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usc
politics
'Waterboarding Memo' Author Speaks to College Republicans
Joshua Sharp is now a contributor for The Cram, a student news arm of the newly launched PoliticsDaily.com. To follow his future work, click here.Former Bush Administration official John Yoo, author of several Justice Department memos determining waterboarding and other "enhanced interrogation techniques" to be legal, addressed the California College Republicans as the keynote speaker at their statewide convention in San Francisco this weekend.
Author's note: In addition to political commentary, I'm a member of the USC College Republicans. Views posted here are my own.
Two dozen protesters gathered outside the Hyatt Fisherman's Wharf hotel where the convention was being held, holding signs calling Yoo a war criminal as they chanted, "Jail John Yoo!"
Yoo was actually remarkably soft-spoken compared to the protesters outside. He described his background and his support of key Bush Administration policies, saying, "Sometimes in war, you have to take pre-emptive action to stop someone from trying to harm our country." He pointed out that al-Qaeda had deliberately targeted civilians on Sept. 11, not combatants or military troops.
Putting perspective on enhanced interrogation techniques, Yoo said the United States interrogates detainees "not because we're trying to get a confession [for use in the courts], we're trying to get information to prevent the next attack."
Yoo closed with a question: "Were those policies successful?" It's been almost eight years since 9/11, he said, and our nation has not seen another domestic terrorist attack "because of the Bush Administration's counterterrorism policies."
Yoo also encouraged young conservatives to "have the courage of your convictions" and engage in free speech and open debate with "the people who would shout you down."
Earlier in the day, hundreds of College Republicans took to the streets of San Francisco for an anti-bailout "Tea Party" protest, holding signs with slogans like, "You keep your Hope, I'll keep my Change."
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Chuck
5:54AM 5:54AM Apr 26th 2009
It's amazing to hear this called "Enhanced interrogation techniques" (John Woo) when we do it to an enemy. When it's done to us, it's called terrorism or torture. What a said group of human beings we are to allow this.
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Allie
6:09AM 6:09AM Apr 28th 2009
because they still have their heads & not left smoldering in the streets when we're done with them
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Allie
6:11AM 6:11AM Apr 28th 2009
because they still have their heads & not left smoldering in the streets when we're done with them
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August
11:08AM 11:08AM May 1st 2009
Chuck,
Are you saying that we are like them, Or that we want to be like them, Or that we should be like them?
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Karen
11:46AM 11:46AM May 2nd 2009
Oh Chuck, you are so far off on this one buddy. Do you understand what happened on 911? Did you forget? Come on, they behead our people and you are outraged over a little bit of water going up a terrorist nose? Man up. We have been safe since 911 because we poured some water up noses. I think it was necessary and they are lucky we didn't do more. Don't forget all the victims of 911 - don't forget they hate you and would love to behead you. It's people like you that they laugh at and hold the highest disgust for. What kind of American are you? Don't forget Daniel Pearl buddy. By the way, if you wife or loved one was being held by a terrorist, would you pour a little bit of H2O down the nose of the terrorist? You bet you would.
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Dennis
10:38AM 10:38AM Apr 26th 2009
In a war? Why was it unpatriotic to criticize bush during wartime, but with the same two "wars" going on republicans have no problem criticizing Obama?
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Bob Knapp
2:00PM 2:00PM Apr 26th 2009
Bush did it to protect the citizens of this country - BO is being criticized because of his ostensible intention to weaken this country and endanger its citizens
That's the difference!
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Gregory Dittmer
9:08PM 9:08PM May 1st 2009
Bob Knapp
2:00PM 2:00PM Apr 26th 2009
Bush did it to protect the citizens of this country - BO is being criticized because of his ostensible intention to weaken this country and endanger its citizens
####################################################
Sorry Bob, but your condemnation is nothing more than an absurd Republican talking point!
The "difference" between Bush43 and Obama is simply what method each has chosen to attain the same goal. Personally, as an American citizen, I do NOT condone torture or the Bush Doctrine of "pre-emptive war." I prefer the, "walk softy and carry a big stick" method rather than the Bush43 "accuse and attack while actually being impotent" method.
This Nation has survived more than 200 years of changing ideas and approaches WITHOUT throwing out our principals, ideals and goals as has been seen the past 8 years.
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falling
12:38PM 12:38PM May 4th 2009
It would have been fine if the left had merely criticized Bush's policies and produced more workable policies themselves...instead they merely insulted Bush, called him a liar and worse. Today, Republicans are making very responsible criticisms of Obama's policies AND offering alternatives that they feel would work better. There is a big difference between Bush's administration making the hard decisions necessary to keep American's safe and Obama removing those protections in order to gain political popularity.
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mayabelle1107
12:07PM 12:07PM Apr 26th 2009
All things being relative, if we could have gained information of Auschwitz activities in 1939 by waterboarding a Nazi, would it have been okay then? These people have one objective in life, it has nothing to do with taking care of their families, or improving the state of affairs in their terroism ravaged nations. It is simply to annihilate any infidel that does not follow a radically extreme sect of islam. We'd be naive to believe that 'normal' rules of engagement have any relevance in this war. When your enemy strap bombs to their sons and castrate their deaughter's, harsher method's of engagement and interrogation are required to prevent unnecessary losses of our servicemen, as well as every US citizen.
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revblueroor
2:07PM 2:07PM Apr 26th 2009
so you get to decide whose life is worth anything and whose isn't, who made you God? If it is immoral for them (whoever them is) to target civilians, then it is immoral for us to target civilians. Given your logic, it is even more important that we set a higher moral plain bcause we are a superior people. Get off your high horse, and admit that the Bush administration violated it's own rules and US law in you name as well as mine. If you are not a part of the checking that behavior you are a part of those who carry it out. I hope you enjoyed waterboarding those folks.
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dtmarcell
11:55PM 11:55PM Apr 26th 2009
HEY REVBLUEROOR WHO MADE YOU GOD.YOU WANT TO PUT YOUR FAMILIES NECK ON THE LINE THATS YOUR MESS KEEP MINE OUT OF IT.THIS IS A BUNCH OF FAGGIE CRAP YOU COULD HAVE BEEN THE TARGET AND BECAUSE OF BUSH YOU GET TO WALK AROUND FOR A WHILE LONGER.BE HAPPY
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escort6768
11:45PM 11:45PM Apr 28th 2009
revblueroor: I suppose the Gulf of tonkin afair in the 60's that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, (many of them by torture) was OK? That was done under LBJ.
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mahalapril
1:12PM 1:12PM Apr 26th 2009
Is waterboarding a torture comparable to the torture/ massacre of the 3,000 innocent American civilians on 9/11. Imagine crashing planes to the world trade center. I wish Nancy Pelosi was on one of these planes. She is a traitor and deserves to die in that terrorist attack. Pelosi is brainless,a traitor with Obama and Murtha wanting the US troops to fail and surrender in Iraq and even withold funding of the Troops just for political purposes. Why would people worry about Americans torturing[not true] because we are better than anybody else. How can we be better than any other nations in the world when we tolerate an incompetent Obama administration with tax cheaters ,pathological liar,corrupt politicians and associates,domestic and islamic terrorists symphatizer,anti-America,anti-white,anti-military and anti-veteran racists, passing massive spending and bills without reading and plenty of porks,we have a weak military presiendt and the whole world is laughing at us while our enemies are ridiculing Obama's incompetence militarily,economically and culturally. The democrats are trying to distract the Americans by investigating waterboarding which protected us since 9/11 to hide the failure and total incompetence of Obama.
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T. Hurst
4:07PM 4:07PM Apr 27th 2009
I really wish you would get some counceling. As all pertinent and legitimate information on Torture (not inhanced interrogation practices)specifies, Torture NEVER works. Period. You get negligent info and the damage it does to America's image is devestating. Causing more hate and violence to be directed at us. Torture does not work. Ex-FBI
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dennis higgins
3:03PM 3:03PM Apr 26th 2009
Another Nazi speaks up, and he's proud of it too. His law degree should be revoked!!
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dfhughes
3:12PM 3:12PM Apr 26th 2009
Hows that republican comeback going, not so well huh!. What's a legal opinion worth today from one of the Bush team of lawers? That opinion and $2 will get you a cup of coffe, someplaces. College republicans? What's that, some kind of a joke?
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CK
2:03PM 2:03PM May 4th 2009
No kidding. The only young republicans are the ones that were left behind under Bush's NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND failed education program. That way conservatives are assured of the votes from those that aren't intelligent enough to realize they are being manipulated.
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TOM NIEHAUS
4:55PM 4:55PM Apr 28th 2009
I THINK ITS TIME FOR ALL THE LIBERALS IN AMERICA TO STRIKE OUT AND FORM THEIR OWN UNION AND GOVERNMENT. LET THEM BUY AN ISLAND SOMEWHERE IN SOMALIA OR THEREABOUTS AND SEE HOW THEIR PHILOSOPHY OF COMPLIANCE WORKS IN A HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. OPEN YOUR ARMS - LIBERALS - TO THE SLINGS AND ARROWS OF OUTRAGEOUS TERRORISTS AND SEE HOW LONG YOUR DEMOCRACY LASTS. PELOSI AND REED FOR PRESIDENT AND VP OF THIS NATION. I THINK WE CAN EVEN GET VOLUNTEERS TO OFFER THEM FREE TRANSPORTATION AND I WOULD CONTRIBUTE AS WELL.
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James
6:20PM 6:20PM Apr 26th 2009
FBI and CIA experts agree that advanced interogation techniques (torture) don't work. While the use of these techniques has avoided another 9/11 style attack, it ignores the fact that the previous one was the bombing of the World Trade Center more than 8 years prior to 9/11. On the other hand, more American's have died in Iraq and Afghanistan than on 9/11, and the vast majority of those were considered terrorist attacks. So where is the success using torture? As a combat veteran, spare me the claims that using torture has somehow kept us safe. Diligent first responders and the military have kept us safe, at home.
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