Not a Cost Posted by James Lamond

Yesterday, the Sunday shows previewed another clip from tonight's Matt Lauer interview with President Bush on his memoir, Decision Points.  Lauer reads an excerpt from the book about 9/11, the president's commitment to preventing another attack, and the "costs" of security:

LAUER: “I can never forget what happened to America that day. I would pour my heart and soul into protecting this country, whatever it took.”

BUSH: Yeah.

LAUER: It took thousands of lives, American lives, billions of dollars; you could say it took Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib…

BUSH: Yeah.

LAUER: And government eavesdropping and waterboarding. Did it take too much?

BUSH: We didn’t have an attack. 3000 people died on September the 11th and I vowed that I would do my duty to protect the American people and uhm…they didn’t get hit again.

The problem here is that, Lauer is presenting the question as if it is Guantanamo Abu Ghraib, and the Iraq War were unfortunate and tragic, but that they were simply the "costs" of protecting America from a future attack.  In the interview, Bush's doubled down on this concept, clearly stating:

"I knew that an interrogation program this sensitive and controversial would one day become public... When it did, we would open ourselves up to criticism that America had compromised its moral values. I would have preferred that we get the information another way. But the choice between security and values was real."

It seems fairly obviously that this is going to be a running theme of this meoir: President George W. was forced to make the difficult decisions to keep America safe, and while they may not make us feel good he did what was needed to be done in order to protect us.  He is literally arguing that there is a stark choice to make between security and values.  But time and again this this has been shown to be a false choice.  In fact not only do these measures not keep us safe, they actually have the opposite effect.  Bush's own top attorney for the Department of Navy Alberto Mora, who investigated allegations of torture while inside the administration, testified in 2008 that Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo -- the so-called 'costs' of protecting Americans -- actually had the exact opposite effect:

 

“Serving U.S. flag-rank officers… maintain that the first and second identifiable causes of U.S. combat deaths in Iraq – as judged by their effectiveness in recruiting insurgent fighters into combat – are, respectively the symbols of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo.”

Moreover, a 2008 Senate Armed Services Committee report, found that:

“Al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists are taught to expect Americans to abuse them. They are recruited based on false propaganda that says the United States is out to destroy Islam. Treating detainees harshly only reinforces that distorted view, increases resistance to cooperation, and creates new enemies.”

Even General Petraeus, who President Bush appointed as CENTCOM Commander, has pointed out that these incidents have a long lasting security effects, and the need to live our values:

"I have always been on the record, in fact, since 2003, with the concept of living our values.  And I think that whenever we have, perhaps, taken expedient measures, they have turned around and bitten us in the backside.  We decided early on in the 101st Airborne Division we're just going to--look, we just said we'd decide to obey the Geneva Convention, to, to move forward with that.  That has, I think, stood elements in good stead.  We have worked very hard over the years, indeed, to ensure that elements like the International Committee of the Red Cross and others who see the conduct of our detainee operations and so forth approve of them.  Because in the cases where that is not true, we end up paying a price for it ultimately.  Abu Ghraib and other situations like that are nonbiodegradables.  They don't go away.  The enemy continues to beat you with them like a stick in the Central Command area of responsibility.  Beyond that, frankly, we have found that the use of the interrogation methods in the Army Field Manual that was given the force of law by Congress, that that works."

Simialrly, Iraq served as a recruiting tool for terrorist, acting as a “cause celebre” for al Qaeda and affiliated groups, according to the 2006 NIC report.  

When there are people from inside his administration who say that these policies were counterproductive to combatting terrorism, shouldn't that be enough for President Bush, let alone Matt Lauer, to accept that there does not have to be a choice between our values and our security? That in fact our values do contribute to our security, not teh other way around? 

Comments

[patani]

haha I like this information.

[nappies]

I can't believe. em but..

[pandora]

Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts.

[Caverta]

Can't open clip url...

[Cheap Handbags]

Great recap, I can’t even believe you were able to write that.I got so much anxiety just watching that and I thought I was the only one who had unnatural rage/hate for Kelly, glad I’m not the only one, as I was getting concerned. These women show that you can age without maturing.

[Winona]

Lovely post, thanks for the Bush and Lauer

[Replica watch]

Thanks for the blog loaded with so many information. Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for.

[jiangzhilong]

Today she is thomas dressed in a shallow thomas sabo uk pink suits, pink face also very tender thomas like to choke water, but with a little cloudy look. Lesser coldly ask, what the early honey? Rangie is still so very clean comfortable smiled thomas sabo to me, I said that the disc in your answering Sarah’s here, she now want to listen and he will take out a Thomas Sabo pearl necklace to make her listen.

[cheap jerseys for sale]

Best,I like it,Because jersey is cheap .

[Wholesale nhl Jerseys]

Discovered your blog on del.icio.us today and truly loved it.. i saved as a favorite it and will be back to check it out some more later .. As a Noob, I am consistently seeking online for articles that can help me. Thanks a ton! With regards, Ceola.

[Designer handbag]

Just want to say what a great blog you got here!I've been around for quite a lot of time, but finally decided to show my appreciation of your work!

[Designer Bags]

Thank you for taking the time to publish this information very useful!I'm still waiting for some interesting thoughts from your side in your next post thanks.

[pandora]

She has lived in love moistening, and this is a how lucky matter, is also the how enviable matter. She has lived in love light shade by sterling pandora silver charms.
As the women is concerned pandora jewellery to make them happy enough to vertigo.
The pandora silver charms are always the most loved stars, and those are obviously the status and the status proof – - proved that own sign status, proves itself in opposite party mind status. This is Pandora’s charm, and I think many people will like them, and they are live in your heart.

[lv bags]

Now is the time! ' cried Gandalf. `Let us go, before the troll returns!'
But even as they retreated, and before Pippin and Merry had reached the stair outside, a huge orc-chieftain, almost man-high, clad in black mail from head to foot, leaped into the chamber; behind him his followers clustered in the doorway. His broad flat face was swart, his eyes were like coals, and his tongue was red; he wielded a great spear. With a thrust of his huge hide shield he turned Boromir's sword and bore him backwards

[coach handbag]

After 5 years of continuous development, combined with our professional services team to support, we continue to improve services, sustained commitment to improve your shopping experience. This is entirely due to our vision of innovation and modern philosophy, determined to become the leading electronic retail site. We have world famous brands of existing jewelry, such as: 925 silver bracelet, Gucci silver jewelry and Links bracelet. . We copied this kind of designer jewelry from the authentic models, 1:1 size, plated of 925 Sterling silver and each replica inspired jewelry is antioxidant, correct logos. Our philosophy is: are committed to providing the most convenient shopping environment, so you can enjoy the most affordable prices choose your favorite Juicy bracelet. In more than 200 countries and regions worldwide that we have thousands of customers. If you are not satisfied with the Prada Sunglasses received, we guarantee full refund. Please note that you must receive the goods within 7 days to inform us. Receipt of goods returned must be the same as when the original box packing destructive. Versace Sunglasses

[coach handbag]

After 5 years of continuous development, combined with our professional services team to support, we continue to improve services, sustained commitment to improve your shopping experience. This is entirely due to our vision of innovation and modern philosophy, determined to become the leading electronic retail site. We have world famous brands of existing jewelry, such as: 925 silver bracelet, Gucci silver jewelry and Links bracelet. . We copied this kind of designer jewelry from the authentic models, 1:1 size, plated of 925 Sterling silver and each replica inspired jewelry is antioxidant, correct logos. Our philosophy is: are committed to providing the most convenient shopping environment, so you can enjoy the most affordable prices choose your favorite Juicy bracelet. In more than 200 countries and regions worldwide that we have thousands of customers. If you are not satisfied with the Prada Sunglasses received, we guarantee full refund. Please note that you must receive the goods within 7 days to inform us. Receipt of goods returned must be the same as when the original box packing destructive. Versace Sunglasses

[china wholesale]

Great tips!!! Most of these are a no brainer and some I wouldn’t thinking of it in the first place.

[haruka]

Algunas joyas con piedras múltiples mientras que algunos sólo utiliza una piedra pandora anillos Las piedras pueden representar un color o vienen en una mezcla de colores caja de pandora Todo el mundo tiene sus diseños de joyería preferida o estilos. Ya sea en plata o de oro, pandora joyas joyería de fantasía o cualquier otro tipo, hay miles de diseños para elegir. Vamos a empezar con piedras. anillos pandora Las piedras se usan en los anillos, collares, pulseras cuerpo, pendientes e incluso las compras para los regalos de la joyería jewelry.When, pandora pulseras observar las joyas del destinatario usa para tener una idea de los estilos que les gustan.Sólo que esta vez, él o ella lo lleva a cabo con mejores herramientas, más materias primas para elegir, alto nivel de diseño, y, definitivamente, un precio de venta más alto! Esto hace que sea mucho más fácil para tamizar a través de miles de products.When joyería en busca de joyas en la Web, la pulsera pandora asegúrese de limitar la búsqueda a los tipos de joyas que te gusta. Utilice los estilos y los temas mencionados anteriormente para reducir su búsqueda.pulsera de pandora Es aún mejor si usted puede encontrar un centro comercial en línea y la búsqueda de la joyería en un solo lugar.

[gfds]

When you will decide to own jewelry pandora beads for mom you will want to remember what your pandora bead mom really needs. If she's got help brimming with rings, then pandora bracelet sale obtaining a ring that she may well for no pandora sale reason wear would not be excellent.A part pandora sale online through buying Jewellery from a standard necklaces pandora shop retailer, jewellery can certainly be bought from online pandora 2010 stores. The beauty of buying on the internet is you're able to notice anything the particular offers, whereby a cheap panadora store it is hard to kind though their particular inventory to find the right pandora jewery thing. Mothers love gifts which might be memorable. Try to present your mom using a surprise that has pandora jewerelly been personalized, for instance a ring making use of their name engraved in it.

[ugg boots clearance]

Our ugg boots clearance nails aren’t just a convenient place to put colored polish. Nails, on both the fingers and the toes, are made of keratin, the same stuff our hair contains, only denser and harder. Nails are the primate equivalent of hooves and claws on other animals. Animals use their claws or talons to catch prey, climb trees, and defend themselves. Humans have evolved to the point where fingernails are not vital for survival, but there’s no doubt that they’re useful ugg boots clearance. They help when we’re performing fine motor skills, like untying knots and preparing food. They’re also important for scratching (a pleasurable experience most mammals enjoy) and grooming ugg boots clearance.

Toenails are less important than fingernails ugg boots clearance. At this stage of our evolution, they’re little more than remnants. Watching apes and monkeys use their feet to grasp objects reminds us that at one point it was useful to have nails on our toes, but they’re simply not as necessary now. Apes and monkeys also have opposable thumbs on their feet that help their dexterity. Since humans don’t have these, our feet are useful mainly for ambulation ugg boots clearance.

One thing that nails are not for is protection of the nail bed. Contrary to popular belief, they serve no protective purpose ugg boots clearance, and without fingernails or toenails, our digits would not be uncomfortably sensitive; the nail bed would simply become harder and tougher to accommodate the new level of exposure ugg boots outlet.

[ugg classic tall]

the highest-grade sheepskin availableugg outlet , is the age which suitable to restore the old, the every large or small varied assortment the classical design again returned to people's line of sight, from the wind series's return, 3 rewirings went forth to battle recently to Classic Short UGG the Garnett ... Classic Tiffany Jewelry. Publisher: Alina008. As we all know that ...ugg classic tall is packed in cartons and Blue Ribbon is the symbol of Tiffany jewelry..

[data recovery]

Data recovery software retrieve restore deleted files recover windows hard disk drive deleted formatted partition restores deleted data lost due to disk formats and recover data from usb pen drive stick digital camera memory card

[ugg boots clearance]

When the barrels were empty the elves cast them through the trapdoors,
opened the water-gate, and out the barrels floated on the stream, bobbing along, until they were carried by the current to a place far down the river where the bank jutted out, near to the very eastern edge of Mirkwood. There they were collected and tied together and floated back to Lake-town, which stood close to the point where the Forest River flowed into the Long Lake.

[ugg classic tall]

the highest-grade sheepskin availableugg outlet , is the age which suitable to restore the old, the every large or small varied assortment the classical design again returned to people's line of sight, from the wind series's return, 3 rewirings went forth to battle recently to Classic Short UGG the Garnett ... Classic Tiffany Jewelry. Publisher: Alina008. As we all know that ...ugg classic tall is packed in cartons and Blue Ribbon is the symbol of Tiffany jewelry..

[Liushuanglin198606]

On my Egypt Air flight yesterday to Cairo, I witnessed one of the more intriguing in-flight exchanges that I can remember. A bearded, well-dressed man sitting a few seats behind me began shouting at the flight attendant. He was complaining that the in-flight movie was inappropriate. What are these “offensive images?” he asked. These included a 15-minute stretch of the movie where at least one woman at any given time was wearing a bikini. In a couple of scenes at a club, members of opposite sexes were dancing in close proximity while, it appeared, consuming alcoholic beverages. “Are we really all Westernized now?” the man behind me asked, as if posing a question to those of us in the back of the plane.

The man’s arguments were rather interesting. He pointed out that if you took a poll of the passengers,ugg boots outlet most would agree the film was morally offensive. He asked the attendant, “if we ask the passengers what they think and they agree with me, then what will you do?” The attendant responded, “we don’t take public opinion (ra’i al ‘am) on the airplane.” The man was right: most passengers, and most Egyptians – the vast majority of whom don’t drink, go to clubs, or wear bikinis – would object to the film’s content. But at what point do they have the right to restrict minority expressions of unfaithfulness?

It was an odd, amusing exchange that justified the otherwise unpleasant experience of flying on EgyptAir.ugg boots clearance But it was a reminder of the fundamental lack of consensus in the Arab world over the boundaries and limits of the state. There are two groups – Islamists and secular elites – with worldviews which couldn’t be more different. They live parallel lives in parallel worlds, with parallel institutions. They rarely intersect.ugg boots clearance One group believes it has both history and the Egyptian people on its side. The other side, considerably smaller in number, likely has neither. It does, however, have the power.

This stalemate has paralyzed the Arab world for decades now.ugg boots outlet

Sunday’s elections will be just another version of this.ugg boots clearance The main players are the Muslim Brotherhood – populist, religious, and righteous – and the regime coalition which, with its president soon to pass, finds itself in an uncertain place. Both sides are strong in different ways – and weak in others. Neither seems to have anything resembling a coherent strategy for dealing with the impending transition that is soon to come.

ugg boots clearance

[led miner cap lamp]

Specialize in manufacture explosion proof light, including: explosion proof floodlight, led flashlight, spot lamp, led mining light, led searching light with rechargeable battery in China.

[sesli sohbet]

It seems fairly obviously that this is going to be a running theme of this meoir: President George W. was forced to make the difficult decisions to keep America safe, and while they may not make us feel good he did what was needed to be done in order to protect us. He is literally arguing that there is a stark choice to make between security and values. But time and again this this has been shown to be a false choice. In fact not only do these measures not keep us safe, they actually have the opposite effect. Bush's own top attorney for the Department of Navy Alberto Mora, who investigated allegations of torture while inside the administration, testified in 2008 that Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo -- the so-called 'costs' of protecting Americans -- actually had the exact opposite effect:
sohbet chat seslisohbet seslichat seslisohbet siteleri seslichat siteleri

[E3 Card Readers]

The third one, you should strech straight your arms and at the same time raise your arms to the place which is horizental to your shoulderse3 card reader

[R4]

Like several handheld consoles, the M3 DS can R4 Nintendo DS are afflicted with lots of malfunctions and issues if misused. These types of symptoms may include lines throughout the sport display in the course of play, audio concerns, frequent sport freezes, problems with wi-fi R4 Revolution for DS connectivity and multiplayer game play or a faulty touchscreen display. These issues can stem from faulty sport cards resulting from grime buildup, sign interference or perhaps heavy impact that straight damaged R4 SDHC your system. If the console set for fix, there are many troubleshooting actions you need to take.

[white iphone 4]

Salut, où avez-vous obtenu cette information peut vous s'il vous pla?t appuyer ce avec une certaine preuve ou vous pouvez dire quelques bonnes références que moi et d'autres apprécieront vraiment. Cette information est vraiment bon et je vais dire sera toujours utile si nous essayer sans risques. Donc, si vous pouvez le sauvegarder. Cela nous aidera vraiment à tous. Et cela pourrait apporter un peu de bonne réputation pour vous.

[wholesale knockoff handbags]

how can I post a comment?

[cases for iphone]

Grande article! J'aime votre blog! Je l'ai signet

[No Prescription Retin A]

Very interesting and informative article. Read very easily. Such quality articles really very little now.
Buy Retin A

[Air Max 24-7]

The world is very beautiful I love life I love everyone healthy body hold dear

[Designer Shoes]

Your post is really amazing and informative. I'm surprised that your post has not gotten any good quality, genuine comments. You have done a great job by posting this article.Thanks !!!

[knockoff handbags]

your opinion is right...

[havyar jeli]

Calendar according to the news in a day, between 50-150 is normal hair loss, instead of pouring out a new hair does not return the hair may be an abnormality in this case,

[Nike Kobe]

Such a good writing, or by I saw for the first time. I'm quite happy, you are a good writer

[Replica handbags]

How many bags do you have ? now I have GM M40144, speedy 25 M41528, Diraitofuru PM M40352, Diraitofuru MM M40353, Neverful PM M40155, Neverful MM M40156, Neverful GM M40157, keepall 55 M41414, keepall 50 M41416 and my most lovely Artsy MM M40249.

[Replica burberry handbags]

The other day I used to be educated about this website and wanted to let you realize that I have been pleased, through his messages.

[replica handbags]

thanks for your article, i like your opinion......A

[Cheap Oakleys]

I came to your article from another article and am really interested in this learning about this, I feel strongly about information and love learning more on this. If possible, as you gain expertise, It is extremely helpful for me. would you mind updating your blog with more information?

[replica wallets]

I like your article so that I read all of your articles in a day.Please continue and keep on writing excellent posts.

[knockoff handbags]

Great job! Keep working! useful post, thank you