Torture as Government Policy

As US torture of prisoners and detainees resurfaces in the news, and the legitimator of torture, Gonzales, is interviewed to be the Attorney General of the United States, it seems only fitting that the Pentagon plans on sending assassination and kidnapping teams to Iraq. While denying that torture was the official policy of the United States, the word "rendition" is now commonly heard in the news. "Rendition" if you are not aware means sending prisoners to nations that do regularly torture prisoners. While denying that torture is the official policy of the United States, plane used by the CIA to move "suspects" out of the country comes under scrutiny.

So on one hand is the drum beat "We don't approve of torture," while on the other the Pentagon announces it is going to actively engage in assassination and kidnapping. They are calling it the "Salvadoran Option" - a tacit acknowledgement to the activities of earlier US "advisers" in Salvador (not to mention, Colombia, Honduras, and Vietnam to name a few). "We don't approve torture" while we build a permanent jail at Guantanamo to indefinitely detain "suspects" in the war on terrorism.

Ah yes, the "Salvadoran Option" in Iraq where Bush conveniently placed the former US Ambassador to Honduras (where lots of covert US torture and "disappearances" and deaths occurred. Yes, Mr. Negroponte was no random choice for Iraq. He was indeed selected for his "special skills." Of course the US Vice President was the Secretary of Defense during the placement of military "advisers" in Latin and South America.

So while "torture is not the official policy of the United States" now, the whole issue can become moot by making torture the official policy of the US. There is a tremendous irony that so soon after the outcry against the School of the Americas which forced it to change its name (at least) the goons in office, are deciding to make those tactics the public response of the United States. Gads, what are we coming to, and why do so many seem to be unaware or unmoved?

Meanwhile, there is the frightening "doomsday plan" that passed the Congress. While waving the changes to the ethics rules in the Congress in front of the public, attached to the same bill was the disaster plan for Congress. Under the plan, the government would be run by whoever could make it to the House chamber. Yes, that is a total rewriting of the rules indeed. Beyond the obvious issue that a handful of Representatives could run the government of the United States indefinitely, is a glaring oversight - there may not be a House Chamber to go to. I'm sure that they thought of this and there is some backup chamber buried under NORAD in Colorado or something.

I do wish that the current regime would quit exceeding my worst expectations.