Sunday, April 19, 2009

TORTUROUSLY CONVOLUTED LOGIC

Recent transcripts released by the Obama administration (fulfilling their promise of a more transparent government), includes the following snippets of one of the released memos......
We find that the use of the water board constitutes a threat of imminent death. As you have explained the water board procedure to us, it creates in the subject the physiological sensation that the subject is drowning. Although the procedure will be monitored by personnel with medical training and extensive SERE school experience with this procedure to ensure the subjects mental and physical safety, the subject will be unaware of these precautions. From the vantage point of any reasonable person undergoing this procedure in such circumstances, he would feel as if he were drowning at very moment of the procedure due to the uncontrollable physiological sensations he is experiencing.
Although the water board constitutes a threat of imminent death, prolonged mental harm must nonetheless result to violate the statutory prohibition on infliction of severe mental pain or suffering. We have previously concluded that prolonged mental harm is mental harm of some lasting duration, e.g., mental harm lasting months or years. Based on the foregoing, and based on the facts that you have provided, we conclude that the interrogation procedures that you propose would not: violate Section 2340A, or constitute illegal torture.

2 comments:

Dynamic said...

What is Torturously Convoluted Logic, is the Presidents support of legalized abortion. He wants to stop using a method to extract intelligence from enemies of the state but has no hesitation in supporting the killing of unborn children of the state. Now that’s twisted!

Kim said...

Point well taken.

I wish I could give you an accurate measurement of the Democrats who merely take the pro-choice position as a means of getting elected from the left; but I have always maintained that it is higher than many think, and I think President Obama falls, or at least leans towards that camp. Same for legalization of marijuana, and school vouchers.

On the right, I think the same holds true for issues such as stem cell research, anti-head start, and don't ask don't tell...

To be taken seriously by the partys, you have to adopt party platforms and package yourself with the correct positions.

BTW, waterboarding is so effective it was employed hundreds of times on one man, as despicable as he was. I seriously doubt anyone gave up as much as their high school gym locker combination because of waterboarding, although I am purely speculating.

They want to die. They want to DIE. They want to be a martyr---how do you attack that?

Thanks for your comment, Dynamic.