Bush Lawyers Strike Back: Ashcroft & Gonzales Enter Torture Debate - Clip #2 (HQ)

Clip #2: Dan Abrams discusses his recent interview with former Attorneys General John Ashcroft and Alberto Gonzales who defended the Bush Administration's authorizing the use of "tough" interrogation tactics on detainees. MSNBC's News Live with Contessa Brewer (aired: 05/04/09).

To read the entire interview on The Daily Beast:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-05-03/bushs-lawyers-strik...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• alberto
• gonzales
• john
• ashcroft
• torture
• harsh
• interrogation
• dan
• abrams
• dawgnpony

[im4wur]

With regard to the end of the video. It just goes to prove, it's true. The GOP isn't right. It's just louder. - btw, being right on an issue is not a function of volume.

[im4wur]

John Yoo, Jay Bybee, David Addington, Alberto Gonzales, William Haynes and Douglas Feith wrote, authorized and promulgated the Justice Department "torture memos" that the Bush Administration used for legal cover.

I am sure all those men are well aware that after World War II, German lawyers for the Ministry of Justice went to prison for similar actions.

[Snoopies622]

"There's the debate completely erupting around the nation about whether what we did as a nation was torture."

1. Who is debating it?

2. What "we" did? As a nation?

[im4wur]

(cont.) "The stakes are incredibly high. In the balance hangs the ability of the United States to maintain the integrity of our counterterrorism policy; improve intelligence cooperation with allies; support the human intelligence community in employing proven, effective methods for gathering actionable information; and re-establish the moral authority necessary to restore the United States as a world leader in upholding human rights."

[im4wur]

(cont.) "This Congress and the new Administration have a window of opportunity to conduct an examination that signals to the American people and to the world that the policies of the last seven years were an aberration and that the United=2 0States is invested in creating an effective, long-term strategy for counterterrorism and intelligence gathering which adheres to American principles and values and to United States and international law." (cont.)

[im4wur]

(cont.) "The Bush Administration's misguided embrace of torture, secret prisons and renditions to torture came at an enormous cost to our American values, our laws, and our counterterrorism efforts. Repairing our reputation as a nation committed to human rights and building a more sustainable framework for national security policy going forward requires a comprehensive examination of the policies and practices that sanctioned torture and abuse." (cont.)

[im4wur]

(cont.) "Did the use of torture spark terrorist recruitment, increase danger to our troops, and damage U.S. leadership and prestige? And did these costs outweigh the benefits? Might actionable intelligence have also been obtained by the non-coercive methods experienced intelligence interrogators experts recommend and employ? What strategic security gains could be reaped from shifting to a policy of complete, consistent and transparent compliance with human rights norms?" (cont.)

[im4wur]

Exceprts from Retired Vice Admiral Lee Gunn's testimomy before Congress in early March.

"An independent commission could undertake the task of examining the facts and, in so doing, weigh the true effectiveness of the Bush administration's torture tactics. Did torture actually uncover actionable intelligence? Did it interrupt plans? And did it actually save lives? If so, what were the countervailing costs to our national security?" - (cont.)