It's Torture, Stupid

Today something amazing happened.

Donald Rumsfeld was actually told by someone in uniform, in public, that it is not OK to torture, and further, that when troops see torture, they have an affirmative obligation to intervene.

"The nation's top military man, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, said American troops in Iraq have a duty to intercede and stop abuse of prisoners by Iraqi security personnel.

When Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld contradicted Pace, the general stood firm.

Rumsfeld told the general he believed Pace meant to say the U.S. soldiers had to report the abuse, not stop it.

Pace stuck to his original statement.

"It is absolutely the responsibility of every U.S. service member if they see inhumane treatment being conducted, to intervene, to stop it."


YOU GO BOY - defend the honor of the vast majority of US Service men and women who are appalled by the position taken by these non-military suits when it comes to things like torture and collateral damage.




Top U.S. military officer contradicts his civilian

Members of the military are not allowed to have a political opinion so depending upon how his orders are laid out or what not the reaction to his speaking out could vary greatly. I'm glad he did it though.

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It can be looked at as an "opinion" when it is used as a challenge of sorts, I'm sure.

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I'm not disagreeing with either of you, but simply because this Admin "views" it as an opinion does not make it so.

As I said it all depends on how the orders for dealing with that type of situation are written out. If they are ambiguous and he took it upon himself to say a definateway that things should be then it becomes his opinion.

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I think the point, KelRel, is that General Pace was speaking the truth, while the Secretary of Defense proved once again that he doesn't know what the f*ck he's doing or talking about and his very appointment to that position was an insult to every man and woman who has ever served in the military.

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I'm just not sure why Rummy put up a fuss--he should've let Pace say whatever he wanted, then took care of it in private--you'd think a man who's served in the military would have more respect for handling things in a quiet and efficient manner, but nothing about Iraq has been quiet or efficient.