"Dark" Dick strikes again and again

Cheney in his own words: "I would strongly support using it (water boarding) again if we had a high-value detainee and that was the only way we could get him to talk." (NBC's DATELINE)

Prior to starting his book tour (about his memoir, In My Time), he said people's heads would explode. Well, he is correct about that if incorrect about so much more.

My head is still exploding over the question of why the U.S. (and yes, even under Mr. Obama) has not and apparently will not prosecute Bush and Cheney (admitted they ordered and approved torture and yes, water boarding is torture), or a few others involved in torture. Water boarding is unlawful, illegal, and a war crimes and it has been for decades. This hair-splitting about Bush-Cheney and others "don't call it torture" matters now in the face of the law. Even a John Yoo-Jay Bybee memo has tried to make the illegal, legal because that is what Bush-Cheney wanted the OLC to do. They did and the rest is history, but I hope it is not complete yet.

Let's be perfectly clear on this whole topic of "enhanced" interrogation techniques. First of all, it's a buzzword used for torture for people who do not know an interrogation technique from a handshake. Second, the word is used to justify war crimes about torture like water boarding. All the excuses being used to "justify" it are flat out false and misleading that come from high-ranking people like Cheney and Bush who make such outrageous statements about something they know nothing about as they admit to the crime. And, Mr. Obama apparently is willing to give them a pass - for what reason I simply cannot figure out.

History of water boarding is outlined here and at other places. This site provides good links to other sources (most of them legal-based sites).

Water boarding was designated as illegal by U.S. generals in Vietnam 40 years ago (source ABC News). A photograph that appeared in the Washington Post showing a soldier involved in water boarding a North Vietnamese prisoner in 1968 led to that soldier's severe punishment. "The soldier who participated in water torture in January 1968 was court-martialed within one month after the photos appeared in the Washington Post -- he was drummed out of the Army," recounted Darius Rejali, a political science professor at Reed College.

Earlier in 1901, the United States had taken a similar stand against water boarding during the Spanish-American War when an Army major was sentenced to 10 years of hard labor for water boarding an insurgent in the Philippines.

How can anyone openly and proudly admit to a crime, any crime, and as serious as torture get off Scott-free in our country - the country we all claim is based on law and order and one of laws and not men?

Heads exploding; yes, they are and for good reason. However, and sadly, reason had taken a back seat to what, I am still not sure.

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