The case was not as simple as USA doing something capricious. They were doing thier Canadian counterparts a favor. You may of course not agree with it but then none of us has the intel data to know what lead to the decisions taken.

As described, "extraordinary rendition" is disgusting. As described, war is hell. It's a safe bet that in hell some disgusting things are necessary. "Disgusting" is one thing, "objectionable" is another. If this report is reasonably accurate, then I agree that someone has crossed the tripwire between the two.

Now Prof. Woo, torture-memo author, comes out & says this:

Yoo also argued that the Constitution granted the President plenary powers to override the U.N. Convention Against Torture when he is acting in the nation¡’s defense--a position that has drawn dissent from many scholars. As Yoo saw it, Congress doesn’t have the power to “tie the President’s hands in regard to torture as an interrogation technique.” He continued, “It’s the core of the Commander-in-Chief function. They can’t prevent the President from ordering torture.” If the President were to abuse his powers as Commander-in-Chief, Yoo said, the constitutional remedy was impeachment. He went on to suggest that President Bush’s victory in the 2004 election, along with the relatively mild challenge to Gonzales mounted by the Democrats in Congress, was “proof that the debate is over.” He said, “The issue is dying out. The public has had its referendum.”

Well, Prof. Woo certainly thinks a vote for Bush was a vote for torture. Anyone doubt that the CIA and DOJ are going to see things his way?

Yes, the legendary infallibility of our law enforcement and intelligence bureaucracies assures that.

These people are lucky to be alive really after what their friends did on sept 11, (whether they are close acquiaintances or not).

Hm. Maybe "this" isn't "America" after all.

This is America, we are are not going to be interrogating anyone who isn't very likely to be a terrorist. These people are lucky to be alive really after what their friends did on sept 11, (whether they are close acquiaintances or not).

And your further excusing Sen McCains treatment at the hands of his North Vietnamese captures as short-of-torture is just plain frightening. Just because his treatment fell within your presidents definition of legitimate interrogation techniques does not mean, in the civilized world anyway, that it was not torture.

Your standard, that if your guy does it then it is ok, when applied universally can excuse the worst tyrants in the world from ever coming to justice.