According to Gonzales, all people in new countries can be tortured.

[genius]

He pointed out that the Geneva Conventions do not apply to indivudals from countries that were not signatories. So if you're from a country that was formed after 1945, it's OK to torture you.

[Fiona]

1. Do you have a link to that?

I saw him get questioned today, and he seemed to say something entirely different.

[genius]

3. Just saw it on Nightline. He said used this logic at the hearings today

to explain why the Geneva conventions didn't apply to the treatment of the detainees.

[punpirate]

2. If he said that, it's sophistry.

The United States is a signatory, and that means we are bound by its constraints. It doesn't matter where the soldier comes from. (BTW, the last convention to be signed by the United States was well after 1945, although we refused to sign a recent agreement because of its weapons limitations).

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

4. Bush blows off treaties he personally doesn't like

He did that with the ABM Treaty between the U.S. and Russia. I'm not sure that was legal, but Congress let him get away with it. Their logic seems to be that if they want to do it that makes it o.k., so what's the big deal about a quaint document like the Geneva Convention?

These guys could justify the Holocaust if it suited their needs.

[punpirate]

5. They already have justified it...

... they're killing and torturing innocents around the globe... and Congress said, okay, go ahead.... *sigh*

[The Judged]

6. Also, the president has the right to disregard the laws of Congress ...

if he believes that those laws are unconstitutional!

When asked to repeat this he answered another question that wasn't asked, in order to avoid revisiting the obvious mistake he made in disclosing this belief and risking his nomination.