YOUR COMMENTS

Sue, you have placed yourself in very poor company when you justify torture. The results are meaningless b/c America doesn't torture people.

You then go on to create a fake argument about not realizing evil exists. I never said anything remotely close to that. It matches your pattern of changing the argument as you did when you justified torture because of supposed info gained.

I have the Constitution, Supreme Court precedent, federal law, and the history of war crimes trials on my side. You have a misguided notion that torture is acceptable when you fear for your safety.

Your worldview endangers the lives of American soldiers whose reality includes being taken prisoner on the battlefield.

"Moralism" as you call it doesn't seem to be a problem when I read your posts about gay marriage and abortion.
- John R, Keene

Are you serious people?! George W. and Dick Cheney put this country in grave danger by allowing torture. Not even McCain was in agreement!
Showing the world that what we have done is wrong will not weaken our state, but make us stronger. Admitting that you're wrong is something Georgie NEVER did and would never do, and that's cowardly, and angers people.
As far as the war in Iraq:
Saddam and Bin Laden didn't even like each other and yet we continue to fight the war George senior didn't finish. Ridiculous.

Hey Pete in Swanzey: O'Bama hasn't been in office for a year yet. How are we to know how's it's working out? My question is: With the economy in shambles, foreign relations needing repair with people across the world burning our flags and protesting Bush's policies, with us funding a war we shouldn't have been fighting in the first place and no WMD found anywhere in Iraq: How was 8 years under Bush working for us?
Answer: It stunk!
- Chris, Hillsboro

John R: You can criticize my source all you want. In fact, you can criticize any source that commends the thwarting of a terrorist attack, if it makes you feel better. But I can assure you that your denigration and dismissal of these sources does nothing to negate the cold, hard reality that a number of attacks have, indeed, been foiled by using harsh interrogation methods.

In a perfect world where there is no evil, there would be no torture, because there would be no wars. But keep pretending that there is no evil and maybe it'll come true. In the meantime, I hope you and all the other moralizers are safe up there in your lofty towers in Never-Never Land, far, far away from reality. Those poor souls in the Twin Towers weren't so lucky.
- Susie Nickerson, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

Sue, the New York Times (Judith Miller) was one of the biggest pushers of the WH (see Scooter Libby) line on Iraq's supposed WMD. Your use of what you consider to be a liberal newspaper to validate your point is meaningless when I can find article after article published by them about yellow cake in Africa, aluminum tubes and links to Al Queda in Iraq.

Second, whether methods used to gain information work or not is irrelevant if the method used is torture. America does not torture.

Do you believe we should torture people to gain information? Yes or no.

We can have a discussion about how one defines torture but I have to believe that in America people think torture is wrong.

If you believe it is OK to torture people then it is meaningless to have a discussion about what was gained or not gained. There is no such thing as a little bit of torture.

If you want to argue that waterboarding isn't torture I'll listen to that argument. You'll have to consider that Japanese officers were put to death for waterboarding US soldiers after WWII. Their defense was they believed a major attack was imminent and they had to do it to protect their country. They were subsequently struck by two nuclear bombs.

The United States does not torture, period. It is a clear violation of our Constitution to torture people. Who those people are is irrelevant. Where the US goes the Constitution and all its glorious wisdom goes.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
- John R, Keene

You're wrong, Dan. Several top officials at the CIA, including the former head, have asserted that the interrogation techniques used in the past have, in fact, worked. Doesn't it even occur to you that this might be the reason we've been safe over the past eight years? Obama's bizarre and imprudent decision to disclose our techniques--and even worse, our limitations--has effectively stripped us of a valuable tool. And you applaud this?

Most of us are keenly aware of various premeditated attacks that have been successfully thwarted by the CIA. Why, even the "New York Times" lavished praise on the CIA for this remarkable feat. Best you get back to your Ouija board and commune with the "other" visionary spirits in your imaginary fantasy land, where all the world is wonderful and there is no evil.
- Susie Nickerson, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

Since the torture of 'enemy combatants" yielded virtually no valuable intel and because the methods were NOT a secret to anyone who has been watching the news; there is little REAL risk in releasing the memos.

The upside of releasing the memos is that it helps Obama to demonstrate to the world that the US is, and will remain, a country of laws, not of men.

Don't forget, Bin Laden seeks to undo the US and everything it stands for. What better way to combat Al Quaeda then to adhere to our core values in the face of adversity?
- Dan, Auburn

mo: You obviously don't know what an existential threat it. It has nothing to do with whether a threat is horrible; it has to do with whether that threat will end the existence of the US. I stand by my contention that terrorists do not have, and never will have, the ability to directly threated the existence of the US. But it is entirely possible that we ourselves will detroy the US in response to them. In that case, they win, but we are the agents of our own destruction.

The rules of war have changed since the time of George Washington. If Bush had called the "enemy combatants" POWs the detention at Guantanemo and elsewhere would have been war crimes--and may still be.

As a veteran, I resent your dismissal of the values of US military. Any GI who "roughed up" a prisoner would be liable to court martial. Perhaps you recall Abu Grahib?

Perhaps you would prefer to live in country like North Korea that takes its security very, very seriously. I prefer to take my chances to live free.
- LJC, Manchester

"...if you think that our G.I.s never roughed up a prisoner, you are in a fantasy world."

So true, MO. I heard this myself from a G.I. When you're dealing with the enemy, and this enemy threatens the lives of your fellow comrades, well, suffice it to say that where there's a will, there's a way. There's always a way to extract the necessary information without incriminating oneself, no matter how many rules are made. And to believe that the other side is playing by the rules is beyond naive.
- Susie Nickerson, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

LJC: So just how many people have to die before you call it an "existential threat". My example of 1/4 MILLION dead was not enough for you? It has to be in the Tens of millions? As for the spy Major Andre, if Bush had called a terrorist a POW, we can then hang them? I wish I knew that and I'm betting that Bush would have done it if he had thought the left would cheer. As for the concept of military service, if you think that our G.I.s never roughed up a prisoner, you are in a fantasy world.As for military service, I paraphrase Patton "No SOB ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other dumb SOB die for his." Your logic is totally convoluted if you think our Constitution was intended to be a suicide pact that grants rights to foreigners who want to kill us. Your argument apparently is that AFTER tens of millions of Americans are nuked, THEN we can do something about it? You value the comfort of a terrorist over the lives of millions of Americans? That speaks for itself.
- MO, DERRY

To Rick in Portsmouth:
Some of us remember the sheer horror of 9/11 because we saw it, as I did in the form of a fireball rising from the Pentagon as I looked up that morning. The people and those in NY and PA purchased at the cost of their lives an indisputable moral superiority the entire world respected because they were truly innocent victims. The real obscenity here was that innocence was wasted bit by bit as we sent our brave soldiers to fight and die conquering the wrong country based on lies, and as we violated our most important principles to torture people. So you have it backwards. The real point is to get the people whose support matters--to paraphrase the guerilla leader Mao himself, the ocean in which the jihadist fish swim--on our side so that the jihadists fail. That's what we finally learned to do in Iraq.
- Tim, Silver Spring, MD

For the record, Major Andre was not entitiled to prisoner of war status. He was not in uniform. He was not openly bearing arms. He was hung after a trial by a military tribunal (not a civilian criminal court). I am also sure he was not apprised of his Miranda rights.
- was, Highland Mills, NY

"Do you really think the terrorists learned anything new about the techniques we use?"

Antonio--making known our interrogation techniques is not all of the problem. Captured terrorists fully anticipate some form of interrogation and torture. The problem is that our president has divulged just to them how far we can go in terms of duration and severity, while remaining within the parameters of the law. Now the terrorists know. At the same time, they're also fully-aware of their "rights."

From the standpoint of national security, keeping them in the dark would have been far wiser. Now, because of Bama's thoughtless actions, interrogation is no longer a viable technique by which to extract vital information--the kind that could save American lives. As for new techniques, got any suggestions? Oh, yes, wimpy handshakes and syrupy words, that'll do it. Worked real well on the pirates. Chavez, too, who thinks so highly of Bama that he called him an "ignoramus."
- Susie Nickerson, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

Mo in Derry: An existential threat is one that could result in the demise of the US. thousands of Soviet missiles that could kill tens of millions of people were an existential threat. Even if terrorists were able to explode a nuclear bomb in a US city and kill, as you say, 250,000 the country would survice. (China lost more than that in an earthquake in 1976.) As I said before, terrorists can only be an existenial threat to the US if we repond to them by destroying our own Constitution.

George Washington had Major John Andre, a British spy, hanged after a trial in accordance with the rules of war at the time. Andre was a prisoner of war, something that the Bush administration went to great pains NOT to call the people it captured in Afghanistan and Iraq. Denying these prisoners their rights under US and international law is a travesty of what we claim to be as a country.

As for our founding principles being more important that the lives of an individual citizen, isn't that what makes people join the military and fight to preserve those values? We would not have much of a country if everyone were a me-first conservative.
- LJC, Manchester

DM, Hampton: You are right on.

After the WTC bombing, President Bush said the US would use *every* means to prevail against terrorists; and he specifically included propaganda & disinformation campaigns. At that time Bush was roundly applauded by folks all across the US political spectrum.

So it continues. Can anyone say with perfect confidence that they *know for sure* how our government is fighting terrorism? I sure can't--and part of me says that's a good thing.
- Paul, Sunapee

Jake, Manchester. Your Right Wing Marine Nut had a semi-automatic handgun, a full clip (removed) and a box of ammo in a secured metal box, checked inside his baggage (not in his possession). The bomb making material consisted of 3 model rocket engines, fuses, and a grenade cap also checked with his baggage (also, not in his possession).

Transporting firearms via. A passenger airline is legal so long as it’s declared, which he failed to do. Model rocket engines are not allowed on a passenger airline. Then again, neither is my hairgel.

So in it’s full context, we nabbed a US Marine who shoots and is a model rocket enthusiast. I feel safer now.
- Wally, Manchester, NH

"In all of history, democratic civilization is the first to blame itself when another power is working to destroy it."

--Jean Francois Revel
- Christopher, Princeton, NJ

LJC: No "existential threat"????? Could you tell me what WOULD qualify as an "existential threat"? We know the terrorists are trying to get chemical/bio and nuclear weapons. If we kill them first, we may prevent a tragedy in the U.S. that would make 9/11 look like a picnic. How about a nuke being detonated in the U.S. by suicide bomber terrorists that killed 250,00 Americans? Would that be an "existential threat"? How about 10 such bombs? "Value founding principles more than lives"????? I'm betting if it were your life, principles would be flushed down the toilet pretty fast. Furthermore, I am not aware of any discussion of waterboarding at the Constitutional Convention. Remember, George Washington had Major John Andre, a British spy, HANGED. Worse than waterboarding by a longshot. A typical liberal...living in the greatest country in the world and thinking that your safety and comfort all happened by accident
- mo, derry

Well according to the federal government, Right Wing Extremist include those who:
- Oppose restrictions on firearms
- Oppose lax immigration
- Oppose the policies of President Obama regarding immigration, citizenship and the expansion of social programs
- Oppose continuation of free trade agreements
- Oppose same-sex marriage
- Have paranoia of foreign regimes
- Fear Communist regimes
- Oppose one world government
- Bemoan the decline of U.S. stature in the world

I guess BO likes to violate our First and Fifth Amendments... great change brother, you da man!
- A Happy Right Wing Extremist, Nottingham

If the reports are accurate and so far they seem to be, waterboarding was used 266 times on 2 suspects.

Let me repeat, 266 times on 2 suspects.

Obama has not made the country less safe, he simply shined a light on methods used by the prior administration did nothing to make you more safe.

Under the ticking time bomb scenario how would this method be effective? 266 times for 2 suspects show how minimally effective it was.

The pro-torture, spread democracy at the barrel of a gun crowd was dealt a blow by the release of these documents. The blow was not in the safety area but rather in the credibility area.

So the UL now supports torture that's ineffective to save face for Republicans? Spare me the "waterboarding isn't torture" argument given the fact the the Bush WH labeled is that way themselves when seeking a legal write up for this policy.
- John R, Keene

- Theresa, Dover:
Do we make the people we torture and then release (because the CIA realizes they have the wrong person) sign a non-disclosure agreement?
Try going to amazon's website and see if you can find any books about CIA torture. You'll be very surprised, especially id you naively believe that the techniques used are secretive.
- Brian W, Manchester

This administration treats terrorists better than he does citizens who don't back his parties outragous spending and taxation schemes. Oh that's right we are also terrorist threats.

I wonder how long it will be before you see your neighbors being taken away on terrorism charges?
- Deb, Derry

The constitution, the rule of law and our nations renewed integrity will pay big dividends. This president knows exactly what he is doing. RIGHT on!

Greg Barrett
- Greg Barrett, Manchester

Perhaps the heading should have read: What was Bush and his staff thinking?
- Kevin OBrien, Manchester

mo in Derry: I did not say the lives weren't lost and property wasn't destroyed on 9/11. What I said was that as horrible as those attacks were, they did not pose an existential threat to the US. But our reaction to those attacks, i.e. the Patriot Act and the torture of prisoners, do threaten the existence of the United States as the land of freedom and justice. I do, indeed value the lives of my countrymen, but I value the principles on which our country was founded more.

Tom in Compton: you may recall that President Bush essentially called off the pursuit of Osama Bin Laden in order to invade Iraq. Furthermore, that invasion immeasurably strengthened al Queda by giving the an unmatched recruiting tool. No amount of torture of prisoners will make that right.
- LJC, Manchester

Again, the UL and their juvenile editorial staff use exageration and the party line to come to baseless conclusions.

While wanting to prevent the release of the reports, it has been said that the enemies would be further able to resist the effectiveness of these interrogation techniques. Why then , did this report show that two of the terror suspects were water boarded 286 times. That's right, two people for a total of 286 toture sessions. Does that sound like an efficient and effective way of extracting information? Many of the techniques were already widely known before this report was out, so to talk about it as a huge revelation to any terrorist is naive and unsupported.

There is no valid reason to prevent the release of such a report and Obama was correct in allowing it. No real secrets were revealed and no real security threats are exposed.
- Jules, Manchester

Actually Tom, Osama Bin Laden is quoted as having said he wants to hurt the US by having them chase him in Afghanistan and Iraq and overspend themself. He is quoted on video saying that.
- Kyle, Manchester

I agree with you, LJC, that al Qaeda is hoping to goad the US into reckless, self-destructive action. But roughing up captured terror operatives is not that action. Rather, al Qaeda is betting that we will descend into a morass of finger-pointing and self-blame, worrying about applying Geneva Convention rules to those who flagrantly reject them, tying our own hands by extending US constitutional protections to those who have no claim to them, gutting our ability to fight terrorism by persecuting it in our civilian courts, and generally bending over to accommodate and appease jihadists for fear of violating their tender sensitivities. That would truly be self-destructive.
- Rick, Portsmouth

Torturing prisoners is illegal and unconstitutional. Defending and excusing evil is itself evil. The United States of America is the greatest nation in the world because it is a nation of laws. It is civilized. We are the standard for others to follow. The Bush administration and its hirelings placed a smear on the great name of America. All the empirical evidence tells us that it made us less safe. Why ask those who took part in these crimes for their opinion? Hayden oversaw the policy. Why is his opinion valid? Ask Gen. Norm Swartzcoff or Gen. Colin Powell? Ask General Shinsecki or Gen Sanchez. They will tell you about the cowardice of those who advocate these techniques. Our brave soldiers, sailors and marines are disgusted by the dishonor brought upon our nation by these lawyers and political flunkeys in the Bush White House.
Those who rebelled against, fought and defeated British tyranny in 1776 are dishonored by it. Those who fought in Normandy, Dieppe and Anzio against Nazi torturers, are dishonored by it. Those who fought against Japanese terrorists in Guadal Canal, Tarawa and Corrigedor are dishonored by it.
It is time to riase our flag again, unsullied by the acts of little men, and stand proudly for that which our military and forefathers believed in. A United States of America, proudly leading the world in truth and goodness, in idealism and bravory, in righteousness and liberty, and all that in the face of evil.
To all that is great and good in America, to our glorious constitution: semper fidelis!
- Jim O'Connell, Manchester

Actually LJC, Osama knew that he could attack us at only a slight risk, knowing that you and your fellow leftists would howl and scream at any attempt to seriously do anything about terrorism.

You have proven Osama bin Laden correct and he thanks you for your support.
- Tom, Campton

I don't like most of what Obama does.

But I think he was thinking about torture being illegal and unconstitutional.

Just because this is a Republican leaning paper, it doesn't mean you need to act shocked and outraged when Obama actually does something right.

Real conservative, supporting torture or "enhanced interrogation." phh!

What this article should be about is how we do still torture detainees, we just export them to a foreign country.

At what point did abuse of power become a good thing. Even these terrorists are just working for someone bigger, they dont always know where the money flows and who really benefits from their terrorism, they are convinced they are doing something right, standing against the USA who is invading their country. Just because they "hate us" doesn't mean we should sink below our standards and torture them.

These bailouts leave us on a slippery slope to socialism. Torture leaves us on a slippery slope to fascism.
- Kyle, Manchester

I am very disappointment with the UL. I thought the press in our society was to point out the government breaking the law. To shine the light on government officials breaking the law and demanding that our justice system charge and prosecute them. Instead we have the UL supporting the breaking of laws. We have many laws outlawing torture we have prosecuted people that have water boarded Americans and yet the UL agrees with the mostly republican position that it is fine to break the law if it is for national security. So what are next torture people running drug cartels after that will it be ok to torture the jaywalker. The free press is to shine the light on law breaking. The UL seems to be the press for law breakers since it takes that side when it comes to republican administrations breaking the law
- Keith, Sandown

To LJC in Manchester: You write that...."Terrorism can hurt us but can"t destroy us"????? It did a pretty fair job of destroying the 3,000 victims of 9/11. It also cost an estimated 95 billion dollars worth of damage to the ecomony, some of which was the value of several big tall buildings, the remnants of which are in a scrapyard in New Jersey. Try to tell the families of the victims that we were only "hurt". You seem to put small value on the lives of your countrymen. Unfortunately, this seems to be the line of thinking motivating Barack Hussein Obama.
- mo, derry

Rick, Portsmouth
For all your "clear-headed thinking" about 9/11, you don't mention the 4274 soldiers killed in Iraq since we went there to find the "weapons of mass destruction", which we all know was a knee-jerk reaction to the 9/11 terrorism on our soil. Get real. In 6 years, the captured terrorists have never given up any intel to lead us to Bin Laden, even with these illegal torture and interrogation techniques. Just because our enemies don't play by the rules doesn't mean we should stoop to their level and dismiss the rules of the Geneva Convention.
- Bob, Hillsborough

Let me get this straight...

Outing covert CIA agents investigating WMD is ok, but releasing memos that show what kinds of torture we aren't authorizing anymore is bad.

What a strange world that Union Leader editorial board room must be.
- Dan, Manchester

Rick in Portsmouth: Sadly you are reacting to 9/11 exactly as al Queda hoped you would. The whole point of the attack that day was to goad the US into reckless, self destruction actions. And the Bush Administratin fell for it hook, line, and sinker. The fact is that terrorism can hurts us but it can't destroy us unless we cooperate. Statements like yours are, unfortunately, just the cooperation al Queda wants.
- LJC, Manchester

- Peter Surmanis, Concord, NH

i seriously hope you are being sarcastic. i doubt you are. you cannot negotiate with terrorists. they HATE you, they do not only dislike you, they downright HATE YOU.

i'm guessing that you're a liberal and think that everything can be done through talking.

guess what? it can't. sometimes, shooting someone in the head will get them to stop terrorizing you.
- scott, chichester

Unfortunately, the Bush Administration got all tangled up in the need for secrecy. Instead of denying that we torture terrorists, or denying that waterboarding and such techniques are torture, President Bush shoud have said right up front "Yes, we torture the scum that come here to murder our citizens, and we do so in the most unspeakable manner....so what? We will commit the most hideous acts necessary to extract information if it might save the life of one registered Democrat." Let the Democrats politicians explain to their constituents why their lives are not worth the effort.
- MO, DERRY

Was there anything new in the information released by Obama that we had not already known about?

Do you really think the terrorists learned anything new about the techniques we use?

This was a detailed open admission to previously leaked and rumored information that has been bandied about for well over a year.

The US interrogators are pro's and the really good stuff will never be revealed. The military knows how to cover their tracks.
.
- Angelo, Manchester, NH

Maybe he is playing "I'll show you mine, you show me yours!" with them. They will now tell him their intentions and we can all hug and hold hands and sing our kumbaya together.

All fixed.

And maybe, just maybe, the terrorists, oops , sorry, the disgruntled islamic people, will change their ways and join the singing circle too...


Oh can you feel the love?????
- Mike, Nottingham

Peter in Concord - If you think that talking to the terrorists will convince them that we are no danger to them and as a result they will no longer be a threat to us, you are in sad, sad shape. All talking will do is convince them of just how naive Obama and crew are and give them one step up on us. They hate us for what we stand for, not for any danger we pose to them. And talk will not change that, my friend.
- Brian, Farmington

This is more worthy of impeachment than anything Bush ever did.
- Jim, Manchester

I could not agree with you more, Jim.
- Mark Harris, Lee, NH

Here is what clear-headed, common-sense Americans understand that the left-wing loonies don’t: we remember the sheer horror perpetrated on Americans on 9/11; the unknowable terror felt by WTC workers who an hour after kissing their families goodbye for the day found themselves jumping 100 floors to their deaths to escape an inferno; the gut-wrenching anguish felt by jet passengers as their aircraft flew in low over Manhattan, low over DC, or nose-down over Pennsylvania; the absolute obscenity of Americans being beheaded – beheaded! – on video. We understand the jihadists would gladly do the same to all of us. And we realize that while these terrorists may be human in a biological sense, in a moral sense they are not human at all, and if a few of them get roughed up by CIA agents, then so be it. The release of this memo, and the feigned outrage over it, is simply a political move designed to solidify support from those who already are inclined to dislike the US. Those of us who are fond of our country can see through Obama's ploy.
- Rick, Portsmouth

Teresa-
How can you doubt Obama? He has a new technique. It's called talking. Just simply negotiating with terrorists will work in freeing captured Americans, as well as eliminating terror worldwide.
Once we explain to these terrorists that we are not a threat to them, the terrorism simply will stop.
It worked with the pirates that took Captain Richard Phillips, didn't it?
- Peter Surmanis, Concord, NH

Naive is exactly what this editorial is. The disgusting techniques that this country has used in the past for interrogation are inhumane. If you believe that in treating "terrorists" exactly how they treat us makes us any better than them, you are indeed naive.

As far as this information making us their prey and making america less safe? You are making mountains out of ANT hills. You are being melodramatic at best. There has to be a change, after the Bush administration helped kill the economy (and our troops) because of ignorance and greed, something needs to happen to bring us out of the situation we are in.
- Jay, Laconia

What was Obama thinking? About how he looks, of course. (Now, what was John McCain thinking when he enabled Obama by agreeing that discomfort and embarrassment for captured terrorists is "torture"? Same thing.)

Disarming yourself (for example, privately deciding not to use waterboarding) is not a huge problem. But such private decisions don't improve how you look. Guaranteeing the bad guys that you are disarmed is a catastrophe.
- Spike, Brentwood NH

Let's just practice these torture techniques on all those people who support them. I bet that would change their perspective. It has been proven useless in providing any accurate information.

It would be interesting though, to see what Dick Cheney would tell us after being waterboarded.
- Bob V, Manchester

This is more worthy of impeachment than anything Bush ever did.
- Jim, Manchester

It is all kumbaya as Team Obama bows to their vision of "post-American-One-World (UN-style)-government" that does not answer to the electorate. All it requires the incremental weakening of American sovereignty, monetary system, military, border security, imposing carbon energy taxes, suppressing REAL domestic energy production, and making our US Constitution subject to "international standards". Not "Hope & Change", rather, "Hype & Chains"...He makes Carter look good.
- Mae, Plaistow

So if I follow you guys jamming bamboo splinters under my fingernails won't hurt if I know in advance it's going to happen? "Naive" is believing this stuff was a big secret to begin with. The only thing this has done, and I suspect the real reason for the outcry from the conservative media, is show exactly what the prior administration deemed acceptable. I'm sure that as long as any administration is open to violating the Geneva Convention there are thousands of nifty torture techniques that are not in the memos. Get a grip.
- JC, Newfields

Get serious. Does anyone really think that al Queda wasn't aware of the types of torture they might endure if captured? What Mr. Obama has done by releasing the memos is to restore America's standing in the world and deny al Queda its best recruiting tool.
- LJC, Manchester

Does disclosing this information qualify as treason?

What was Obama thinking? Throwing red meat to his radical base? Creating a distraction from the fact he is fighting to continue President Bush's wiretap program, his arguments going far beyond the Bush administration's justification of "state secrets" to also assert the alleged "sovereign immunity" of the executive branch from lawsuits in response to ILLEGAL government surveillance?

Gotta keep an eye on those "right-wing extremists".
- Tom, Campton

It should be pretty obvious by now that our President does not take our security totally serious and that he bows down to the "feel good" technique. There is nothing wrong with trying to have dialog with those who do not agree with us. On the other hand I find it very troubling that he goes overseas and basically bad mouth's this country. Everything is our fault seems to be the message. Now we are seeing him shaking hands, smiling and taking a book form a brutal dictator that not long before that meeting said Obama was "ignorant and knew nothing about Latin America. I think it is safe to say that he is making it easier for terrorists to attack this country letting them know we are the evil empire they portray us as. Obama on one hand said that"Chavez has been an obstacle to Latin America's development. " Now he is acting like he is our best friend. Can't have it both ways. BTW I have not bought Citgo products for quite a while and do not plan to start anytime soon!
- Bill B., Pelham

The strength of our democracy demands a full accounting of both the acts and the mindsets of the perpetrators of these offenses. The fact that these acts were likely undertaken with the best of intentions cannot be used to justify them.

IMO, the most damning and troubling new revelation is the proof that the activities depicted in those Abu Ghraib torture photos were conceived and authorized by administration officials. Use of dog collars, naked photos, and other forms of humiliation is carefully cataloged in administration memos in stone-cold legalese. The horror and shock that officials conjured up for the cameras at the release of the photos was all an act.

Of course, the Bush apologists are still trying to change the subject, but for me, the headline for this latest chapter reads: "Bush Administration encourages US soldiers to torture prisoners, then hangs them out to dry when it becomes politically expedient to do so."
- Jim, Portsmouth

Obama's new plan for torture involves borrowing money on the terrorists behalf and using it to fund other incapable terrorists. Then he will force the terrorists children and grandchildren to pay the money back. The best part about his plan is many people blindly support this torture technique.
- Michael Layon, Derry

Very naive. From personal experience, there is no dealing with them politely. Obama is handing us up to another major attack. It's the beginning of the end.
- John, Manchester

I can see it now, extremists will order their torture off the Obama menu. "Sir, I'll have the #5 (tickling) with a side of some loud scary noises".
- Jay, Londonderry

The Art of War says to know your enemy. Perhaps making our enemies 'think' they know us, is the plan.

This could give them a false sense of security and it makes us publicly look like we're against toture.

I know if it came right down to it, there are very few people, including Obama, who wouldn't do anything, legal or not, to protect the USA.
- DM, Hampton

Yeah, our enemies are soooo well informed now. Oh noes!

Did you people ever see an episode of "24?" There is z-e-r-o revealed in any of these documents that any terrorist hasn't known for years.

"Our prey," huh? The time for those concerns was eight years years ago, when Bush was ignoring any number of warnings about what coming.

As for the UL editorial writer - uninformed to the bitter end.
- NSR, Epping

I hope all the friends and family members of Americans killed in the next terrorist attack take some solace from the fact that no one was subjected to fake walls, fake drowning, sleep deprivation, or caterpillars in an attempt to prevent the murder of their loved ones. I mean, come on folks - what is saving a few thousand, or a few hundred thousand American lives compared to feeling good about how we treat terrorists?
- Mark, Amherst

Thank God for the U.L., we are able to see quite clearly who the good torture supporters are. Good Americans? Not by even the loosest definition. Good Christians? Don't make me laugh? Good humans? Please.
- Tom, Dover-Foxcroft, Me.

The man is a "Post Turtle". He doesn't belong in the top leadership position. Obama should go back to Acorn. His leadership doesn't translate to global position as long as there are people willing to kill and destroy our culture.
- Gary, Littleton

Maybe so, but he's also taking away one of the recruitment tools of the terrorists. It's a little more difficult to paint us as bad guys. And quite frankly, I like being able to say "we don't descend to their level" - especially since "enhanced interrogation" is pretty much worthless.
- David, Hudson

"The President has not only made these methods useless, he has made the threat to use them useless as well."

I sure wish I could say that this administration is "useless." Unfortunately, it's not. It's dangerous. Lord help us.
- Susie Nickerson, Horseshoe Bay, TX (NH native)

Typical UL pied piper response. The Republican/Right Wingers say "boo" and the UL follow blindly. All the information released was already publicly known. Keep trying UL, maybe you'll get lucky.
- Crisp, Bow

Many of us on the right knew during the campaign what Michelle and Barack Obama thought of this country.
And the Liberal socialists have what they have always wanted in a president.
Not sure even "eternal vigilance" can stop the hating of America and what my grandchildren will have for a country.
bnyoung@metrocast.net
- Niel Young, Laconia

Tipping UL cows is more like it. Americans are horrified that we are so cowardly and weak that we need to torture our enemies. Read that opinion piece by Jack Mullen, 10 year combat Vietnam veteran, was so disgusted with Bush Cheney and fearing for our soldiers, he took down his American flag. We are actually a proud strong country and don't need to sneak around back alleys torturing and assasinating and bribing to lead. We do what is right - well not Bush/Cheney right, morally right. "Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities," Voltair
- Robert, Deerfield

Well, according to the Obama Administration's Department of Homeland Security, only military vets, conservatives, and gun owners, are the real "terrorists" - "right-wing extremists".


Oh lookie here.......how nice.........A marine just busted at Logan airport with a handgun on a plane and bomb making materials. Did we put the pull the red carpet out for this right wing nut? Looks like HLS was right on the money.
- Jake, Manchester

Ha ha very funny, these imbeciles at the CIA are lucky they aren't being thrown in prison for the rest of their lives. Let it be a warning to the rest of you right wing Neocon hacks.

"Now Al Qaida" knows" - rubbish! If anyone needs to be slapped around it's the dopes at the UL.
- Tom Labrie, Rochester

The presidential oath of office says he will "preserve & protect the Constitution from all enemies *FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC*".

How does making our nation more vulnerable to foreign extremists protect the Constitution?
- Paul, Sunapee

I wonder, did Hutu-run papers get mad when it was revealed how Tutsis were attacked and killed? "Dang, now they'll know about it next time we do it." is silly. The idea is not to torture people.
- Stephen B, Derry

Now this is what we can call "Change". I'm not real hopeful, but we have to admit he has made some changes!

How's that change working out for all of us?
- Pete, Swanzey

Naive is as naive does.
- Bob, Salem

Well, according to the Obama Administration's Department of Homeland Security, only military vets, conservatives, and gun owners, are the real "terrorists" - "right-wing extremists".

Apparently, the Obama Administration has declared war on over half of our country's populous based on their political beliefs. What a throwback to the Bill Clinton Administration and Janet Reno, using federal law enforcement to target, intimidate, harass and silence the opposing political viewpoints.

Change you can believe in folks...yep.
- Mac Wade, Newmarket

Needless to say.. wow. Unless he has some other way of gaining information by updated means that follow with the times, he just handed our enemies our country and told them that we are now their prey.
- Theresa, Dover