Sydney Morn.Herald: President resorts to scare tactics after Senate revolt

[seafan]

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/president-resorts-to-scare-tactics-after-senate-revolt/2006/09/16/1158334731794.html">President resorts to scare tactics after Senate revolt

September 17, 2006

WARNING that terrorists "are coming again", US President George Bush says he will shut down a secret CIA interrogation program if the US Senate refuses to give interrogators wide latitude in dealing with detainees.

"It's a dangerous world," Mr Bush said as he prodded Congress to follow his lead in dealing with suspected terrorists.

"I wish I could tell the American people, 'Don't worry about it, they're not coming again.' But they are coming again."

The President's scare tactics came a day after a Republican-led Senate committee defied the White House and approved legislation to ban abusive treatment of detainees.

snip

Critics, including former secretary of state Colin Powell, say Mr Bush's approach violates American values.

Photo: BRENNAN LINSLEY / AP


Thursday, Sep. 07, 2006

“We are appalled that the Bush administration will further undermine its moral leadership by brazenly continuing to hold prisoners in secret sites.”

— Larry Cox
executive director of Amnesty International USA, who also praised the move to transfer detainees out of CIA custody

Photo: BROOKS KRAFT / CORBIS FOR TIME


Thursday, Sep. 07, 2006

“The United States does not torture. It's against our laws, and it's against our values. I have not authorized it — and I will not authorize it. ”

— President George W. Bush
in a speech announcing that the U.S. has transferred 14 suspected top leaders of al-Qaeda from secret CIA prisons overseas to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

Photo: DAVID Y. LEE FOR TIME

Friday, Sep. 15, 2006

“He’s trying to protect his reputation at the risk of America’s reputation.”

— Sen. John McCain
criticizing CIA Director Michael V. Hayden, after a Senate committee rebuffed President Bush’s personal request for his plan and passed their own plan for the interrogation of terrorism suspects

Photos and text from Time, Quotes of the Day

[Warpy]

1. He'll get everything he wants, including an unconsitiutional law

shielding him from prosecution, if the Democrats have a big win in November. The lame duck GOP congress will see to it.

It will be hard for Democrats to overturn any of this stuff because we all know he'll just veto everything that crosses his desk for the next two years.

They may not have a choice. They may need to get him out of office.

[rodeodance]

4. It gives more power to EXuc. branch is what it ends up doing.

[liberal N proud]

2. Why is that not a head line on every paper in America?

The complacent media in this country are giving comfort to the enemy "bu$h"

[lyonn]

3. So sadly true - we have a president that wants torture

no matter what. Change the Geneva Convention? Should not all countries get involved rather than el supremo bush? This issue is so ridiculous that it should not even be discussed in Congress. We are seeing the unraveling of a maniac. The maniac is ready to shut down the interrogations by the CIA because they can't torture???? The maniac is saying to the U.S. that I will not allow the intelligence agencies of this country to do it's job if I can't get my way?!

[ProgressiveEconomist]

5. Great photo of Dubya--Would make a very scary Halloween mask--

A humorless, sadistic, red-eyed, red-faced, exhausted drug fiend, trying mightily not to freak out altogether

[samsingh]

6. bush has used scare tactics to hide his theft of the office