RHETORICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT CONDI

Rhetorical Questions about Lies and Torture

By Peter Fredson

December 11, 2005

Today a news headline stated:

“NATO CHIEF: RICE ’CLEARED THE AIR’ ON DETAINEE CHARGES”

The main story was a simple assertion:
“Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has briefed NATO and European Union colleagues on the Bush administration response to allegations the CIA has abused terrorism suspects and had secret detention sites in Europe. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer says Ms. Rice’s explanation has cleared the air between Washington and its allies.”

I wondered how this cleared any air? I would have thought Ms. Rice fouled all the air wherever she moved with the stench of deliberate rehearsed lies. Does this “clear air” bear any relation to the pollution of air that Bush allowed, but ingeniously avoided all blame by relabelling it “Clean Air?” Or like he allowed pollution of water but avoided blame by relabelling it “Clean Water?”

The most intriguing passage stated:
“The issue of alleged abuse of detainees has dominated Ms. Rice’s agenda in Brussels as well as at her previous stops in Berlin, Bucharest, and Kiev. And both U.S. and European officials say her explanations have, to some degree, eased international concern about U.S. detention practices.”

What does “some degree” signify? And “easing international concern”, does it mean Europeans bought the Bush-Condi lies wholesale and have decided that trivial but outrageous attacks on their dignity are not worth discussing, and that the imperial Bush can do anything he wishes as long if either he or Condi get up, look the TV cameras straight in the lens, and unblinkingly lie their heads off? Will they now take any assertion of innocence, no matter how improbable, from the Bushites? Shouldn’t they trust Bush to investigate himself? Would George, or Dick, or Condi or Karl lie?

I wonder about Rice’s statement that the U.S. does not permit, tolerate or condone torture, nor does it transport terror detainees to countries where U.S. officials believe they would be tortured. I guess the photos from Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo were all faked by opponents of Bush. I guess the law suits, and all the witnesses who said they had been tortured by U.S. agents, is all a nasty conspiracy to denigrate a highly moral and truthful president.

I wonder why no investigation was made by European countries worried about their sovereignty? Surely they have intelligence agencies of their own and are sophisticated about assertions? Have they stopped being cautious after the years of lies by fascists and communists? Do they fear the wrath of Bush, do they shake with terror at the prospect of his reprisals, and do they think his agents will bring down their regimes? Someone please explain to me why European leaders have become whipped pussies.

Condi looked at the TV and blandly said that the U.S does not permit, tolerate or condone torture. Well, someone sure as hell is doing that. I wonder who is doing that? And I wonder why Bush, who is so eager to find truth, has not yet found any torturer except maybe some corporal?

The secretary began her trip with the release of a detailed statement asserting that the United States does not permit, tolerate or condone torture, nor would it transport terror detainees to countries where U.S. officials believed they would be tortured.

While refusing to confirm or deny the existence of CIA detention sites, she also said the United States has not violated the sovereignty of countries cooperating in U.S. anti-terrorism operations. Again she said this with rehearsed sincerity and again the European leaders said “Sure, Condi, We believe you. Don’t worry about it.”

She has meet with European leaders and attended gala dinners
dinner with foreign ministers of the 32 member-countries of NATO and the European Union.

“A senior U.S. official who briefed reporters said Ms. Rice left the event
satisfied over what he said had been a serious discussion about the dilemma posed by terrorism, one that was free of political cheap shots and posturing.” No posturing? Serious discussion? Give us a break!
Anyone who cannot smell the stench must have gas masks over their faces.

“Alliance Secretary-General Scheffer said the controversy in Europe over the issue has eased.
"I think it was a good discussion I think it cleared the air," he said. "I
think Secretary Rice made a strong intervention. And it was in the framework of the political dialogue, the trans-Atlantic political dialogue, we all so value.” Evidently this is the sort of thinking that Hitler heard when he decided to invade those countries. They seem made by simpletons or sycophants.

When Condi said “the United States is a nation of laws and that the Bush administration is not going to ask U.S. citizens to violate the law or America’s international obligations” I could not help but burst out laughing at the most outrageous statement of the year.. Condi also said future abuse scandals could not be ruled out, anticipating the time tomorrow when some witness appears showing scars and cuts or missing limbs.

Condi said: "That is the only promise that we can make to people, which is that if we find abuses we will investigate them thoroughly and punish them." Sure, Condi, we all believe you. The entire world believes you. We believed Bush when he said he would fire anyone who violated secrecy, and then viciously punished Karl Rove by putting him in charge of several billion dollars to reconstruct New Orleans. Sure, who would not believe and trust a egomaniacal sociopath who invades a sovereign country because some God whispered in his ear?

The story ends saying that European ministers were reassured by Condi’s forthright and honest public and private remarks, although they had some trepidation when Condi refused to talk about CIA detention sites and surreptitious overflights of their sovereign countries.

But mainly they bought the Condi story, lock, stock and barrel of dead fish and rotten deals. No recriminations, no investigations, just smiles and handshakes all around. Good fellowship, good dinners, nice shoes and gown Condi was wearing. Everything back to normal. Nobody got hurt. Nice!

I wonder if Bush is delighted that his strategy of denial, prevarication, misinformation, and torturing whatever truth might be present, will help his polls. Surely Condi’s performance needed no oath in court. Will his Congressional sycophants now claim they are fully satisfied and that Bush has been completely vindicated by Condi’s open, transparent, sincere, honest, candid, and truthful account of what is really going on?

I know that I’m satisfied.