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Waterboarding US troops is not a violation of the Geneva ConventionsSo now it has come to this. Some of the highest government officials in the Bush administration have followed that administration’s logic to its inevitable conclusion and have decided that waterboarding US troops is not a violation of the Geneva Conventions. Of course, even though those of us who have opposed torturing prisoners have been warning those of you who support torture that this would be the outcome; it is still shocking to hear Brigadier General Thomas W. Hartmann testify before the Senate that if Iranians were to shoot down a US pilot and then waterboard him, then he could not say that it was torture: GRAHAM: You mean you’re not equipped to give a legal opinion as to whether or not Iranian military secret security agents waterboarding downed airmen is a violation of the Geneva Convention? HARTMANN: I am not prepared to answer that question, Senator. The entire debate can be seen here, the exchange is at the end: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham versus General Hartman General Hartmann is only the latest administration spokesman to disgrace the country. In October, State Department Legal Adviser John Bellinger, Condoleezza’s top legal adviser, refused to declare waterboarding a form of torture if used by a foreign intelligence service on an American citizen. Top US legal adviser refuses to rule out torture technique Those of you who have served in the military are well aware of which “American citizens” are most likely to fall into the hands of a “foreign intelligence service”. Every Republican and Republican candidate should be asked if they will condemn the torturing of US troops and if they would be willing to put the full force of the United States behind finding and prosecuting those who do it. Then they should be asked how they can reconcile that view with their support for torturing our enemies. JeffC's blog | login to post comments![]() |