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BUSH FOOLS AMERICANS BY APPEARING TO

ACCEPT MCCAIN'S BAN ON TORTURE


BY: EVAN AUGUSTINE PETERSON, III


  12/17/05
  Published by Coalition For Free Thought In Media


In Washington politics, things are seldom what they appear to be -
especially when devious Machiavellians are running the White House.
And we often end up getting a fairy-tale version of reality because
the USA's government-corporate-media complex prefers to ignore
unpleasant-but-true stories while it promotes pleasant-but-false
stories.


For instance, the mainstream media is burying a major Bushite
deception right now, so as to leave the American people with the rosy-but-
false impression that Mr. Bush has adopted a "new position" concerning
torture. [1]


On Wednesday of this week, a non-binding House vote overwhelmingly
favored the McCain Amendment, which would ban torture by the
military, the CIA, and mercenaries under contract with the U.S. government.
[2] Then on Thursday, Mr. Bush reportedly RESCINDED his opposition to the
McCain Anti-Torture Amendment (which he had threatened to veto). [3]


BUSHITES MISLEADING THE PUBLIC TO A ROSY-BUT-FALSE CONCLUSION.


Oh happy day! The U.S. government finally appears to have understood
what civilized people everywhere already knew: torture isn't wrong
merely because it's illegal (i.e., "malum prohibitum", or "wrong
because prohibited"); rather, torture is illegal because it's just plain wrong (i.e., "malum in se", or "wrong in itself").


However, human-rights groups should not prematurely celebrate a
"victory."  Mr. Bush has learned nothing, and he hasn't changed his
position on torture. He misled us into war under false pretenses, and now he's trying to mislead Congress and the public into believing that his administration has forsworn its advocacy and use of torture.


Consider this: Bush ONLY rescinded his opposition to McCain's
Anti-Torture Amendment because he'd already circumvented its most
important provision! The key provision would have made the Army's formal
interrogation standards - which can be found in the Army Field Manual on
Intelligence Interrogation - the UNIFORM STANDARD for the entire government.


  And torture-survivor McCain chose the Army's long-standing
  interrogation standards because they were written to conform with
  international-law conventions that strictly prohibit belligerents
  from humiliating, abusing, or torturing prisoners and detainees.


So how did Mr. Bush fool everyone? [4] By getting his Pentagon
minions to issue their first official change to the Army Field Manual in
thirteen years. More importantly, the Pentagon radically altered the
Army Field Manual by inserting a 10-page CLASSIFIED addendum that contains new,
highly-permissive interrogation standards. The DOD's new
interrogation standards intentionally BLUR the Army's formerly clear-cut
standards.
Furthermore, these new standards not only permit, but also teach,
abusive interrogation techniques that will violate international law
because they are obviously tantamount to torture. [5]


WHAT CONCLUSIONS CAN WE DRAW FROM THIS STORY-WITHIN-THE-STORY?


DON'T BE FOOLED, folks! The McCain Anti-Torture Amendment WON'T
ban torture, depite the fact that its operative provision would have
made the Army Field Manual's clear-cut standards the uniform
standard for the entire government. But now it won't, because the Pentagon
has revised those interrogation standards not only PERMIT, but also
TEACH, techniques of humiliation and abuse that are tantamount to TORTURE.


Here's the bottom-line conclusion: "The idea that we have a 'Vice
President For Torture' now appears quaint. What we really have is an
entire administration [that is] openly and unapologetically for
torture." [6] Of course, the Pentagon's re-write of the Army Field
Manual, the chief executive's approval thereof, and every human-rights violation
flowing therefrom, will be a PROSECUTABLE WAR CRIME.


WHAT'S THE MORAL OF THIS STORY-WITHIN-THE-STORY?


The ultra-militaristic Bushites and their Pentagon minions are
arrogant, treacherous, "above-the-law" despots who will stop at
nothing to have their way. Even if their way is clearly "malum in se." [7] Even if
their way destroys our nation's moral credibility. [8] Even if their
way dooms democratic governance under the rule of law. [9] If there
is any justice left inside the USA, "having their way" will lead
directly to their IMPEACHMENT and REMOVAL from office.
_____________________________________________________________
ENDNOTES


[1] In all fairness to the mainstream press, NY Times reporter Eric
Schmitt  probably broke this unpleasant-but-true story.
Nevertheless, it would
have had a swift burial if it hadn't been picked up by online
journalists
and pundits.


[2] Eric Schmitt 12-15-05 CD/NYT article, "House Backs McCain On
Detainees, Defying Bush":
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/1215-04.htm


[3] Liz Sidoti's 12-15-05 AP/AOLNews article, "Bush Accepts McCain's
Ban On Torture: Move Comes After House And Senate Back Language":
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id-
20051214093209990014&_...


[4] He fooled almost everyone. Mr. Bush probably consulted
beforehand
with Republicans like House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan
Hunter (R-CA), who has vehemently opposed the McCain Amendment. The
ultra-militaristic Hunter undoubtedly would applaud - if he didn't
actually propose - the Pentagon's vile revisions to eviscerate the
Amendment.  


[5] Judd Legum, et al., in the American Progress Action Fund's 12-15-
05
Progress Report article, "Torture: Bush Administration Changes Army
Field Manual To Skirt Anti-Torture Legislation" (read the full text
here):


"With Congress on the verge of passing the sweeping McCain Anti-
Torture
Amendment, the Bush Administration has moved to get around the
proposed rules should they become law. [A] The McCain Amendment
would
make the 'Army Field Manual on Intelligence Interrogation' the
standard
for questioning subjects. [B] That manual explicitly prohibits the
use
of 'coercive interrogation techniques.' Realizing this, the Pentagon
one-upped McCain and simply re-wrote the manual. For the first time
in thirteen
years, the Pentagon approved 'a 10-page classified addendum to a new
Army field manual' that 'would help teach [interrogators] how to
walk
right up to the line between legal and illegal interrogations.' [C]
'This is a stick in McCain's eye," one official said. 'It goes right
up to the
edge.'"
     [A] Nico Pitney's 12-14-05 ThinkProgress.org article, "As
Torture
Amendment Nears Passage, Pentagon Rewrites Army Detainee Standards":
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/12/14/torture-rewrite/
     [B] DOD's addendum to the Army Field Manual on Intelligence
Interrogation:
http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/policy/army/fm/fm34-
52/t...
     [C] Eric Scmitt's 12-14-05 IHT/NYT article, "New Army Rules May
  Snag Talks With McCain On Detainee Rights":
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/12/14/news/torture.php


[6] Ibid; see Nico Pitney at [4][a] above.


[7] Ray McGovern's 12-13-05 CD/TD essay, "McCain's Defining Moment"
[Contains excellent moral reasoning about torture, but it no longer
matters if Senator McCain compromises his amendment's language in
negotiations
with the Republican leaders. Mr. Bush's minions in the Pentagon have
already checkmated McCain by issuing a major revision to the Army
Field
Manual's interrogation standards. Even if the McCain Amendment
passes, their
revision's purpose is to ensure the continuation of "coercive
interrogation techniques" that humiliate, abuse, and torture
prisoners and
detainees.]: http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1213-34.htm


[8] NY Times' 12-16-05 editorial, "Ban Torture. Period." [This is a
good editorial, so far as it goes. However, its theme should've gone
farther
than "when it comes to torture, the nation and its military men and
women need moral clarity, not more legalistic wiggle room."]:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/16/opinion/16fri1.html?th&emc=th


[9] Elisa Massimo's 11-21-05 CD essay, "Heading Toward the Dark
Side"
[The Bushites claim they're "above the law" whereas their enemies
are
"below the law." These claims are calculated to subvert the rule of
law
and convert Americans to the Dark Side.]:
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/1121-25.htm
_____________________________________________________________
AUTHOR'S NOTE TO ONLINE EDITORS AND READERS:
This essay was written by Evan Augustine Peterson III, J.D., who is
the
Executive Director of the American Center for International Law 
("ACIL").