Analysis: Obama walks thin line on interrogations (AP)

[News Manager]

AP - Barack Obama, facing perhaps the trickiest political issue of his young presidency, is trying to appease his liberal base without losing control of a potentially volatile inquiry into George W. Bush administration's use of harsh interrogation tactics against terrorism suspects.




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[rattler]

It sure aint easy:

In 1947, the U.S. charged a Japanese officer, Yukio Asano, with war crimes for waterboarding. Asano was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor. None of the "it is not physical dangering" at that time:

Excerpts of the trial (emphasis by me):

...That in or about July or August, 1943, the accused Yukio Asano, did willfully and unlawfully, brutally mistreat and torture Morris O. Killough, an American Prisoner of War, by fastening him on a stretcher and pouring water up his nostrils.

... That on or about 15 May, 1944, at Fukoka Prisoner of War Branch Camp Number 3, Kyushu, Japan, the accused Yukio Asano, did, willfully and unlawfully, brutally mistreat and torture Thomas B. Armitage, William O Cash and Munroe Dave Woodall, American Prisoners of War by forcing water into their mouths and noses;

...That between 1 April, 1943 and 31 December, 1943, the accused Yukio Asano, did, willfully and unlawfully, brutally mistreat and torture John Henry Burton, an American Prisoner of War, -snip- by fastening him head downward on a stretcher and forcing water into his nose.

How would you explain double measures (i.e. waterbording is only torture if applied to US citizens) in the future and what law would yield if you tried (and sentenced) some who did it for war crimes and ignored others?

Difficult decision from a political (not law: This is unambigious) POV for Obama, I would not want to be in his shoes...

Rattler

 

[A Can of Man]

I'd be surprised if that is all the Japanese officer did. It could be just one count. But yes, the fact that this appeared does mean that waterboarding was considered torture.