I believe this story is being severely misreported. The release was ALREADY made of "enhanced" interrogation tactics - the same or milder tactics that our military voluntarily undergo for training as Seals, SEAR Pilots, etc. The same training that EVERY interrogator takes, before they are qualified to apply them on criminals in the pursuit of minimizing their murderous goals. The same tactics that Nancy Pelosi and several influencial Dem's in the oversight approved and applauded in 2002, but now are "horrified" to discover anew in this Political Climate Change.

What VP (former) Cheney said was, why release all the important secrets about the tactics, then don't tell people how these tactics kept them safe for 7 years or the number of attacks that were prevented? In response 4 ex-CIA officials have verified:

 1) Dems knew and approved
 2) Information gained saved lives and vastly increased techniques and info the FBI, CIA or Homeland could have provided without these methods

In the end, Nancy is acting dishonestly again, so that when President Obama "decides" not to prosecute anyone, he can be seen as a "peacemaker". He can also hope that everyone forgets that he shut down GITMO and stopped these tactics, and then released this sensitive info to the World, when the next terrorist attack costs hundreds or thousands of US lives. Lives that he is sworn to protect and defend - seems a strange way to start. look for attacks and hostage taking to commence.

Bush and Cheney weren't pretty and many of you who disliked their representation slept soundly while they protected you. Unless you were sleepless worrying over those poor terrorists? We'll only be able to judge their performance on security in 4 to 8 years, but the New Administration is begging someone to start in on us...

Suppose we discover that CIA torture did yield valid information about terrorist threats. Then what? Do we withdraw from the Geneva Conventions and apologize to the families of Japanese interrogators who were executed for waterboarding Americans? After all, al Qaida's attacks are piddling compared to the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

It's funny how Cheney did everything he could to avoid being seen in public while serving as vice president, yet now he seems to be all over the place. Where was the willingness to face the T.V. cameras when this guy was calling the shots over these and other policy matters?

Way to go, Dave D. The Burmese and Israeli militaries could use your support, as well, in deflecting responsibility for human rights abuse.

You think that US training of our military in resisting torture techniques excuses our own use of torture. Fire protection agencies sometimes burn down buildings for training purposes. Does that mean arson should be legal?

And, if Democrats knew and approved of the Shrubbery's illegal torture, they should be held accountable. Let's uncover the truth, not hide it.

I am worried that if the reports say that torture was effective this will give the pro-torture folks more ammo.

Full disclosure! I say we post the memos an dpictures on You Tube right next to the video of Daniel Pearl being beheaded which is much more Humane way than simulated drowning.

I hear Wyden talk about this at a town meeting, and he made the point that not only is torture indefensible, it doesn't work. I assume he has access to classified information that would bear this out.

Media outlets are wondering if the torture debate has been introduced again with a heightened profile so as to distract us from the greater questions at hand close to home - economic collapse, continued lack of reasonable oversight, selective punishments meted out on habitually-flailing industries... I wonder if we expect too little from our legislators and, so, receive little of service and value. We as a nation really should be able to hold this discussion steady AND consider the rest of the collapse around us. C'mon Obama: stand up to your promises made now. This was one of them.

Dick Cheney has repeatedly been wrong in his assessment of.....well just about everything. Why do people listen to him?

"s", right next to pictures of Ali Ismail Abbas.

This is the story of Ali Ismail Abbas. Ali is the 12-year-old boy who had the misfortune to be at home in Iraq when a United States rocket arrived. According to one newspaper report, the "hovel" he lived in was destroyed. So were his father and his five-months pregnant mother. He lost his brother. Some of his sisters were injured. Cousins and other relatives were also killed. The number of relatives who died varies from report to report. What happened to Ali himself is not in dispute. After the terrible explosion, Ali woke up, soaked in blood, his sheets on fire. The Times of London reported that Jon Lee Anderson, the New Yorker correspondent who saw him in hospital, was shown a photograph of Ali before his treatment, his body blackened, one of his hands "a twisted, melted claw. The other arm had apparently been burned off at the elbow... two long bones were sticking out of it."

Take a good look you stupid fuck.

You Spineless sissies are working too hard to get us all Killed!

Since 9-11-01 (the biggest Illegal Immigration debacle in history) have we been hit again? no.

Our Embassies? no.

Our Ships such as the USS COLE? no.

While you pathetic cowards had - literally screw the Interns - Billy Clinton in office, many died needlessly from these 7th Century Wacko's.

And now it's time to lay off?

Why do soooooo many Democrats want so many of us Dead or Broke?

You can't Tax dead or broke people and then what would you do then.

Anthrax.

Where's Osama? You mean KSM didn't give him up after 183 waterboard session?

Well, said, Mr. Ryan, rationalist!

If we torture our captives, it's going to be done to US troops in the future. Rick, why are you in favor of the torture of American soldiers? Why do you hate them so much?

And, Mr. Thicky, just in case you believe that history can't be stood on its head like that, consider that the British invented scalping. It was the 18th century equivalent of "body count" in their guerilla/superpower surrogate war, just like Viet Nam was for us. The natives were outraged and retaliated in kind. They had never heard of scalping. Also illustrates what Shrub and Co. were thinking. Superpowers usually get away with it. The horror of the wild man is such an effective colonial device that there is little worry that the terrified populace will stop, draw a breath, and get it.

The British didn't mean it as an outrage; it was a bureaucratic expedient. The American settlers sure saw it as terror when what was going around came around to them. Which terror then becomes the justification for complete extermination of the brutes.

Getting a glimpse of the take-home lesson? It is how colonial empires do business.

So, to the rest... Does that mean we have a cunning plan for a kinder, gentler colonial empire, or that we're out of that business?

Z, it gets worse. Those horrible Europeans also took "purses". Yes. Forget where you started you have no idea where you end.

Bohica: thank you. Another of Cheney's shining achievements - utter media blackout. No images to help people connect to reality. Not even the prefab, manufactured images of Geo's dad's war.

If we torture our captives, it's going to be done to US troops in the future. Rick, why are you in favor of the torture of American soldiers? Why do you hate them so much?

Uh, Al Qaida and company already cut off heads, burned corpses, etc. You assume there is something that they will not do, what an idiot. Is waterboarding the only thing you feel is torture? How about ass pyramids? Barking dogs? Lack of privacy? Loud Music? No raisins in your cereal? Please define torture for this debate.

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