John Ashcroft ducks torture questions
April 24th, 2008, 6:47 am · Post a Comment · posted by fsherman
Excerpts from a Q&A earlier this week:
Q: This story was made public by ABC a few weeks ago. It claims that you, Rice, Tenet and others met in the White House to discuss different methods of “enhanced interrogation,” is that correct?
Ashcroft: “Correct? Is what correct? Is it correct that this story ran on ABC? I don’t know that. I don’t know anything about it! Is it a real story? When was this story, huh? Huh?”
… Q: “The article says that you discussed “whether they would be slapped, pushed, deprived of sleep or subjected to simulated drowning”…
Ashcroft: “I said next question!”
…
ME: First off, Mr. Ashcroft, I’d like to apologize for the rudeness of some of my fellow students. It was uncalled for–we can disagree civilly, we don’t need that. (round of applause from the audience, and Ashcroft smiles) I have here in my hand two documents. One of them, you know, is the text of the United Nations Convention against Torture, which, point of interest, says nothing about “lasting physical damage”…
Q: “This other document is a section from the judgment of the Tokyo War Tribunal. After WWII, the Tokyo Tribunal was basically the Nuremberg Trials for Japan. Many Japanese leaders were put on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including torture. And among the tortures listed was the “water treatment,” which we nowadays call waterboarding…”
Ashcroft: “This is a speech, not a question. I don’t mind, but it’s not a question.”
Q: I”t will be, sir, just give me a moment. The judgment describes this water treatment, and I quote, “the victim was bound or otherwise secured in a prone position; and water was forced through his mouth and nostrils into his lungs and stomach.” One man, Yukio Asano, was sentenced to fifteen years hard labor by the allies for waterboarding American troops to obtain information. Since Yukio Asano was trying to get information to help defend his country–exactly what you, Mr. Ashcroft, say is acceptible for Americans to do–do you believe that his sentence was unjust?”
Ashcroft: “Now, listen here. You’re comparing apples and oranges, apples and oranges. We don’t do anything like what you described.”
Q: “I’m sorry, I was under the impression that we still use the method of putting a cloth over someone’s face and pouring water down their throat…”
Ashcroft: “Pouring! Pouring! Did you hear what she said? “Putting a cloth over someone’s face and pouring water on them.” That’s not what you said before! Read that again, what you said before!”
…
Q: “The victim was bound or otherwise secured in a prone position; and water was forced through his mouth and nostrils into his lungs and stomach.”
Ashcroft: :You hear that? You hear it? “Forced!” If you can’t tell the difference between forcing and pouring…does this college have an anatomy class? If you can’t tell the difference between forcing and pouring…”
Q: “Mr. Ashcroft, do you believe that Yukio Asano’s sentence was unjust? Answer the question.”
Ashcroft: “It’s not a fair question; there’s no comparison. Next question!”
