Retired generals bluntly, publicly call out Cheney and his views
Over the last year, former Vice President Dick Cheney aggressively defended enhanced interrogation techniques as not only effective, but also legal and necessary (see this post). Previously, we have heard many come out against the practices, notably including retired General Colin Powell. On Friday, in an editorial in the Miami Herald, two more retired US generals, former Marine Corps Commandant Charles Kurlak and former chief of US Central Command Joseph Hoar, made it clear that they absolutely disagree with Cheney and his pro-enhanced interrogation supporters.
In the editorial, titled "Fear was no excuse to condone torture," the retired 4-star generals:
- Didn't shy away from blaming Cheney: "In light of the irresponsible statements recently made by former Vice President Dick Cheney, however, we feel we must repudiate his dangerous ideas -- and his scare tactics ... And yet Cheney and others who orchestrated America's disastrous trip to 'the dark side' continue to assert -- against all evidence -- that torture 'worked' and that our country is better off for having gone there."
- Make it clear they don't believe the techniques work: "We now see that the best intelligence, which led to the capture of Saddam Hussein and the elimination of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was produced by professional interrogations using non-coercive techniques ... Torture is as likely to produce lies as the truth. And it did."
- Claim that torture destroys our moral high ground and can impact the judgement of US personnel: "Rules about the humane treatment of prisoners exist precisely to deter those in the field from taking matters into their own hands. They protect our nation's honor ... Moral equivocation about abuse at the top of the chain of command travels through the ranks at warp speed."
- Believe torture makes us less safe: "As our leaders work to prevent terrorists from again striking on our soil, they should remember the fundamental precept of counterinsurgency we've relearned in Afghanistan and Iraq: Undermine the enemy's legitimacy while building our own. These wars will not be won on the battlefield. They will be won in the hearts of young men who decide not to sign up to be fighters and young women who decline to be suicide bombers. If Americans torture and it comes to light -- as it inevitably will -- it embitters and alienates the very people we need most."
Trusting those who served or those who avoided
It's important to once again remember that retired generals Kurlak and Hoar are not the only military leaders who take this position. But even if they were, it is time for those who have supported the vice president and his claims to make a choice: To take the word and believe the wisdom of decorated US veterans and former military leaders, or to fall in lock step with a the former VP, a man who received five deferments during the Vietnam War.
It seems that those who back Cheney either want to believe that we did right or simply refuse to listen to the opinions of those that differ, no matter how compelling their resumes are. They don't want to admit mistakes even if a mistake is blatant. But most often, it is better to admit the US was wrong (the treatment of native Americans, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, the use of chemical agents in Vietnam, etc.) and learn from past mistakes than to remain stubborn when all that stubbornness can do is to diminish the greatness of a country that has, does, and will make mistakes.
Whether we admit our errors to uphold the ideals of our country or to protect US servicemen, it is an exercise we should embrace. And by admitting our faults and correcting our poor judgement, we can reclaim some of that moral high ground that White House-sanctioned "enhanced interrogation" eroded.
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