Bush Declares,'We Do Not Torture

[FUZO]

TweetBush Declares,'We Do Not Torture


PANAMA CITY, Panama - President Bush vigorously defended U.S. interrogation practices in the war on terror Monday and lobbied against a congressional drive to outlaw torture.



"There's an enemy that lurks and plots and plans and wants to hurt America again," Bush said. "So you bet we will aggressively pursue them but we will do so under the law."

He declared, "We do not torture."

Over White House opposition, the Senate has passed legislation banning torture. With Vice President Dick Cheney as the point man, the administration is seeking an exemption for the CIA. It was recently disclosed that the spy agency maintains a network of prisons in eastern Europe and Asia, where it holds terrorist suspects.

The European Union is investigating the reports, which have not been confirmed by the White House.

"Our country is at war and our government has the obligation to protect the American people," Bush said. "Any activity we conduct is within the law. We do not torture."

Bush pointedly noted that Congress as well as the White House has an obligation to protect U.S. citizens.

Not only is the Republican-controlled Congress challenging an element of Bush's policy, but the Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider a challenge to the administration's handling of military tribunals for foreign terror suspects. The case, which won't be decided for months, is a major test of presidential wartime powers.

The United States is holding hundreds of foreign terrorism suspects, also, at the military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Bush spoke at a news conference with Panamanian President Martin Torrijos on last day of five-day Latin America trip. Bush was ending the day in Virginia, where he was to campaign for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jerry Kilgore just ahead of Election Day.

On another issue, Bush ducked a question about the CIA leak investigation, declining to say whether he has lived up to his campaign pledge in 2000 to abide by the spirit of federal ethics laws.

"We take this investigation very seriously and we'll continue to cooperate during the investigation," he said.

Bush expressed his condolences to victims of a tornado that hit Indiana over the weekend.

[T-Man007]

TweetDon't be a ***** Bush, have your boys torture the hell out of them. They would do it to our guys.

[daved150]

Tweet

Don't be a ***** Bush, have your boys torture the hell out of them. They would do it to our guys.

I AGREE WITH YA BRO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY THEY (THE MILITARY) COULD NOT KEEP IT A SECRET, AND THE WHOLE WORLD WOULD BE OUTRAGED, AND IT WOULD MAKE MATTERS WORSE, I'M AFFRAID

[T-Man007]

TweetThat is where there needs to be a 'teragation task force'. These guys don't exist in real life and you know they would never tell for they would face criminal charges. They should have no affiliation to any specific branch of military either. Just some bad dudes who know how to get info. War is war and the threat of war welcomes the need to acquire info at whatever cost necessary. IMO We lose spys in an attempt to gain info, so why not torture the enemy to find out info. As long as we do it in the name of religion it shoudl be ok. After all, the world as a whole doesn't seem to give a crap about the Muslim Terrorists and they do what they do out of religious conviction. That's how they justify their actions. They claim a Jihad, holy war, and the Quran gives specific instruction on what to do when you meet a non-believer in battle.