McCain Is A Hypocrite On Torture

By Digby, Hullabaloo
Posted on April 16, 2008, Printed on April 17, 2008
https://www.alternet.org/bloggers/https://www.digbysblog.blogspot.com//82512/

Matthews: You also disagree with him [Bush] on torture.

McCain:
Absolutely. And could I take a few seconds on that? because I think
it's important and I think it's what America is all about and what kind
of country we are. We should never, ever torture anyone who is in the
custody of the United States of America because (applause) because the
struggle we're in with radical Islamic fundamentalism which is going to
be with us for decades, and that is that it's a military,diplomatic,
intelligence and ideological struggle. If we're not any better than our
enemies, then doesn't it make it harder for young people to choose.

I
was in Bagdad in Thanksgiving of last year. I met with a high ranking,
former high ranking member of al Qaeda*. I asked him, "how did you do
so well after the initial military success of the Americans and the
coalition forces had. He said two thing: on was the lawlessness that
took place after the Americans and their allies won the military
victory. But he said the second was Abu Ghraib. He said Abu Ghraib was
my greatest recruiting tool. Everybody here knows what Abu Ghraib was.
So my point is that for the future of this country, we have to make
sure that we remain a nation that does not do things that our enemies
do.

And I promise you, my
friends, that I'll close Guantanamo Bay and we will never torture
another person in our custody again. (wild applause)

I'll
make my further answers shorter, but that's a very important question
about what kind of a country we are and what kind of country we've been
and what kind of a country we'll be for the 21st century.

Matthews: (dreamy sigh...) I want to get back to what kind of a vision you have for your presidency...

Senator John McCain’s vote last week against a bill to curtail the
Central Intelligence Agency's use of harsh interrogation tactics
disappointed human rights advocates who consider him an ally and led
Democrats to charge that he was trying to please Republicans as he
seeks to rally them around his presidential bid.

The bill, which the Senate passed Wednesday by 51 to 45, would force
the C.I.A. to abide by the rules set out in the Army Field Manual on
Interrogation, which prohibits physical force and lists approved
interrogation methods.

Mr.
McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, has led the
battle in recent years on a number of bills to end torture by the
United States. He said he voted against the bill Wednesday because
legislation he had helped to pass already prohibits the C.I.A. from
“cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.”

Mr. McCain, of Arizona, said he believed it would be a mistake to limit
C.I.A. interrogators to using only those techniques that were
enumerated in the Field Manual, which he noted was a public document.