Santorum: McCain "doesn't understand" torture

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.

/ AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum on Tuesday accused Sen. John McCain of not understanding "how enhanced interrogation works," despite the fact that McCain, a former war prisoner in North Vietnam, was repeatedly subjected to torture during his 5 ? years in captivity.

In a radio interview with the conservative talk show host Hugh Hewitt on Tuesday, Santorum reiterated his support for the use of so-called "enhanced interrogation techniques" and argued that such tactics had been crucial in tracking down Osama bin Laden.

"Everything I've read shows that we would not have gotten this information as to who [bin Laden's trusted courier] was if it had not been gotten information from people who were subject to enhanced interrogation," he argued on the radio show.

Arizona Sen. John McCain has spoken out in recent days against the use of torture as an interrogation technique, citing information from CIA chief Leon Panetta to argue that enhanced interrogation was not responsible for the discovery of Osama bin Laden, and that, in fact, using such methods could come back to hurt Americans.

"I opposed waterboarding and similar so-called 'enhanced interrogation techniques' before Osama bin Laden was brought to justice. And I oppose them now," McCain said in a speech on the Senate floor last week. "I do not believe they are necessary to our success in our war against terrorists, as the advocates of these techniques claim they are."

"Even more importantly, I believe that if America uses torture, it could someday result in the torture of American combatants," he added. "I know that Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations do not share our scruples about the treatment of enemy combatants, and have and will continue to subject American soldiers and anyone they capture to the cruelest mistreatment imaginable. But we must bear in mind the likelihood that some day we will be involved in a more conventional war against a state and not a terrorist movement or insurgency, and be careful that we do not set a standard that another country could use to justify their mistreatment of our prisoners."

Santorum argued that McCain was mistaken.

"He doesn't understand how enhanced interrogation works," the former Pennsylvania senator told Hewitt. "I mean, you break somebody, and after they're broken, they become cooperative. And that's when we got this information. And one thing led to another, and led to another, and that's how we ended up with bin Laden."

According to a first-person account of his experience as a POW in Vietnam, McCain was repeatedly subjected to physical and psychological abuse during his imprisonment, which lasted for more than five years. He has also McCain described giving false information to his interrogators in response to the harsh tactics.

[koko98-2009]

Maybe if Mr. Santorum were on the receiving end of the enhanced interrogation he might have a clue about what McCain knows about it.

[Zann-Zel]

I really wonder if McCain and Santorum were alone in a room together if he'd have the nerve to say that, right to McCain's face?

Santorum has proven himself a total idiot!

[nojoy01]

"... not understanding "how enhanced interrogation works,..."
---------------------------------------------------------------
Abso-freaking-incredible. You have just said that a man who was held for five and a half years by a group who did not use the Geneva Convention for their own guide posts does not know how "enhanced interrogation works". (only Two "new" words in that sentence were polysyllables. Hopefully Santorum will be able to understand words of one Syl) Leave the race Santorum for you have just shown every one that you are just one more fool.

[meboard]

He very well may be driving the GOP clown car!

[meboard]

Rick Santorum: Proving once again that anybody...and I mean ANYBODY...can be stupid enough to be a U.S. Senator!!!!!

[meboard]

Rick Santorum = Poster Child of the modern GOP. Need I say anything more?

[meboard]

by WeHappyFew May 18, 2011 4:56 AM EDT
Ha! Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition
Our chief weapon is surprise.... surprise and fear ....fear and surprise.......
Our TWO weapons are fear and surprise and ruthless efficiency............
Our THREE weapons are fear and surprise and ruthless efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.
Our FOUR.........no.......amongst our weapons....AMONGST OUR WEAPONRY ARE such elements as fear, sur..
I'll come in again.
----

NOT THE COMFY CHAIR!!!!! Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

[bradkt1]

Some remarks are simply beyond stupid or idotic. These are the remarks of an arrogant and disrespectful embicle.

[WeHappyFew]

If we do not respect articles of war then we are either terrorists ourselves or we justify the operations of these groups as legitimate military action.

[thechooch1]

I am not a John McCain fan, but I certainly respect what he went through for our country. I don't think Santorum could have made a more stupid and disrespectful comment. Has this guy even got a brain?

[WeHappyFew]

Proving once again there are few groups more deranged than ultra conservative catholic politicos.

Lest we forget that Europeans settled America to escape the tyranny and terror of the Roman church.

[WeHappyFew]

Ha! Nobody expects the Spanish inquisition
Our chief weapon is surprise.... surprise and fear ....fear and surprise.......
Our TWO weapons are fear and surprise and ruthless efficiency............
Our THREE weapons are fear and surprise and ruthless efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.
Our FOUR.........no.......amongst our weapons....AMONGST OUR WEAPONRY ARE such elements as fear, sur..
I'll come in again.

[WeHappyFew]

What? You'll have to run that by me again.

Are you even on the right thread?