Friday, January 23, 2009
End Of Torture, Not So Fast
The editors of the Wall Street Journal point out correctly that despite President Obama's assertion that he has ended the "War on Terror" it appears that he has an escape clause:
I have to admit that I fell for the line when he said it.
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The unfine print of Mr. Obama's order is that he's allowed room for what might be called a Jack Bauer exception. It creates a committee to study whether the Field Manual techniques are too limiting "when employed by departments or agencies outside the military." The Attorney General, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Director of National Intelligence-designate Dennis Blair will report back and offer "additional or different guidance for other departments or agencies."
In other words, Mr. Obama's Inaugural line that "we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals" was itself misrepresenting the choices his predecessor was forced to make. At least President Bush was candid about the practical realities of preventing mass casualties in the U.S.
I have to admit that I fell for the line when he said it.
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