If Obama thinks the world will respond to his new torture policy, he is seriously misguided. Indeed, he has made things a bit easier for terrorists who now know what will not happen to them if they get caught. And by waffling over whether he will entertain the prosecution of Bush-era Justice Department lawyers (and possibly CIA interrogators as well), he has shown agents in the field that he is behind them, oh, about 62 percent of the time.
(Emphasis supplied.) This is resplendent stupidity. Of course terrorists DO give a damn about our moral authority. Why? Because when America weakens its moral authority, it weakens American power in the world. Only simpletons like Richard Cohen and George W. Bush and Dick Cheney do not understand this basic point. It has been explained to them over and over but here, on a clear day in April 2009, Richard Cohen is just too dumb to understand this.
But to put it in even more practical terms for Mr. Cohen - the fact that the world knows that the United States not only tortured but REFUSES to condemn its past policy of torture, in contravention to the laws of war and US law, provides "the terrorists" with "confirmation" that the United States is all they say we are - immoral, depraved, hypocritical, imperialistic and racist. Is it true? Does it matter? The terrrorists can convince enough to expand their numbers and create MORE terrorists. Making us, are you listening Mr. Cohen, less safe.
Perhaps Mr. Cohen you might understand this now on a clear day in April 2009, that the Bush/Cheney policy of torture and the inability of the Obama Administration to provide a full throated rejection and condemnation of it now makes us LESS safe.
Finally, Mr. Cohen's regard for the "agents in the field" is quite amusing. Let us put it this way -- I think there are decent and intelligent people in these services, apparently Mr. Cohen does not. I imagine our agents in the field know that the Bush Administration was led by depraved and ignorant men with no moral compass or real understanding of the problems and dangers we face. They no doubt wanted to avoid the outrages and crimes their superiors ordered upon them. Not just for morality's sake, but for the sake of the safety of the American People.
By making clear that the policy of war crimes and crimes under US law enacted by the Bush Administration will no longer be the official policy of the United States, President Obama has done these "agents in the field" a great service. He has saved them from the pressure of the stupidity and depravity of idiotic superiors.
In other words, people with the mental capacity of Richard Cohen will no longer be calling the shots about "keeping us safe." And thank the Lord for that.
Speaking for me only
