http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/ju...tort-j17.shtml

[
Since the statute does not define “severe,” the authors turn to
legislative context, citing a use of the word from legislation
governing...health benefits!
]

[
According to the memo, even the infliction of severe physical pain
does not constitute a violation of the law, which, the authors claim,
requires that the infliction of such pain be the “specific intent” of
the individual engaging in the act. “If the defendant acted knowing
that severe pain or suffering was reasonably likely to result from his
action, but no more, he would have acted only with general intent...As
a theoretical matter, therefore, knowledge alone that a particular
result is certain to occur does not constitute specific intent.”
]

[
In other words, torture is not torture if the specific intent is
merely to, for example, administer mind-altering substances that
destroy the individual’s personality. The torturer must actually
specifically intend to inflict prolonged mental harm.
]

[
“Physical pain amounting to torture must be equivalent in intensity
to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ
failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death. For purely
mental pain or suffering to amount to torture under Section 2340, it
must result in significant psychological harm of significant duration,
e.g., lasting for months or even years.”
]

[
According to the Justice Department, Congress can enact no legislation
that would limit the discretion of the president ..
]

[
White House officials decided to employ torture with full knowledge
that they were violating longstanding and specific prohibitions
against such methods under both international and US law.
]

Anyone ever hear of someones named Bush & Gonzales?
Whatever happened to them?
--
Cliff

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 17:44:43 -0500, "jmk"
wrote:


"BottleBob" wrote in message
...
Cliff wrote:

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/ju...tort-j17.shtml

Cliff:

wsws.org? It says "World Socialist Web Site" right at the top.

That's about as credible as Fox News!

Even al Jazeera is far more credible according to most international
sources.

Sample ......

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exer...6BC1D9B7E6.htm
[
Falluja women, children in mass grave
Sunday 21 November 2004, 18:42 Makka Time, 15:42 GMT

Residents of a village neighbouring Falluja have told Aljazeera that
they helped bury the bodies of 73 women and children who were burnt to
death by a US bombing attack.

"We buried them here, but we could not identify them because they were
charred by the use of napalm bombs used by the Americans," said one
resident of Saqlawiya in footage aired on Aljazeera on Sunday.
..............
]

IF true, that's yet another banned use of WMDs by the US. And very
recent ass well.
--
Cliff