George Galloway blasts the Senate

In exchange for access, the committee has agreed to take any initial complaints directly to Washington. It publicises its views only when it feels they are not being heeded.

In this instance, the ICRC says it has been urging the White House for months to make significant changes in Guantanamo.

International Committee of Red Cross charges in confidential reports to United States government that American military has intentionally used psychological and sometimes physical coercion 'tantamount to torture' on prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; report follows monthlong visit to Guantanamo by Red Cross inspection team last June; it claims some doctors and other medical workers at Guantanamo participated in planning for interrogations, calling this 'flagrant violation of medical ethics'; Bush administration and military officials sharply reject report's charges; Red Cross has been conducting visits to Guantanamo since Jan 2002; this is first time it has asserted in such strong terms that treatment of detainees, both physical and psychological, amounts to torture;

The Times said the U.S. government and military officials received the ICRC report in July and rejected its findings.

Senate Republicans are calling on the [Bush] administration to reassess U.S. financial support for the International Committee of the Red Cross, charging that the group is using American funds to lobby against U.S. interests.

The ICRC is the only organization mandated by international treaty to monitor the observance of the Geneva Convention governing the treatment of prisoners, and it has the right to visit prisoners.

Sheppard is an ex Air Force general who has worked previously with Rumsfeld and who, so far as I know without exception, speaks the apologist line on every CNN outing. Objective observer he is not. One can go through that piece and list the formulated talking points for pundits spreading the good word...a few bad apples, investigated, perpetrators punished and the matter over, not club med, etc etc.

As debra pointed out earlier, this tour was precisely the sort offered up by Soviet Russia or North Korea to foreign press/observers; those in attendance were not allowed to go anywhere except where they were taken, nor to talk individually to any of the detainees. We knew such 'information tours' were simply PR and a sham before but we don't have the balls to admit the Pentagon is doing exactly the same thing now.
...

So, whoodathunk, how about we actually try to find out what is going on rather than depend on propaganda mouthpieces.

blatham wrote:

Sheppard is an ex Air Force general who has worked previously with Rumsfeld and who, so far as I know without exception, speaks the apologist line on every CNN outing. Objective observer he is not. One can go through that piece and list the formulated talking points for pundits spreading the good word...a few bad apples, investigated, perpetrators punished and the matter over, not club med, etc etc.

As debra pointed out earlier, this tour was precisely the sort offered up by Soviet Russia or North Korea to foreign press/observers; those in attendance were not allowed to go anywhere except where they were taken, nor to talk individually to any of the detainees. We knew such 'information tours' were simply PR and a sham before but we don't have the balls to admit the Pentagon is doing exactly the same thing now.
...

So, whoodathunk, how about we actually try to find out what is going on rather than depend on propaganda mouthpieces.

I do believe there is considerable difference between the United States and both North Korea and the unlamented Soviet Union. Evidently Blatham doesn't agree.

More evidence that nothing can dent the fixed beliefs of those whose minds are truly closed.

We need to pity these no longer relevant Democrats. They're gyrating and twisting into contortions trying to hang onto their last vestiges of power, but all they've got left is obstructing and undermining ... and ridiculing at every opportunity. They're at rock-bottom and have nowhere to go but up, but they won't start that climb until they finally, once and for all, get sick of losing, losing, losing.

I have a lot of respect for politicians (or anyone) who demonstrate a strong belief in the agendas they're pushing -- even if I don't agree with them. Hillary fails this litmus test in that she doesn't appear sincere about anything. Her 'move to the middle' seems artificial to me. I think she adapts herself to whichever situation she finds herself because she knows that the 'real' Hillary can't get elected.

So, although I agree with you that the Dems have a lot to learn and could even take a few cues from her, I just don't think they'll be able to fool enough people to get elected until they start believing what they're preaching.

Off-topic a tad?

I'm not sure why you think it should make me feel superior.
I think it a shame, though, that so many threads reduce to tit-for-tat discussions of US domestic politics. That is of no interest to many people, and I think, of no particular relevance here.
However, there are many threads which do discuss US domestic politics, where you could direct your thoughts. Should you so wish. May I say also, off-topic asides are usually quite welcomed by me.

I have noticed that the nastiest people who post here, inhabit the right of the political spectrum. Why do you think this is?

McTag wrote:

I'm not sure why you think it should make me feel superior.
I think it a shame, though, that so many threads reduce to tit-for-tat discussions of US domestic politics. That is of no interest to many people, and I think, of no particular relevance here.
However, there are many threads which do discuss US domestic politics, where you could direct your thoughts. Should you so wish. May I say also, off-topic asides are usually quite welcomed by me.

I have noticed that the nastiest people who post here, inhabit the right of the political spectrum. Why do you think this is?

Whatever

Off-topic a tad?

I have noticed that the nastiest people who post here, inhabit the right of the political spectrum. Why do you think this is?