TUE: "We didn't do it." WED: "Uh, yes we did."

[trof]

NYT
WASHINGTON, Sept. 20 — In an embarrassing turnabout, the Department of Justice backed away Wednesday from a denial by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales of responsibility for the treatment of a Canadian who was seized by American authorities in 2002. The man was deported to Syria, where he was imprisoned and beaten.

Asked at a news conference on Tuesday about a Canadian commission’s finding that the man, Maher Arar, was wrongly sent to Syria and tortured there, Mr. Gonzales replied, “Well, we were not responsible for his removal to Syria.” He added, “I’m not aware that he was tortured.”

On Wednesday, a Justice Department spokesman said Mr. Gonzales had intended to make only a narrow point: that deportations are now handled by the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Justice. The spokesman, Charles Miller, said the attorney general forgot that at the time of Mr. Arar’s deportation, such matters were still handled by the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which was part of the Department of Justice.

“He had his timeline mixed up,” Mr. Miller said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/world/americas/21canada.html?ex=1316491200&en=c41819e94cf561a8&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

I am so damned tired of the chickenshit weasel-words of this so-called administration.
So from now on we'll have to ask "OK Mr. Attorney General, exactly WHO is "WE"?
Is "WE" you and your wife?
You and some guy you ran into in a bar?
Your justice department?
The Bush** administration?
Please be specific as to who may or may not be included when you use the word "WE".
Thank you.
:grr:

[gratuitous]

1. SOP for the GOP

You sometimes hear those long, rambling questions from the White House reporters? The ones that start off with "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" and then get more and more specific? It's because of shit just like this, when Weasel Boy blatantly lies, and then clarifies that by "we" he wasn't talking about the Bush administration, but about him and his tapeworm.

The media still have great fun with bandying about the meaning of "is" when it comes to an adulterous relationship that's none of their business anyway. Yet when they're talking about officially-sanctioned torture by the government, they get confused over just who "we" are.

[deathdog]

2. This just makes me sick---

First the "rendition" and then the torture....and then the lying about it.

They should all be tried for crimes against humanity!

[acmejack]

3. Welcome to DU.

Indeed they should & if there is any fairness at all in this world, they shall. The souls of the hundreds of thousands who have perished as a result of their orders or their disregard, as in darfur, demand it.

[deathdog]

4. Thanks for the welcome

And for the wise words. I hope for justice!

[trof]

5. My welcome too!

I think you'll like it here.
:hi:

[deathdog]

6. Thank you

I heard about DU from a friend at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser. Don't know how I didn't happen upon it sooner. It'll be good to talk with like-minded folks as the elections draw near.

Again, thanks.

[newyawker99]

8. Hi deathdog!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Hawkowl]

7. Torture Bill Revision

Maybe the democrats can ask that the torture bill go back to committee so they can insert language that makes it retroactively legal to torture Canadians.

Christ. I can't believe that our Dem leaders aren't going to filibuster or otherwise stop this torture bill nightmare.