhanced interrogation”, early in his White House tenure. But 45% of those polled said the CIA should continue to use them, while just 28% said they are wrong and should not be used.
The poll question didn’t use the word “torture” when it asked about the CIA’s detention and interrogation program, which relied on methods including sleep deprivation and waterboarding to try to get overseas terror suspects to share information while in U.S. custody.”
“… some people insist the report is a politically-motivated attack on the Bush administration and/or that the report gives aid to our enemies.
“Neither or both may be true. But for the Christian, it doesn’t really matter.
“That’s because torture is, as John Paul II wrote in ‘The Splendor of Truth,’ ‘intrinsically evil;’ it is always wrong regardless of the circumstances. The use of physical and psychological violence to extract information ‘is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity.’ …
” … None of this is to deny that America has enemies and that swift and decisive action against them is necessary. The scriptures and the Just War theory make it clear that there are times when taking a life is not only permitted, it may be a necessary part of what it means to love your neighbor, yes.
“But the same thing cannot be said about torture and the practices described in the report. These practices trade someone else’s human dignity for a sense, which may well be illusory, of added safety. It’s a trade that no Christian in good conscience can make and which Christian conscience demands we condemn. …”
Wandering Views 
From Fox News
An ongoing Taliban-led assault Tuesday on a Pakistan military-run school has left at least 130 people dead, mostly children and teenagers in grades 1-10, officials say, in the worst attack to hit the country in years.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif condemned the assault in the northwestern city of Peshawar and rushed to the area to show his support for the students.
We wouldn’t want to waterboard any of these people.
It’s just not us.
😦
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Chas,
DiFi and the Dems did nothing but aid the extremists and our enemies with that bs report. Not to mention make the world less safe for Americans abroad and their interests.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-torture-gitmo-911-20141215-story.html
“Army Brigadier Gen. Mark Martins, the chief prosecutor, acknowledged that last week’s release of the torture report gives the defense side the advantage of seeing their long-running complaints about torture at CIA detention sites officially documented.
Martins said it “increases the likelihood that more of the processes [in the case] will be open to the public and assures the accused will be able see and consult with defense counsel about certain information not previously available to them.”
As frustrations mount about the delays in the military tribunal system, Martins insisted the case will move forward. Although they are far from reaching a trial date, he said the prosecution team is committed “for however long this takes.”
“Some of the defendants, if not all, likely will try to use their torture as a reason for leniency to spare their lives in the death penalty case, hoping to win some sympathy from a military jury.”
___________________________
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/12/15/taliban-demand-investigation-of-u-s-for-violations-of-international-humanitarian-laws/
“The Taliban has called for an international investigation into the human rights standards of the United States after the Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats released a lengthy report criticizing enhanced interrogation techniques used in the war on terror.
Under Taliban rule, Afghans were subject to public floggings or executions for “violations” such as women wearing nail polish or exposing any skin, or both teachers and students trying to learn in underground schools. Women had zero rights and weren’t allowed to leave their homes except with a male relative. Nowadays, the Taliban commits acts of violence against activist or working women, and the Pakistani Taliban shot Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in 2012 while she was going to school.
“Since the inception of America’s occupation of Afghanistan, the Islamic Emirate has provided information to the international community regarding America’s barbarities and inhumane treatment of the Afghan populace. At the time, no nation dared listen to our nation’s pleas or show even slight response for fear of estranging America,” the Taliban said in a statement posted on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan website over the weekend.
“Now after 14 years of such barbarities, the US Senate itself has lifted the curtain off of America’s intelligence arm, the CIA, and revealed the extent of their tortuous treatment of unarmed prisoners. In reality the practices of CIA mentioned in this report are only a fraction of those committed by this agency throughout America’s occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq.””
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Let me clarify something here as well. I’m not saying torture is acceptable, it’s not. But this all old news. The whole world knows what we did, and has for years. What I have a problem with is them bringing this out years later for purely political purposes. Even Obama was against this because he knew the problems it would bring. But DiFi didn’t care about the real consequences for our military, or the consequences for American interests.
They took an old wound and tore it open again, and for what?
To score political points and get revenge on the agency that had the nerve to spy on Congress. Why does she think she should be immune to what every other citizen has to take? They spy on us constantly, yet DiFi has no problem with that.
This is just spoiled little Democrats using a scorched earth policy because they lost elections and won’t be in power any longer. It disgusts me.
LikeLike
Megyn Kelly is interviewing the guy who was part of the waterboarding process. Interesting interview. Part two is tonight..
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My position?
If I were president and knew of a guy who had information to save a single life, I would call jack Bauer and say, “Jack, this guy has information we need. Get it.”
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Interesting……
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/12/16/wsjnbc-poll-americans-say-cia-harsh-interrogation-acceptable/
“Most Americans don’t object to the CIA’s interrogation techniques that some call torture, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll.
After being told the CIA used “harsh interrogation practices on suspected terrorists,” 51% of those surveyed said the practices were “acceptable under the circumstances.” Only 28% said the interrogations were wrong and 20% said they didn’t have an opinion.
President Barack Obama ended the practice, known legally as “enhanced interrogation”, early in his White House tenure. But 45% of those polled said the CIA should continue to use them, while just 28% said they are wrong and should not be used.
The poll question didn’t use the word “torture” when it asked about the CIA’s detention and interrogation program, which relied on methods including sleep deprivation and waterboarding to try to get overseas terror suspects to share information while in U.S. custody.”
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Thoughts?
http://www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/26559
“… some people insist the report is a politically-motivated attack on the Bush administration and/or that the report gives aid to our enemies.
“Neither or both may be true. But for the Christian, it doesn’t really matter.
“That’s because torture is, as John Paul II wrote in ‘The Splendor of Truth,’ ‘intrinsically evil;’ it is always wrong regardless of the circumstances. The use of physical and psychological violence to extract information ‘is contrary to respect for the person and for human dignity.’ …
” … None of this is to deny that America has enemies and that swift and decisive action against them is necessary. The scriptures and the Just War theory make it clear that there are times when taking a life is not only permitted, it may be a necessary part of what it means to love your neighbor, yes.
“But the same thing cannot be said about torture and the practices described in the report. These practices trade someone else’s human dignity for a sense, which may well be illusory, of added safety. It’s a trade that no Christian in good conscience can make and which Christian conscience demands we condemn. …”
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Donna – I agree with that assessment.
Here’s an article I haven’t read yet, but it sounds informative…
“Why Torture Is a Complete Failure
Former war crimes prosecutor: Legally, morally, and practically, ‘enhanced interrogation’ does not work.”
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2014/december-web-only/christian-response-to-senate-torture-report.html?utm_source=ctdirect-html&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_term=9474712&utm_content=321967882&utm_campaign=2013
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