The Wall Street Journal Likes To Make Stuff Up

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122964985803120513.html

The pathetic attempt of the Wall Street Journal Editorial Page to defend the torture of human beings.

"Actionable intelligence is the most effective weapon in the war on terror, which can potentially save thousands of lives."

There is no evidence that torture produces actionable intelligence.

"In fact, Congress has always defined torture so vaguely as to ban only the most extreme acts and preserve legal loopholes. At least twice it has had opportunity to specifically ban waterboarding and be accountable after some future attack. Members declined."

Well, that's fair. I mean, everyone KNOWS that it is ONLY waterboarding that keeps us safe. Not, you know, security and stuff.

"As for "stress positions" allowed for a time by the Pentagon, such as hooding, sleep deprivation or exposure to heat and cold, they are psychological techniques designed to break a detainee, but light years away from actual torture."

What is the difference? "Techniques designed to break"? It's torture. Whoever wrote that sentence should undergo SERE training and report back about how non-torturous it is.

"Mr. Levin claims that Bush interrogation programs "damaged our ability to collect accurate intelligence that could save lives." The truth is closer to the opposite."

The evidence, unfortunately, supports Mr. Levin.

"The second-guessing of Democrats is likely to lead to a risk-averse mindset at the CIA and elsewhere that compromises the ability of terror fighters to break the next KSM. The political winds always shift, but terrorists are as dangerous as ever."

Nowhere near as dangerous as the reckless gang of thugs who currently occupy the White House.