Democratic Conversation

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed confessed to everything but trying to kill George W. Bush’s father. Of course, as we all know, Saddam Hussein tried to do that, and look where that country is and the USA is headed.

Now Bush and the Republican party have their fall guy in place just in time for next year’s elections: “Look what we’ve done, American,” they will say. “We’ve caught the guy who masterminded all those terrible attacks, and the doozie that has changed ALL OF HISTORY.” John McCain should cringe over this, but he’ll likely be proud.
Can Mr. Khalid’s confession be believed? I’m not so sure. Well, I’m sure he confessed. Who wouldn’t under George W. Bush’s torture chambers at Guantanamo Bay. How do I know he was tortured? Bush’s track record on such things. Attorney General Gonzales’s track record (and emails) on such things. Dick Cheney’s bloodlust track record on such things. Do these men think they have fooled anyone?

Here’s another reason we can know that Mr. Khalid’s confession was tortured out of him: why would he confess? There is no reasonable explanation for such a fanatic to write a list of terrorist acts and say, “Yep. Did ‘em all. Liked it, too.” Of course, he might think there is some martyrdom angle to a confession. A laundry list, though? This really sounds like something out of Karl Rove’s playbook.

The guys in the White House have not been subtle in their perfidy of the American Public. In fact they flaunt it. Mr. Khalid’s confession sounds just like a Bush White House flaunt of not only the rules, but the laws of probability.

You must understand. I have no doubt Mr. Khalid is a terrorist. Perhaps the evidence—without his confession—shows that he has all shades of blood on his hands. His confession, however, must be treated as suspect by the American Public and the wider world.

One may ask Why do you care if this terrorist was tortured to get information? I can give you two reasons: first, the United States was founded on the rule of law and a habit (despite its slave-owning history, WWII Japanese-American internment) of human rights; and second, under torture people will say anything, sign anything, admit to everything, and therefore if we accept a confession wrought under duress, the actual culprits will still be out there, planning more deaths.

There exists the possibility that Mr. Khalid did willfully give and sign his confession to all these deeds. Perhaps he sees the end—of himself, not his cause—and wants to go out on a complete flaunt of his actions. Yet with Abu Graib, Guantanamo, rendition practices, and their own disregard for international law, George W. Bush and his criminal coterie have sullied any full-range belief from the American people or the world.