[tw]

From the NY Times of 14 Sept 2006:

An Unexpected Collision Over Detainees
At issue are definitions of what is permissible in trials and interrogations that both sides view as central to the character of the nation, the way the United States is perceived abroad and the rules of the game for what Mr. Bush has said will be a multigenerational battle against Islamic terrorists.

... stern opposition to the president being expressed by three Republicans with impeccable credentials on military matters: Senators John McCain of Arizona, John W. Warner of Virginia and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. The three were joined on Thursday by Colin L. Powell, formerly the secretary of state and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in challenging the administration’s approach. [Also joining to lead opposition is Susan Collins of Maine.]

It is one of those rare Congressional moments when the policy is as monumental as the politics.

On one side are the Republican veterans of the uniformed services, arguing that the president’s proposal would effectively gut the nearly 60-year-old Geneva Conventions, sending a dark signal to the rest of the world and leaving United States military without adequate protection against torture and mistreatment. ...

Brushing aside the objections of Mr. Bush and most of his Republican colleagues in Congress, Mr. Warner led the Senate Armed Services Committee to produce legislation on Thursday that would provide detainees with protections beyond those sought by Mr. Bush, setting up a collision with the House, where a measure approved by the administration is advancing.

House Republicans say the Senate plan is misguided and will hobble the American military. Representative Duncan Hunter, Republican of California and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said it would lead to “the lawyer brigade” being attached to combat troops to counsel detainees.

Powell Breaks With Bush on Torture Issues
In a brief letter to Senator McCain objecting to the president’s call for tougher interrogations of suspected terrorists, General Powell not only stated his opposition but also took a swipe at the administration’s standing around the globe. “The world is beginning to doubt our moral basis for the war against terrorism,” he warned, recalling his support for the McCain amendment on detainee treatment last year.

Beginning? Colin Powell's letter to John McCain.

Well understood, retired generals tend to voice the opinion of active duty generals (who obviously cannot say anything). Every General who had servied in Iraq and since retired has spoken out against this Administration's war. 26 Generals in a public letter said

We believe that the language that would redefine Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions as equivalent to the standards contained in the Detainee Treatment Act violates the core principles of the Geneva Conventions and poses a grave threat to American service-members, now and in future wars.

Of course. George Jr suddenly advocates this change (to define more aggressive torture) when the US Supreme Court on 29 Jun 2006 in a case involving bin Laden's chauffer, Hamdan, threw a slap into George Jr's face. This case and George Jr's response was summarized in Has the Bush Doctrine failed? .

To continue torture, George Jr must define what torture is now legal and to provide CIA agents with even greater leeway to both torture and to restock those still not closed secret overseas prisons.

Senators Defy Bush On Terror Measure
McCain told reporters that Hayden wants Congress to give the CIA a virtually free hand to treat detainees as it wishes so that he and his agents will be immunized against accusations of unlawful conduct. "He's trying to protect his reputation at the risk of America's reputation," McCain said. The senator noted that other nations would be more likely to abuse U.S. captives if Americans appeared to sanction such conduct.

CIA agents can buy insurance from the government to cover prosecution from on-the-job activities. At about $2000 per year, the number of requests for such insurance has significantly increased as a result of this Supreme Court decision. Notice how torture prevented attacks on the Golden Gate Bridge and Prudential Insurance building. Typical of the many orange alerts when information was obtained by torture.

Bottom line: George Jr wants what any anti-American president wants. He wants torture made legal now that the Supreme Court said torture is not legal. He also wants laws passed so that the Supreme Court cannot rul on torture again. This is god's chosen and moral president - or "Nobody expected the Spanish Inquisition"?