Former Generals Promote Anti-Torture Bill
About three-dozen retired military officers with
combat experience in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq met privately outside
the Pentagon last week to discuss their support for anti-torture legislation,
oppose White House efforts to water it down, and press reluctant colleagues to
join them publicly.
About three-dozen retired military officers with combat experience in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq met privately outside the Pentagon last week to discuss their support for anti-torture legislation, oppose White House efforts to water it down, and press reluctant colleagues to join them publicly.
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The core of the conference - chaired by former U.S. Central Command Chief Gen. Joseph Hoar -- was drawn from 29 retired officers who in October endorsed McCain's amendment. Other attendees included former civilian Pentagon officials and retired politicians, according to people at the meeting.
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Hoar rejects the Bush administration's argument that new techniques are needed to effectively interrogate al-Qaida members who have read the standard techniques from the Army field manual posted on the Internet.
"It's about us, not about the other guys," said Hoar. "Who are we? Our president speaks with these throwaway lines about democracy and freedom and then we do things like this. It makes no sense to me."
[Retired Marine Maj. Gen. Fred] Haynes speaks to the practicality of humane treatment for prisoners. He was the operations officer in the Marines' 28th Regiment that fought for 36 days on Iwo Jima against an enemy as fanatical and committed as any the United States faces now.
We're led down the primrose path by a government of hypocrites and liars -- whose opposition to service in previous conflicts was exclusively based on opportunism not principle, on cowardice not conviction.
Posted: Wed - December 14, 2005 at 07:44 AM