On Detainment and Torture
posted by Will
The civilian charges returned by a federal grand jury in Florida against Jose Padilla today constitute a milestone, or a U-turn, in the administration’s conduct of the war on terror. At a time when Vice President Dick Cheney is actively lobbying for the defeat of Senator John McCain's anti-torture amendment, there is a stark contrast between the behind-the-scenes maneuvering and the avoidance of a potential public argument in front of the Supreme Court over the rights of detainees.
cont'd after link
A picture is emerging of the White House knowing that its policies in the 'war on terror' would not survive Supreme Court (or public) scrutiny. Democrats and other critics, however, not only need to draw attention to the inconsistencies and dissembling in the west wing, but must also make the further point that the incoherent and legally questionable policies of indefinite detainment damage the United States' image around the globe. For every conceivable reason that the administration might have capitulated in its efforts to hold Jose Padilla without charges in perpetuity, Cheney's efforts to preserve the legality of torture must be openly and loudly challenged as a threat to the political efforts to win the battle of ideas and that go hand-in-hand with military and intelligence operations. The image of America torturing prisoners and detaining them forever must be dealt with for strategic as well as moral reasons.
Senator McCain has said (quoted in the article linked above): "We've got two wars going on: one a military one in Iraq, and then we've got a war for public opinion, for the hearts and minds of all the people in the world." and "We've got to make sure that we don't torture people." He is right, but he and other critics, most notably the Democratic Party, ought to be extending debate to all our policies' collective effect on world opinion of our country and its leaders. America will be more successful in the 'war on terror' when our efforts are not colored by moral ambiguity. The charging and conviction of all suspected terrorists held by the US military will be a first step winning the war for public opinion--the war that critics like Senator McCain urge the administration not to forget. Assuming the evidence against Padilla is as strong as it should be, he will be convicted and put away for good. We will then all be better off for being able to talk about our next steps toward winning the war, rather than being bogged down by the debates about morality in wartime that the administration's actions have put front and center for far too long.
It is high time for the administration to do the right thing, move on, and show some of their much-self-touted leadership. America's moral position in the world should never have caveats.
cont'd after link
A picture is emerging of the White House knowing that its policies in the 'war on terror' would not survive Supreme Court (or public) scrutiny. Democrats and other critics, however, not only need to draw attention to the inconsistencies and dissembling in the west wing, but must also make the further point that the incoherent and legally questionable policies of indefinite detainment damage the United States' image around the globe. For every conceivable reason that the administration might have capitulated in its efforts to hold Jose Padilla without charges in perpetuity, Cheney's efforts to preserve the legality of torture must be openly and loudly challenged as a threat to the political efforts to win the battle of ideas and that go hand-in-hand with military and intelligence operations. The image of America torturing prisoners and detaining them forever must be dealt with for strategic as well as moral reasons.
Senator McCain has said (quoted in the article linked above): "We've got two wars going on: one a military one in Iraq, and then we've got a war for public opinion, for the hearts and minds of all the people in the world." and "We've got to make sure that we don't torture people." He is right, but he and other critics, most notably the Democratic Party, ought to be extending debate to all our policies' collective effect on world opinion of our country and its leaders. America will be more successful in the 'war on terror' when our efforts are not colored by moral ambiguity. The charging and conviction of all suspected terrorists held by the US military will be a first step winning the war for public opinion--the war that critics like Senator McCain urge the administration not to forget. Assuming the evidence against Padilla is as strong as it should be, he will be convicted and put away for good. We will then all be better off for being able to talk about our next steps toward winning the war, rather than being bogged down by the debates about morality in wartime that the administration's actions have put front and center for far too long.
It is high time for the administration to do the right thing, move on, and show some of their much-self-touted leadership. America's moral position in the world should never have caveats.
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