Ashcroft: the banality of evil

Gutsy! Just plain gutsy. A diarist over at DailyKos documents her confrontation of John Ashcroft, as he spoke before an audience at Knox College. Here’s what happened, in the diarist’s words:

[STUDENT]: First off, Mr. Ashcroft, I’d like to apologize for the rudeness of some of my fellow students. It was uncalled for–we can disagree civilly, we don’t need that. (round of applause from the audience, and Ashcroft smiles) I have here in my hand two documents. One of them, you know, is the text of the United Nations Convention against Torture, which, point of interest, says nothing about “lasting physical damage”…

ASHCROFT: (interrupting) Do you have the Senate reservations to it?

[STUDENT]: No, I don’t. Do you happen to know what they are?

ASHCROFT: (angrily) I don’t have them memorized, no. I don’t have time to go around memorizing random legal facts. I just don’t want these people in the audience to go away saying, “He was wrong, she had the proof right in her hand!” Because that’s not true. It’s a lie. If you don’t have the reservations, you don’t have anything. Now, if you want to bring them another time, we can talk, but…

[STUDENT]: Actually, Mr. Ashcroft, my question was about this other document. (laughter and applause) This other document is a section from the judgment of the Tokyo War Tribunal. After WWII, the Tokyo Tribunal was basically the Nuremberg Trials for Japan. Many Japanese leaders were put on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture. And among the tortures listed was the “water treatment,” which we nowadays call waterboarding…

ASHCROFT: (interrupting) This is a speech, not a question. I don’t mind, but it’s not a question.

[STUDENT]: It will be, sir, just give me a moment. The judgment describes this water treatment, and I quote, “the victim was bound or otherwise secured in a prone position; and water was forced through his mouth and nostrils into his lungs and stomach.” One man, Yukio Asano, was sentenced to fifteen years hard labor by the allies for waterboarding American troops to obtain information. Since Yukio Asano was trying to get information to help defend his country–exactly what you, Mr. Ashcroft, say is acceptible for Americans to do–do you believe that his sentence was unjust? (boisterous applause and shouts of “Good question!”)

ASHCROFT: (angrily) Now, listen here. You’re comparing apples and oranges, apples and oranges. We don’t do anything like what you described.

[STUDENT]: I’m sorry, I was under the impression that we still use the method of putting a cloth over someone’s face and pouring water down their throat…

ASHCROFT: (interrupting, red-faced, shouting) Pouring! Pouring! Did you hear what she said? “Putting a cloth over someone’s face and pouring water on them.” That’s not what you said before! Read that again, what you said before!

[STUDENT]: Sir, other reports of the time say…

ASHCROFT: (shouting) Read what you said before! (cries of “Answer her fucking question!” from the audience) Read it!

[STUDENT]: (firmly) Mr. Ashcroft, please answer the question.

ASHCROFT: (shouting) Read it back!

[STUDENT]: “The victim was bound or otherwise secured in a prone position; and water was forced through his mouth and nostrils into his lungs and stomach.”

ASHCROFT: (shouting) You hear that? You hear it? “Forced!” If you can’t tell the difference between forcing and pouring… does this college have an anatomy class? If you can’t tell the difference between forcing and pouring…

[STUDENT]: (firmly and loudly) Mr. Ashcroft, do you believe that Yukio Asano’s sentence was unjust? Answer the question. (pause)

ASHCROFT: (more restrained) It’s not a fair question; there’s no comparison. Next question! (loud chorus of boos from the audience)

Bush administration knew of and approved use of torture

When will this group of thugs be criminally prosecuted for violation of international and domestic laws, not to mention the irreparable harm they’ve done to the reputation of our country?

Bush administration officials from Vice President Dick Cheney on down signed off on using harsh interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists after asking the Justice Department to endorse their legality, The Associated Press has learned.

The officials also took care to insulate President Bush from a series of meetings where CIA interrogation methods, including waterboarding, which simulates drowning, were discussed and ultimately approved.

A former senior U.S. intelligence official familiar with the meetings described them Thursday to the AP to confirm details first reported by ABC News on Wednesday. The intelligence official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the issue.

Between 2002 and 2003, the Justice Department issued several memos from its Office of Legal Counsel that justified using the interrogation tactics, including ones that critics call torture.

“If you looked at the timing of the meetings and the memos you’d see a correlation,” the former intelligence official said. Those who attended the dozens of meetings agreed that “there’d need to be a legal opinion on the legality of these tactics” before using them on al-Qaida detainees, the former official said.

[...]

The former intelligence official described Cheney and the top national security officials as deeply immersed in developing the CIA’s interrogation program during months of discussions over which methods should be used and when.

Anyone that still defends this group of thugs is either a sadist, has not been paying attention over the past seven years, or does not believe in the democratic liberal principles that founded America.

Abu Ghraib: They Got Away With It

I am dishearten and disgusted by the army’s decision on the Abu Ghraib torture investigation:

So, while low ranking enlisted personnel are prosecuted and convicted for torture and abuse:

Whatever happened to concepts like “Chain of Command” and “Command Responsibility“? Heck, we need not rely on such fancy terms simply to ask, What happened to decency, common sense and accountability? There’s no way that the abuses committed at Abu Ghraib, and elsewhere, — as documented here and here and here — were somehow carried out by bunch of “low-ranking” military men and women unbeknownst to their commanding officers… there’s just no way! You and I know that those further up the chain of command knew what was taking place:

Of course those further up the chain, all the way up up the chain, knew about what was taking place in Abu Ghraib — in fact, they planned on it all along (PDF):

I know that the army’s decision to clear the top brass of responsibility on the Abu Ghraib torture matter has been covered already; however, I just needed to comment on it for myself. Because, to me, the unjustified Iraq war and the Abu Ghraib tortures, in particular, embody and encapsulate what I see in my mind’s eye when I think of the Bush administration; and, please, understand that I’m not a so-called “pacifist” nor am I strictly opposed to the use of military force, — in fact, on more than on one occasion I’ve sworn to protect and bear arms on behalf of the United States and in defense of the Constitution (and I would do so without hesitation) — however, the Bush administration’s unjustified invasion of Iraq represents a direct assault against the best ideals that American democracy has stood for:

• Accountability to the people
• Tolerance and pluralism
• Shared sacrifice and responsibility
• Transparent and responsive government
• And an “honest broker” abroad

What the Bush administration has done under the guise of “defending America” has, instead, eroded our liberties at home (i.e., so-called patriot act) and isolated us from much of the world; and, unconscionably, Bush & Co. are getting away with it.