Interrogation tactics work

CNN:

The U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay is drawing fresh criticism following a Time magazine report on a logbook tracing the treatment of a detainee who officials believe was intended to take part in the September 11, 2001, attacks.

Al-Qahtani was denied entry to the United States by an immigration officer in August 2001 and later captured in Afghanistan and sent to the detention camp at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay.

The 84-page logbook obtained by Time and authenticated by Pentagon spokesman Larry Di Rita is the "kind of document that was never meant to leave Gitmo," a senior Pentagon official told the magazine.

Citing the logbook, which covers al-Qahtani's interrogations from November 2002 to January 2003, Time reports that daily interviews began at 4 a.m. and sometimes continued until midnight.
[...]
During the period covered by the logbook, Time reported, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld approved 16 additional interrogation techniques for use on certain detainees.

Afterward, interrogators began their sessions with al-Qahtani at midnight and awakened him with dripping water or Christina Aguilera music if he dozed off, the magazine article reported.

The magazine said the techniques approved by Rumsfeld included "standing for prolonged periods, isolation for as long as 30 days, removal of clothing, forced shaving of facial hair" and hanging "pictures of scantily clad women around his neck."
[...]
The interrogation techniques included refusing al-Qahtani a bathroom break and forcing him to urinate in his pants.

Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska was among those criticizing such metholds.

Hmm. Big surprise there.

"It's not appropriate," Hagel said Sunday on CNN's "Late Edition." "It's not at all within the standards of who we are as a civilized people, what our laws are.
[...]
Hagel said such treatment should offend the sensibilities of "any straight-thinking American, any straight-thinking citizen of the world."

Scenario One: 19 men hijack and crash jetliners into civilian buildings, killing 3000 people.

Scenario Two: in an attempt to get more information about the attacks from someone directly involved, interrogators make a terrorist wet himself, listen to Christina Aguilera, get a forced shave, and stay up late.

"If in fact we are treating prisoners this way, it's not only wrong, it's dangerous and very dumb and very shortsighted," Hagel said.

"This is not how you win the people of the world over to our side, especially the Muslim world."

Good point, Chuck. There's a good deterrent for Muslims: "You'd better not blow up our buildings or we'll make you pee your pants!"

These techniques are a small price to pay for the intelligence gathered--intelligence which is used to secure the safety of those who would crucify the military for performing this service.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on CBS's "Face the Nation" that none of the detainees at Guantanamo are entitled to treatment under the Geneva Conventions, which govern the treatment of prisoners of war, because these detainees did not follow rules of war.
[...]
The Defense Department issued a news release Sunday touting the information gained from interrogating al-Qahtani.

According to the Pentagon, al-Qahtani told interrogators that he "had been sent to the U.S. by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the lead architect of the 9/11 attack; that he had met Osama bin Laden on several occasions; that he had received terrorist training at two al Qaeda camps; that he had been in contact with many senior al Qaeda leaders."

Additionally, the department said, al-Qahtani "clarified Jose Padilla's and Richard Reid's relationship with al Qaeda and their activities in Afghanistan, provided infiltration routes and methods used by al Qaeda to cross borders undetected, explained how Osama bin Laden evaded capture by U.S. forces, as well as provided important information on his health, [and] provided detailed information about 30 of Osama bin Laden's bodyguards."

The Defense Department:

The interrogation of Kahtani has enabled the Department of Defense to gain a clear picture of Kahtani’s strong connection to al-Qaida leadership to include Osama Bin Laden. For example, while Kahtani repeatedly offered various cover stories ranging from claims of being in Afghanistan to buy falcons to claims he was coming to the U.S. to buy a used car, interrogations were able to uncover the truth.

Kahtani’s interrogation during this period was guided by a very detailed plan and conducted by trained professionals motivated by a desire to gain actionable intelligence, to include information that might prevent additional attacks on America...he provided valuable intelligence information helping the U.S. to understand the recruitment of terrorist operatives, logistics, and other planning aspects of the 9/11 terrorist attack.

The Democrats who continually oppose our military and their interrogation methods are aiding and abetting the enemy. When will they stop supporting the terrorists and actually do what's good for America?