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Another Republican chickenhawk approves torture

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009   11:44 am | Author: freethinker | Life, Politics/Government |

Tags: Geneva Conventions, Schock, torture

You have to say one thing for Aaron Schock (R-IL), he says what he believes unlike others like Cheney who dance around the truth. Schock believes in torture. He is another chickenhawk (like Cheney) who has not served in the military. I am sure if someone challenged to waterboard him to show him what that means he would run for the hills like that other chickenhawk Sean Hannity.

 

Unfortunately what he believes and condones is against the Geneva Conventions and a threat to our servicemen serving overseas.

 

Schock appeared on Hardball with Chris Mathews 

 

MATTHEWS:  So, you don‘t see any advantage in removing what has become an international symbol of American abuse (Guantanamo Bay), if you will?

 

SCHOCK:  Well, first of all, let‘s get some facts straight. 

 

There have been no torture techniques, no alternative interrogation techniques, nothing negative in a bad way has happened at Guantanamo Bay.  It is, however, the base where the largest known al Qaeda cell still exist and the largest amount of terrorists have existed here in our—in our world. 

 

It once had 500 detainees.  It started under the Bush administration, came down during the Obama administration down to 200 detainees.  We processed out about 300 of them.  Some of them went on trial.  Some of them went back to their country. 

 

But it begs the question, who‘s left?  Who are the 200 that remain?

 

MATTHEWS:  Let me get this straight. 

 

MATTHEWS:  On the policy issues—I got to the symbolic issue, which I‘m thinking about myself.  On the issue of Abu Ghraib, would you have closed that? 

 

SCHOCK:  Oh, absolutely.  Obviously, it was…

 

MATTHEWS:  OK.  Would you have closed—would you have stopped the water-boarding? 

 

SCHOCK:  Well, I—I think that…

 

MATTHEWS:  Would you have stopped it?  If you had been president at this time, would you have done what President Obama has done and stopped the water-boarding?  Because that‘s another thing that people symbolically see as American, well, repression or tyranny or imperialism, whatever the hell they‘re calling it.  Would you have stopped the water-boarding? 

 

SCHOCK:  I would not (stop waterboarding)—I would not limit our intelligence agencies‘ ability to get information from people.  If they have a ticking time bomb or—or some—a critical piece of information that can save American lives, I don‘t believe we should—we should limit water-boarding or, quite frankly, any other alternative torture technique if it means saving Americans‘ lives. 

 

But I don‘t think it should be standard practice.

 

MATTHEWS:  So, you don‘t have a—you don‘t have a principled objection to torture? 

 

SCHOCK:  Well, I…

 

MATTHEWS:  I‘m asking you.  As a matter—it‘s not a matter of principle with you then; it would depend on the circumstances? 

 

SCHOCK:  I think, at the end of the day, our security forces are our major—our number-one goal is protecting American lives and keeping America safe.  And I don‘t see how…

 

MATTHEWS:  So, the end would justify the means?  In other words, you don‘t have any problem with torture? 

 

SCHOCK:  Chris, I don‘t know how moving Guantanamo Bay to U.S. soil makes America safer.

 

MATTHEWS:  OK, you‘re changing—OK.  I‘m just trying to get your value system.  On torture, you say it depends on the circumstances.  You believe we should keep Gitmo? 

 

SCHOCK:  I do believe we should keep Gitmo.  And I believe that—that—that we should not limit our intelligence personnel‘s hands if and when they have reason to believe someone has critical some information that can save Americans‘ lives. 

 

MATTHEWS:  You don‘t believe in our adherence to the Geneva Conventions, in other words? 

 

SCHOCK:  Chris, you‘re putting words in my mind.  What I‘m telling you…

 

MATTHEWS:  No, I‘m asking you, because you‘re putting words out there. 

 

SCHOCK:  No.

 

MATTHEWS:  You are saying we can use torture when you think it‘s necessary.  And I‘m saying, if you think it‘s necessary, then you must believe it‘s OK to violate Geneva Conventions. 

 

SCHOCK:  I believe it‘s important that we keep Americans safe.  And if our intelligence personnel, as they have, believe that individuals have critical information, then they need to do what they can to keep Americans safe.