The culture of life

The ACLU has released a report, based on U.S. Defense Department data, showing that, of 44 deaths of prisoners in U.S. custody in Afghanistan and Iraq, a minimum of 21 were homicides, of which at least eight resulted from abusive techniques by military or intelligence officers (the remaining 13 homicides appear to fall in the "Amadou Diallo" category -- shot by American troops under conditions in which there was no justification for doing so). Here are some of the descriptions of those deaths:

"Pulmonary embolism due to blunt force injuries... Strangulation... Asphyxia due to smothering and chest compression... Blunt force injuries and asphyxia."

If you're an American, aren't you just delighted that these things are being done in our name? George Bush and Dick Cheney are; they're begging to be allowed to continue (not that they'll stop no matter what Congress does, short of stopping all funds going to the Defense Department and CIA):

Cheney Plan Exempts CIA From Bill Barring Abuse of Detainees
The Bush administration has proposed exempting employees of the Central Intelligence Agency from a legislative measure endorsed earlier this month by 90 members of the Senate that would bar cruel and degrading treatment of any prisoners in U.S. custody.

What a bizarre headline, describing this as the "Cheney Plan." Whether Dick Cheney is the one up on the Hill lobbying for this plan or not, the implication in the headline that somehow this is something Dick Cheney cooked up on his own without the knowledge or approval of George Bush is just bizarre. As the opening sentence of the article states, this is a Bush administration plan, not a "Cheney Plan."

Not in Our Name!