Eric Holder: Waterboarding is Torture

Alberto Gonzales was a sham of an AG. Complete hack. Eric Holder answer the torture question like a man. Waterboarding is torture.

So much credibility and principle Mukasey and others were willing to shed in order to protect the indefensible policies of the past 8 years...the AG is the attorney of the nation, not one man.



via Washington Monthly:

Holder's response was both unequivocal and encouraging: "If you look at the history of the use of that technique, used by the Khmer Rouge, used in the Inquisition, used by the Japanese and prosecuted by us as war crimes. We prosecuted our own soldiers for using it in Vietnam. I agree with you, Mr. Chairman, waterboarding is torture."

Judiciary Committee Chairman Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) followed up, asking if foreign countries would have the authority to waterboard U.S. citizens, if they deemed it necessary for their national security. "No, they would not," Holder replied, "It would violate the international obligations that I think all civilized nations have agreed to -- the Geneva Conventions."

And finally, Leahy asked whether the president has the authority to override the law regarding torture. Holder responded, "Mr. Chairman, no one is above the law. The president has a constitutional obligation to faithfully execute the laws of the United States."

Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld must be starting to feel the heat.