Can't Be Said Enough

Photo from the AFP

The arrest of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar 10 days which broke last night thanks to the New York Times has strengthened the already strong handling of terrorism under the Obama Administration, to the dismay of ridiculous partisan critics.

But the outstanding national security journalist that is Spencer Ackerman focuses on a crucial point that can't be hammered home enough. And it, for my mind, is more pertinent than even this arrest.

5. Will the Obama administration allow Baradar to be tortured? As I wrote on my personal blog, it’s crucial that the U.S. and the Pakistanis show that a high-level Taliban commander be treated respectfully if it hopes to induce more surrenders and impact the Taliban’s calculus on continuing to fight. Interrogations of Baradar are, reportedly, a joint Pakistani and U.S. venture. But the Pakistanis torture. Will the Obama administration, in its first big overseas capture, successfully convince the Pakistanis to treat Baradar humanely?

More from his personal blog:

The Taliban’s military commander has been captured in a joint Pakistani-U.S. intelligence raid. A high-five to Langley: this is one serious motherfucking success. Now it’s really important we don’t screw it all up by abusing Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.

Apparently Baradar has been in custody since last week and is being interrogated by both the Paks and us. (This is why the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group exists.) The ultimate point of fighting the Taliban is to compel them to give up fighting and accept some version of a post-Taliban order in Afghanistan. Torturing Baradar — which the Pakistanis have been known to do — is counterproductive to that effort. If we treat the guy respectfully, in a demonstrated way, it might spur a reconsideration of Taliban goals. I am not counting any chickens, but any hope of a game-changing possibility will be foreclosed upon if we or our allies torture Baradar. Let’s be smart — and true to Obama’s stated principles/executive order. If there was any doubt whatsoever, the Abdulmutallab case proved we don’t need to torture to get good intelligence.

Just because Baradar maybe in the hands of the Pakistani's at the end of the day does NOT MEAN AT ALL that we are not responsible for him anymore.

If the Pakistanis torture him, then we are at fault for not telling them NOT to torture the Taliban #2. It would ruin all the possible good of getting the Taliban on the road to ceasefire in Afghanistan, as well as how the proper handing of Abdulmutallab is the common sense template to follow. And it would go against all that this current President has promised to not emulate from the last Administration.

You know, that last Administration that has its war criminal Vice President comfortably admit that he loves and endorses waterboarding torture right on national television.

Either way, it is another pathetic Republican taking point destroyed. I can't wait for the next one they will stupidly gin up.