George W. Bush’s policies toward terror detainees were perhaps some of his most jaw-dropping. Barack Obama came to office promising to change course. So far, he has done little. It remains to be seen whether the president can—or wants to—develop a
Contrary to what many have said, supporting torture is not part of being a conservative. If continued, White House policies that tolerate it will undermine U.S. credibility, produce bad intelligence and put American soldiers at risk.
There used to be a line in the sand that we, as Americans, refused to cross when it came to decency. But recent news confirms the United States has entered a new era.
Stopping torture and changing the policies of the Bush administration may not be enough. With a whole new type of terrorist bred from extraordinary rendition and torture, the last eight years may well prove inescapable.
