Army Removes Torture Language From Field Manual - Torture OK Now?

Bush has moved from being the Decider to being the Deceiver. A story in the LA Times states that the new Army Field Manual will omit the specific parts of the Geneva Convention detailing the ban on "humiliating and degrading treatment". To their credit the State Department fiercely opposes this omission.

The story goes on to say:

"President Bush's critics and supporters have debated whether it is possible to prove a direct link between administration declarations that it will not be bound by Geneva and events such as the abuses at Abu Ghraib or the killings of Iraqi civilians last year in Haditha, allegedly by Marines."

I think it’s pretty clear what the motives are behind this omission. The Administration wants to sanction any behavior it feels is appropriate regardless of world norms. By doing this kind of thing, we lower ourselves to the level of any outlaw nation or terrorist group. It is little wonder the Bush cadre wanted nothing to do with the International Court, since it was planning to break so many international laws. That lessens the chance that someday they cannot be brought to justice and put on trial for war crimes.