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Tuesday, December 13, 2005

The Torture Canard

John McCain is proposing a bill in the Senate that would limit U.S. interregators from using "cruel and unusual" or "degrading" techniques in order to get information from terrorists. The MSM has already described the bill as being about "torture" and every news outlet is debating whether or not torture is justified.

This is nonsense. The US already forbids inflicting "torture" and laws define what torture is. McCain's bill would force a squishy definition of "degrading" or "cruel" techniques such as waterboarding, sleep depravation or even forcing people to stand for long periods without food.

McCain's wrong-headed response to a situation in which a terrorist has information to prevent the potential death of many Americans:

"You do what you have to do...but you take responsibility for it..."

In other words, if there isn't a nuclear bomb about to detonate in a major US city, you will be in deep trouble. I can only think what the Democrats would do the next time a terrorist is forced to endure some physical or mental anguish.