Petraeus Against Torture, For Closing Gitmo

by: Jon Soltz

Tue May 26, 2009 at 11:48:45 AM EDT


Last year, those on the right loved General Petraeus.  You couldn't debate anyone on the neocon side without them trying to hide behind the General.  There were even rumors swirling that Republicans would recruit him to be their nominee in 2012.  Then, supporters of Governor Palin found their new nominee for 2012, but they think General Petraeus would make a fine subordinate to the Governor in a Dream Ticket in four years.

Well, don't look now, but our friend Sam Stein at the Huffington Post reports:

General David Petraeus said this past weekend that President Obama's decision to close down Gitmo and end harsh interrogation techniques would benefit the United States in the broader war on terror.

General Petraeus goes on to say that he believes we need to stay within the Geneva Convention, and that closing Gitmo "sends an important message to the world, as does the commitment of the United States to observe the Geneva Convention when it comes to the treatment of detainees."

Of course, this flies in the face of the Rush Limbaugh and Dick Cheney crowd - those who believe that we're safer when we do things that serve as great recruiting tools for al Qaeda.

I'm guessing this disqualifies him from any kind of "Draft Petraeus" efforts on the Republican side.

Jon Soltz :: Petraeus Against Torture, For Closing Gitmo
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Chicken Hawks (0.00 / 0)
Limbaugh and Cheney are both irrational chicken hawks so nothing anyone says will ever dent their views. But it would be nice to watch them try to take on the general. I mean he did go to two elitist east cost schools after all  

This. Is. Beautiful. (0.00 / 0)
n/t

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama

Eh (0.00 / 0)
I'm guessing this disqualifies him from any kind of "Draft Petraeus" efforts on the Republican side.

Not really. Last I checked Colin Powell was still a Republican. For that matter, I don't recall John McCain being in favor of torture either. He's a Republican too.  


On Powell I agree with you (0.00 / 0)
But realize that most republicans are throwing him under the bus, then backing over him.  Several prominent conservatives have stated recently that Powell should just "pull a Specter" and switch to the democratic party.  On McCain, he hasn't always shown that view.

"No U.S. soldier ever dies in vain because they're carrying out the missions of their commander in chief. And we honor all the service that they've provided." - Barack Obama

[ Parent ]
Yeah but (0.00 / 0)
as I understood it, the bill specifically bound interrogators to the Army Field Manual, which is a bit more than a simple torture ban. That and something tells me McCain was playing politics on that one too. His playing politics there is more than ample grounds for criticism, but to say he is down for torture is still a bit of a stretch.  

As far as Powell goes, the right really has been sticking it to him, but I would much rather see him help push the Republican party back to what it is supposed to stand for vice switching parties. The prominence of Limbaugh and apparent lack of quality candidates from the Republican side is clearly a bad thing and I just don't see anyone benefitting from the current state of the Republican party, except for the far Left and the hyperpartisan crowd on the Democratic side and they really suck too.  


[ Parent ]
Apparently, the Republican Party has not hit rock bottom, yet. (0.00 / 0)
And, I think they have to do that before they begin to make their way back to the GOP of old.

Maybe losing Powell the way they did Specter will get them that much closer to climbing out of the hole they have dug for themselves. But, I don't see Powell doing that at this point in time...maybe four years from now...who knows, a lot can happen.


[ Parent ]
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