Would you give the playbook to your enemy?

[92bDad]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6109379.ece

What's your take on Obama releasing Top Secret documents from the CIA?

[chumdawg]

game theory

[Mavdog]

what makes you believe these were "top secret documents", as everybody knew the interrogations were going on.

nope, nothing to see here....in fact, kudos to obama for coming clean about this. the more open we are the better.

[92bDad]

So now, the enemy not only knows what was done, but how far the techniques were used. They also know now, that the OBAMA administration is unwilling to use these techniques...

In other words, we just handed the playbook to our enemies so that they can use it against us.

There was nothing to be gained by this...yet this is another blatant attempt by the Obama/Liberal camp to blame Bush.

This is yet another reason why I do NOT trust this administration with the Safety of Americans and our Freedoms!!!

[Mavdog]

newsflash: the enemy already knew "what was being done", and many of them knew the "techniques...used", and lo and behold this knowledge didn't deter them from their acts.

just what "playbook" is there for "our enemies [to] use against us"?????

it's not an "attempt...to blame bush", it is a fact that these techniques were implemented, supported and endorsed by bush. there really is no "attempt" needed.

there is a ton to be gained by this. first, those of us who find torture abhorent are pleased that our government now reflects that viewpoint. second, our allies who join with us in rejecting torture now find themselves in concert with us once again. third, those in the world who do not support our enemies but also found themselves opposing our use of torture can now also be supportive of our country against our enemies. last, our enemies cannot point to our use of torture as a reason our country cannot be trusted or for a reason to doubt our country's committment to human rights.

so yes, there is a lot to gain by not torturing people, and the obama administration should be commended for its postition on this issue.

[mcsluggo]

92, you make no sense whatsoever.

Yes, the US clearly outlines what is and what is not acceptable behavior by its authorities. It is called a laws-based society, and without transparency about the rules governing behavior there can be no checks on abuses of rules.

We don't have to reveal specific operations... we DO have to reveal the RULES that operators are allowed to operate under. Such is the trade-off of having a US-type system versus a Syria-type system.

[92bDad]

Who's rights matter more?

Perpetrators (Terrorists, Criminals, Enemies, etc...) or Victims, Citizens, etc

Some things that are needed to be done in order to protect our freedom are not pretty and 99% of us would never do these things...but they are necessary.

If it's you who has to interview an enemy combatant, and you know that they have information which will protect Millions of lives...would you do whatever it takes to get that information out of the...or is protecting their civil rights worth the lives of Millions of people?

Transparency is good with boundaries. My wife knows everything about me...but neither she nor I, make it public knowledge...some things are simply not information that others need to know. We respect each others boundaries.

The same here...Top Secret information is Top Secret for a reason...it does not need to be shared with EVERYONE. Sure have some oversite into what is going on, but that information does not need to be revealed to everyone.

Think of it this way...If you're a CIA agent and you have to interogate someone...you've been ordered too...now, are you questioning those orders with the fear that what you do might become public information?

Most of us citizens don't support torture, but most of us have no understanding behind the scenes of war.

Sometimes, somepeople have a difficult job to do...interogations are not something I want to know more about, nor do I want certain groups removing the authority or power of those who serve in the CIA or other entities that protect America's freedoms and for the matter our very lives.