Even before this most recent revelation, I opposed the appointment of Gen. David Petraeus as Director of the CIA. In addition, I have long criticized the Obama administration for their blatant failure to prosecute George Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleezza Rice, and several more of their co-conspirators for crimes against humanity, including torture. Now that Petraeus has betrayed us by reversing his previous stance against torture, he is unfit to lead the CIA, and his nomination must be withdrawn.
…Shortly after the death of Osama bin Laden, GOP Senators trying to credit Bush-era so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques” for the killing vowed they’d question the anti-torture Petraeus on the subject during his confirmation hearing to be head of the CIA. But Republicans didn’t even bring the issue up — intead, Democratic Senator Mark Udall broached the subject — and Petraeus gave a rather unexpected answer.
Petraeus, of course, has been seen as an important voice by anti-torture advocates, because his military experience and reputation make his arguments difficult to dismiss.
Udall was clearly trying to get Petraeus to reiterate his opposition to torture — he read back several quotes Petraeus himself had given saying such techniques are immoral and when they’ve been used, they’ve “turned around and bitten us in the backside.” Udall asked, “do you see torture any differently in a CIA context than in a military context?”
But Petraeus instead pivoted to the TV-ready “ticking time bomb” scenario, and said torture might be justified if you have a “special situation” where an “individual in your hands who you know has placed a nuclear device under the Empire State Building. It goes off in 30 minutes, he has the codes to turn it off.” Then he urged legislators to consider crafting such an exception into the law… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Washington Post>
Because Current has not yet fixed the auto-start bug in their video player for embedding, I normally cannot bring you Keith Olbermann videos in a timely manner, but fortunately I found an alternate source for Keith’s Special Comment.
Keith is right to call on Obama to withdraw Petraeus’ nomination.
The White House phone number is (202) 456-1414.
Tell President Obama to withdraw the nomination of David Petraeus as CIA Director, because there can be no exceptions for allowing torture.
Please ask everyone you know to do the same.
26 Responses to “Action Alert: Petraeus Betrays Us on Torture”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
PLEASE PRESIDENT OBAMA…I ASK YOU TO WITHDRAW THER NOMINATION OF DAVID PETRAEUS AS CIA DIRECTOR, BECAUSE THERE CAN BE NO EXCEPTIONS FOR ALLOWING TORTURE THANKS CATERINA CALIGIURI ITALY
Welcome Cat. 🙂
I’d greet you in Italian if i knew how.
We have to flood the WH with phone calls. I never liked him either.
Amen, Patty!
Petraeus is a wimp and a coward, just like I always suspected! GIVE HIM THE BOOT ! 👿
I wouldn’t make those accusations, Johnny, but he is an opportunist, politically motivated, and lacking in honor.
Olbermann nailed it on the stupidity of Petraeus’ remark about using torture in the event of an eminent threat. Unfortunately, most people believe it.
Actually, Jerry, last I saw, the majority of Americans oppose torture.
Most Americans oppose torture in general. I am not so sure in the specific “ticking-time-bomb”case, however.
Only because they do not realize that the “ticking time bomb” scenario only happens on TV. It’s merely an excuse to open the door.
Thanks Tom – I somehow missed this Olbermann piece – I’ve been thinking for a while P – wasn’t a good choice, suspicions confirmed!
Confirmed in spades, Lee.
One of the rare – very rare – times that I’ll turn to John McCain as a source. But his May 11, 2011 Op-Ed in the WaPo (clearly stating that torture did NOT assist in our getting Osama Bin Laden) has this take-home message on torture and the “ticking time bomb”:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/bin-ladens-death-and-the-debate-over-torture/2011/05/11/AFd1mdsG_story.html
Well, Nameless, a stopped watch is right twice a day. Seriously, this is excactly what I have said for years.
excellent points-
Thanks Phyllis.
Just because it works on TV doesn’t mean it will work in real life. We live in a 2-dimensional society where our leaders believe everything they see on Fox TV. “If it was on Fox it must be true.” When are we going to get some grown-ups in DC?
Welcome Terry. 🙂
I disagree. In my opinion what’s on Fox ox not what Republican leaders believe. It’s what they want sheeple to believe.
If Obama doesn’t call him out out on this – who knows what he’ll do. He wasn’t fit to be commander of the Iraq or Afghanistan wars, so that puts him out as CIA chief. Who knows what stupid ideas he would implement there and tell the damned press about! The man is not fit to be dog catcher, much less CIA chief! I’ll call the White House tomorrow. I don’t think they’ll take a messages at 2:30 am. 😉
Lisa, I agree. Obama’s biggest failure is in choosing advisers.
Oh, and thank you TC, for not using the auto start version! 😆
YVW!
So “you know there is a bomb” but somehow you don’t where it is (makes you wonder how you know there is one) and you torture someone to death. Now what exactly is the penalty for, whoops tee hee, we were wrong, there wasn’t a bomb (hardly surprising as you didn’t know where it was, this first and most logical explanation for there not being one).
So how about if the victim (that no longer innocent person until proven guilty, in point of fact guilty with zip, zero, nil chance of proving their innocence prior to extreme and viscous punishment). So does that person get to torture their accusers until the confess to providing false testimony and falsifying evidence.
It is totally reasonable, should not a person who is falsely accused and tortured be legally entitled to torture their accusers to get to the true basis of the false accusation.
So what does General Betrayus say to an exception under law, where a falsely accused victim of government sanctioned torture be entitled under to law for the most extreme crime “torturing someone (with death a likely outcome)” be entitled to use that upon their accusers.
After all what if their accusers were just abusing the law and making false accusations as some sort of mental precursors for masturbation, what if the accuser was just driven by nothing more than sadism to torture people in order to achieve some sort of perverted sexual self gratification.
Welcome Robert. 🙂
Excellent points. As I said above, the “ticking time bomb” is a TV scenario, not a real one. It serves only to open the door.
I understand that GW ChickenHawk kept a snuff video of Saddam’s hanging.
President Obama David Petraeus just stated that he would sanction the use of torture. Is that the person you want at the head of the CIA? There MUST be better candidates for the post than General Petraeus.
Welcome John.
I completely agree. What he may be doing is thinking anyone in the job is better that nobody at all. There is no way Republicans would confirm a qualified candidate.