It surely came as a surprise to some Kansans that Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., was among the nine senators who voted against the measure last week banning the use of “cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” against detainees in the war on terrorism. Roberts, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, knows more than most of his colleagues about what goes on in detainee interrogations, what is being learned from them, and the scope of the charges and numerous investigations of prisoner abuse. “The information we get from interrogating these terrorists is the most valuable information we get. It saves lives — period,” Roberts told me. He also says you can’t telegraph to terrorists what to expect if they’re captured or it “will be the first chapter in the al-Qaida terrorist manual.” Still, 90 senators voted against torture. Roberts didn’t. That looks bad (even though the measure may never make it into law). What do you think?
Posted by Rhonda Holman
Registered?
Commenting on WE Blog now requires you to be a Kansas.com member. Use the links above to register, if you haven't already, or to log in.Contact us
Follow us
Daily Archives
-
Recent Comments
- Blaidd_Drwg69 on Whose ‘unchecked spending’?
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/24
- Blaidd_Drwg69 on Too many exemptions
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/24
- Pleefer on Open thread 11/24
- Jed on It’s the stupidity about the economy
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/24
- SolDevVB on Open thread 11/24
- JimJohnson on Open thread 11/24
- DavidB on Open thread 11/24
25 Comments
If the telephone rings in Roberts office. Don’t answer it Pat, the Devil has heard you are in favor of selling one’s soul to get what you want. When you are willing to distroy what makes a country great in defense of that country. Your enemy has won without firing a shot. It is not the soul of the terrorist that I worry about, it is the soul of this country.
This unjust war has made the U.S. look like terrorists.
If we nuked all the countries in the world except for America, that would make us safer too, Pat.
If we needed any more proof that Pat Roberts has completely prostituted himself to neo-con faction of the Bush party, here it is.
My new nickname for our senior Senator, “Old Rubber Stamp.”
BTW, Pat, whatever happened to that investigation you promised of the “faulty intelligence” leading to the WMD b.s.?
Oh right, now you have “other priorities.”
Any information that is given under duress is suspect. Beat me enough, withhold food and life necessities long enough I will tell you anything you want. It doesn’t have to be truth, but if it gets me respite than it’s worth it.If you offshore the torture to another country it doesn’t wipe the blood off our own hands.Why does Kansas keep voting in this man when he so obviously doesn’t share the same values of the people here?
Because next to Sam Brownback, who never met a PAC he didn’t like, Roberts looks damn good.
Even China is attempting to reform it’s system of torture induced confessions.
Hey, Don’t give him such a hard time! He knows that if a blanket ban on torture is instituted, most of his party’s political ads will have to be pulled!
Let’s send that bastard to Gitmo and “persuade” him to tell why he voted that way. The People don’t like torture, but as long as he does then we’ll make an exception just for him. He is “terrorizing” us. He’s a “terrorist” and needs his nuts in a vice until he tells us why he likes his nuts squeezed so much over his screams.
LITTLE LOUDER PLEASE, CAN’T HEAR YOU.
Tracy,
What’s really dangerous is that we getting closer to one step worse than a “terrorist” which is a “lawyer”
When “lawyers” attack then cut-off more than you “head”
What a bunch of old women. Since you PC dumocrats have been in charge we haven’t won a single war. Our military can’t be mean to murders, rapists and baby bombers. They know if they don’t die with the first bullet they are safe — forever.
Joe C, “murders, rapists, and baby bombers”, are you talking about our military or the terrorists?
I heard just recently that several inmates at Guantanamo Bay had been released due to lack of any charge to hold them. One wonders how many other such cases will ultimately be found. Oh but that’s ok. Let’s torture them in the meantime because they MIGHT be guilty, because they MIGHT have useful information.
There are many things wrong with torture as regards prisoners. It is not a reliable source of accurate information. It diminshes our status among nations. It creates enemies. It encourages others to mis-treat our soldiers or citizens (good for you good for me)
But the worst part about allowing torture as policy is the efffect on the torturers themselves. You give our young soldiers sanction to de-humanize others and it will stick with them. And they won’t always be sodiers. But the experence of de-humanizing others with permission will be there. I don’t like to think on how that might manifest itself back home.
JR,That’s been a problem in just about every war we’ve ever been in! We intentionally turn our youth into killers so they can fight wars for us, and it’s always come back to haunt us! Permission to torture as well as kill only ups the ante, to be collected later.
Molly Ivins brings up an excellent point for Pat Roberts.
One of the varying reasons we went to war with Iraq was because Saddam was a bad man that tortures people.
How far off is that from describing America under this administration.
RD. I’ve always been a volunteeraholic and helped out the various causes I believe in on a quiet level. It’s only been since this administration that I’ve become this vocal and put so much energy into research.
boy, I messed that up all the way around.
the RD portion should be for Ray and should be in the Freeh blog.
Perfect, Joe C, absolutely perfect.
You worship violent punishment so much that you claim it will stop . . . wait for it . . . SUICIDE bombers.
If suicide bombers were worried about taking a bullet, they wouldn’t drive a car bomb into a mosque, would they.
BUT, don’t let that stop you, Joe C. Keep believing there’s no problem that dropping a bomb on can’t solve . . .
BTW, Joe C., Clinton stopped the genocide in the Balkans without losing a single American life.
I guess if a bunch of our guys don’t die needlessly, it’s not a “war” to you . . .
Right GalahadBombing the hell out of folks on the ground while keeping the troops far away is not War. Clinton won nothing but a referees’ job for years.
Bush’s new name: ” The Worst thing That Ever Happened”…..”TWTTEH”
Bush’s new name: ” The Worst thing That Ever Happened”…..”TWTTEH”
Good old WAJ ed
Does this mean that “torture” could become a “Monday Night at the Torture Chamber” event?
“Where the Loudest Screamer is the Biggest Loser?”
Place your Bets!
And the Loser would have to pay the State Scream Tax.
Isn’t it ironic that a good christian like Roberts supports torture? Does anyone see the hypocrisy in this? Just another reason to think less of the right wing nut jobs.