Does he or doesn't he?

According to the New York Times, The Bush administration claims that it ceased C.I.A. interrogations pursuant to the Supreme Court’s June ruling that Bush’s use of military tribunals for “Terror” suspects was illegal.

According to the Financial Times however, former CIA officials and others involved in the secret prison torture enterprise say that the practice ceased in part because CIA interrogators refused to continue the interrogations and run the secret facilities.

It’s usually safe to assume that the more damning story is closer to the truth when dealing with administration claims and of course it’s good to think that the CIA stopped short of “following orders” it knew were illegal but one has to wonder why Bush threatened to stop the interrogations last week if his demands were not met. “Time is running out” he said.

So in terms of torture, does he or doesn’t he and just what kind of torture is Bush talking about?

Attempts to define and put limits on torture are not new. According to some, the phrase “ the third degree” comes from the 18th century Austrian princess Marie Theresa who wanted to put limits on what degrees of pain a prisoner could be subjected to, the third being the point beyond which authorities could not go, but Bush’s quest is different as limits have already been settled on and written into law; limits which Bush would like to improve upon.

The 9/11 events which have been used as a lock pick to undo many decades of moral limits placed on such things is still his tool of choice. Osama, says Bush has received classified information that has come out in the courts which may well be true considering the ridiculous lengths his administration has traveled in classifying things that have been common knowledge for half a century. It’s still a very weak argument in light of history and all of his rhetoric about freedom.

Bush has been more tenacious of his torture practices than of nearly anything else and I think it’s safe to assume that events will be manufactured to justify it and mask the lack of any real results after so many years of so much beating and choking and torment. Get ready for the surprise.