[url=http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/11/05/bush.book/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn]source = cnn[/url]
[quote]Washington (CNN) -- Former President George W. Bush has stayed out of politics since he left the White House and, except for his own, he largely keeps the subject at arm's length in his new memoir, "Turning Points."
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey to air on Tuesday when the book is to be released, Bush said he is "through with politics" and refused to offer an opinion on the 2012 presidential election.
"I am not a political pundit. I'm really not," Bush said. "A lot is gonna happen between now and the nominating process."
He also passes on commenting on President Obama, saying he wants to treat his successor the way, "I'd like to have been treated."
"I don't think it's good for a former president to be out there opining on every darned issue," Bush told Winfrey. "He's got a plenty tough job. Trust me. And there's gonna be plenty of critics and he doesn't need me criticizing him."
In the 481-page book Bush compliments Obama's political skills during a meeting before the 2008 election as the financial crisis was coming to a head. He also criticizes the performance of his party's nominee, John McCain, in the same meeting.
He criticizes Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for the failure of his efforts to reform immigration laws in 2006.
[B]Bush takes responsibility for giving the go-ahead for waterboarding terror suspects, which has touched off a new round of criticism of Bush and calls for his prosecution. He says that he did decide not to use two more extreme interrogation methods, but did not disclose what those were.[/B]
Here are excerpts from the book, which CNN obtained on Friday:
'The choice between security and values was real'
[B]Bush reveals the decision points that led him to choose waterboarding as an interrogation technique.[/B]
"CIA experts drew up a list of interrogation techniques. ... At my direction, Department of Justice and CIA lawyers conducted a careful legal review. The enhanced interrogation program complied with the Constitution and all applicable laws, including those that ban torture.
[B]"There were two that I felt went too far, even if they were legal. I directed the CIA not to use them. Another technique was waterboarding, a process of simulated drowning. No doubt the procedure was tough, but medical experts assured the CIA that it did no lasting harm."[/B]
[B]Though Bush confirms that he knew the use of waterboarding would one day become public, and acknowledges that it is "sensitive and controversial," he asserts that "the choice between security and values was real," and expresses firm confidence in his decision.[/B] "Had I not authorized waterboarding on senior al Qaeda leaders, I would have had to accept a greater risk that the country would be attacked. In the wake of 9/11, that was a risk I was unwilling to take," he writes.
Bush further declares that the new techniques proved effective, yielding information on al Qaeda's structure and operations, and leading to the capture of Ramzi bin al Shibh, the logistical planner of the 9/11 attacks who was captured on the first anniversary of 9/11.
[B]And if there were any lingering doubts or conflict about the use of waterboarding, Bush discloses that he received reassurance from an unlikely source: terror suspect Abu Zubaydah.[/B]
The former president writes, [B]"His understanding of Islam was that he had to resist interrogation only up to a certain point. Waterboarding was the technique that allowed him to reach that threshold, fulfill his religious duty, and then cooperate."[/B] Bush elaborates that Zubaydah gave him a direct instruction, "'You must do this for all the brothers.'"
Intelligence gleaned from interrogations of Abu Zubaydah and other suspects led to the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Bush writes. During a raid on Mohammed's compound, agents discovered more plans for terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.
[highlight]Prompted by the discoveries, Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet asked if he had permission to use enhanced interrogation techniques including waterboarding on Mohammed.
Bush exposes his inner thoughts on what led him to reach this decision: "I thought about my meeting with Danny Pearl's widow, who was pregnant with his son when he was murdered. I thought about the 2,971 people stolen from their families by al Qaeda on 9/11. And I thought about my duty to protect my country from another act of terror.
'Damn right,' I said."[/highlight] [/quote]
That's only about half the article; the other half is about his father, Obama & McCain, Hitler's favorite color... whatever, it's irrelevant to the topic at hand.
I've bolded the parts I found most interesting
[editline]5th November 2010[/editline]
tl;dr go fuck yourself
Ive no problem with torture. :patriot:
Glad I live in Europe, where we don't have to result in torture to get information.
They should of just used pigs blood.
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works for me
This can't be the full story. There's got to be more he isn't telling the public.
[QUOTE=Carne;25880778]Glad I live in Europe, where we don't have to result in torture to get information.[/QUOTE]
"Oh, I'm in Europe? Sure, I'll tell you everything about our terrorist plots."
[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;25880974]"Oh, I'm in Europe? Sure, I'll tell you everything about our terrorist plots."[/QUOTE]
are you really justifying torture?
[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;25880974]"Oh, I'm in Europe? Sure, I'll tell you everything about our terrorist plots."[/QUOTE]
Damn right.
[QUOTE=TailsPrower;25880823]This can't be the full story. There's got to be more he isn't telling the public.[/QUOTE]
ugh like what
[QUOTE=Carne;25880778]Glad I live in Europe, where we don't have to result in torture to get information.[/QUOTE]
wow you're really stupid
Torture will just cause the victim to tell you what you want to hear. It could be the truth, it could not be. It's a very inefficient way to get information.
[QUOTE=Leon Trotsky;25881015]are you really justifying torture?[/QUOTE]
torture is horrible but under certain circumstances limited amounts of it must be used.
I thought title said wakeboarding and pictured bush with a beer on a jet ski.
I love Bush :v:
[QUOTE=BagMinge104;25881223]torture is horrible but under certain circumstances limited amounts of it must be used.[/QUOTE]
why?
The idea that we should erode basic human decency for safety is foolish and unwise. I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who said "those who would give away their freedoms for security, deserve no freedom"
I always thought waterboarding was a sport
Makes so much sense now
[QUOTE=ShukaidoX;25881410]The idea that we should erode basic human decency for safety is foolish and unwise. I believe it was Thomas Jefferson who said "those who would give away their freedoms for security, deserve no freedom"[/QUOTE]
if you must quote tommy J at least get the quote right
golly gee whiz
[QUOTE=Leon Trotsky;25881367]why?[/QUOTE]
When someone says they want to kill you, your country, and your family, I kind of want to know what they know and find out where their friends are making bombs out of paint cartridges are at.
[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;25881472]When someone says they want to kill you, your country, and your family, I kind of want to know what they know and find out where their friends are making bombs out of paint cartridges are at.[/QUOTE]
okay that's nice but that doesn't have anything to do with what he asked
[QUOTE]The former president writes, "His understanding of Islam was that he had to resist interrogation only up to a certain point. Waterboarding was the technique that allowed him to reach that threshold, fulfill his religious duty, and then cooperate." Bush elaborates that Zubaydah gave him a direct instruction, "'You must do this for all the brothers.'"[/QUOTE]
This is an interesting bit.
I kinda admire the fact that Bush was capable of following through with some of the most difficult of decisions and accept the reprecussions that followed without too much resolve. He was quite determined
It's almost a direct contrast to how things are apparently working out with our current president. Don't really know if that's a good or bad thing though. Goes both ways I guess.
I actually want to read this book now.
...Each to their own, I don't need to be torn apart cause I generally disagree with the label on Bush from the masses here.
who's tearing you apart?
[QUOTE=Kalibos;25883572]who's tearing you apart?[/QUOTE]
Wait for JDK and his silvery horse of "I know whats right."
I like how Bush actually looks back on his mistakes and accepts the repercussions.
[QUOTE=Sottalytober;25884367]I like how Bush actually looks back on his mistakes and accepts the repercussions.[/QUOTE]
He messed up, at least he admits it.
Bush is much better as an ex-president than a president
[QUOTE=Swilly;25884418]He messed up, at least he admits it.[/QUOTE]
Everyone messes up. It's just that every time the president messes up the whole fucking country hears about it.
why is bush still alive?
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