Say It Ain't So Already

Somebody Waterboarded Donald Rumsfeld

May 4, 2011 at 1:04 PM Leave a comment

Looks like Donald Rumsfeld got a dressing down by GOP spinmeisters for telling the truth:

AP

Rumsfeld on Monday:

Rumsfeld: Bin Laden Info From Gitmo Detainees Was Not Obtained Through ‘Harsh Treatment’ Or ‘Waterboarding’

“The United States Department of Defense did not do waterboarding for interrogation purposes to anyone. It is true that some information that came from normal interrogation approaches at Guantanamo did lead to information that was beneficial in this instance. But it was not harsh treatment and it was not waterboarding.”

Rumsfeld today:

Rumsfeld Flip-Flops: Now Says Harsh Interrogation Of Detainees Was ‘Critically Important’ In Bin Laden’s Death

I’m told there was some confusion today on some programs…suggesting that I indicated that no one who was waterboarded at Guantanamo provided any information on this. That’s just not true. What I said was no one was waterboarded at Guantanamo by the U.S. military…Three people were waterboarded by the CIA…and then later brought to Guantanamo. In fact, as you point out, the information that came from those individuals was critically important.“

What’s going on here is that Republicans are trying to lay a historical foundation — albeit inaccurate — so the Bush administration’s illegal use of torture harsh interrogation is thought of as something that lead directly to the capture and death of Osama bin Laden, thus justifying it.

Entry filed under: George W. Bush and Co., Laws / Judiciary, Terror, Torture, Wars. Tags: .