Obama says waterboarding is torture, violates nation’s ideals and values

June 2nd, 2009 WASHINGTON - Former US Vice President Dick Cheney has defended the need for applying the interrogative technique of waterboarding on Al Qaeda terrorists, calling it a "well done" technique that gathered valuable information from unusually bad guys. "I'm a strong believer in it.

May 14th, 2009 Pelosi says Bush team misled her on waterboardingWASHINGTON — Under strong attack from Republicans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the CIA and Bush administration of misleading her about waterboarding detainees in the war on terror and sharply rebutted claims she was complicit in its use. "To the contrary ...

May 14th, 2009 Pelosi says she learned of waterboarding in 2003WASHINGTON — Under strong attack from Republicans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused the CIA and Bush administration of misleading her about waterboarding detainees in the war on terror and sharply rebutted claims she was complicit in its use. "To the contrary ...

April 30th, 2009 Obama 'hopeful' for resolution for ChryslerWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama expressed optimism Wednesday night that Chrysler could remain a "going concern," possibly without filing for bankruptcy, a generally upbeat assessment on one of numerous challenges he has confronted in a whirlwind first 100 days in office. Obama said "unions and creditors have come up with a set of potential concessions that they can live with," adding, "All that promises the possibility that you can get a Chrysler-Fiat merger." Obama made his remarks at a prime-time news conference that capped his 100th day in office, a time of national testing given a deep economic recession and unprecedented credit crunch.

April 29th, 2009 Olbermann pressing on Hannity's waterboard offerNEW YORK — The debate over torture is getting personal for two of cable TV's prime-time hosts. After Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity made a seemingly impromptu offer last week to undergo waterboarding as a benefit for charity, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann leapt at it.

April 29th, 2009 Olbermann to press Hannity on his waterboard offerNEW YORK — Keith Olbermann says he'll continue to press Sean Hannity to follow through on an offer to be waterboarded as a benefit for the families of U.S. troops. The MSNBC host says he'll donate $1,000 for every second Hannity can withstand the technique.

April 29th, 2009 Olbermann presses Hannity on his waterboard offerNEW YORK — The debate over torture is getting personal for two of cable TV's prime-time hosts. After Fox News Channel's Sean Hannity made a seemingly impromptu offer last week to undergo waterboarding as a benefit for charity, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann leapt at it.

April 24th, 2009 UN torture envoy: US must prosecute Bush lawyersVIENNA — The U.S. is obligated by a United Nations convention to prosecute Bush administration lawyers who allegedly drafted policies that approved the use of harsh interrogation tactics against terrorism suspects, the U.N.'s top anti-torture envoy said Friday.

April 18th, 2009 VIENNA - The US would be in breach of international law if it does not prosecute CIA officials for torturing alleged terrorists, UN monitor on torture Manfred Nowak said in a newspaper interview published Saturday in Austria. The UN Special Rapporteur on torture was reacting to the announcement by US President Barack Obama that CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) operatives who used harsh interrogation tactics authorised by the Bush administration should not be held responsible.

February 26th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the Obama administration will follow a foreign policy showing greater respect for human rights as it engages other nations and peoples around the world. 'The challenges of this new century require us to summon the full range of human talents to move our nation and the world forward,' Clinton said Wednesday while releasing the State Department's 2008 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.

February 6th, 2009 MUNICH - The new US government will follow a foreign policy based on its stated ideals of democracy and cooperation, US Vice-President Joe Biden said Saturday. But in return the US will demand more action from its key allies, especially in Europe, Biden told the prestigious Munich Security Conference in his first major foreign policy speech in Europe.

January 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Greeting India on its Republic Day, President Barack Obama Monday said the Indian people 'should know that they have no better friend and partner than the people of the US'. 'Our nations have built broad and vibrant partnerships in every field of human endeavour,' he said, sending 'the warmest greetings of the American people to the people of India' on the occasion of India's Republic Day.

January 25th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama, in his message to mark India's Republic Day, has said that Indians 'should know they have no better friend and partner than the people of the US'. 'It is our shared values that form the bedrock of a robust relationship across (our) peoples and governments,' the president said in a statement.

January 19th, 2009 WASHINGTON - US President Barak Obama Tuesday rejected as 'false' the 'choice between our safety and our ideals'. 'As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals,' he said in his inaugural address after being sworn in as the 44th president of the United States.

January 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama's choice to head the Justice Department told the Senate during his confirmation hearing that he regards waterboarding as torture. The comments Thursday by Eric Holder, the nominee to become the next attorney general, are a clear break from the Bush administration, which maintains it did not condone torture but has refused to publicly state whether waterboarding falls into the category.