In which I attempt to play devil’s advocate on the question of whether to prosecute individuals accused of torture under the Bush administration, and get slapped around fairly effortlessly by friend Wells.
UPDATE: This Washington Post editorial, though rather better expressed, comes closest to my own position. This Montreal Gazette editorial is firmer against prosecution.
UPPERDATE: Some other noteable recent contributions to the debate:
The Bush administration ignored warnings about its detainee policies
Trying to Make Sense of the Torture Memos | Newsweek
Even If It Works, US Shouldn’t Torture
Torture works sometimes — but it’s always wrong | Salon
Matthew Yglesias » Torture Still Doesn’t Work
Damon Linker (The New Republic) – Thinking About Torture
Jeff Jacoby – A tortured debate over the ‘torture memos’
Marc A. Thiessen – Enhanced Interrogations Worked
Stuart Taylor Jr. – National Journal – Did Torture Save Lives?
The OLC “Torture Memos”: Thoughts from a dissenter By Philip Zelikow
Ali Soufan – My Tortured Decision – NYTimes
Who’s Politicizing Intelligence Now?
Porter J. Goss – Security Before Politics
Former CIA Director Michael Hayden on Obama Releasing the Interrogation Memos
Obama muddles torture message – Politico.com
Obama’s Growing Dilemma on Torture Prosecution
‘Truth Commission’ hurdles remain – Josh Gerstein – POLITICO.com
Con Coughlin – Obama must beware of playing party politics with security
Lanny Davis – The Torture Memos: Obama, Holder Strike The Right Balance
Chris Smith: Why Obama’s Right on Torture — Daily Intel — New York
Democratic complicity and what “politicizing justice” really means – Glenn Greenwald – Salon.com
