Tied up in knots about torture

Re “A tortured compromise,” editorial, Sept. 24

The Geneva Convention prohibits cruel or degrading treatment to detainees but does not define those words. Is the lowering of ambient temperature 10 degrees “cruel”? Is the interrogation of detainees by a woman “degrading”? If not, then what is? Interrogators need to know so they can do their job knowing that what they do doesn’t expose them to charges of war crimes. Some members of Congress have said that we should not rewrite the Geneva Convention. Demanding definitions does not constitute a rewrite. President Bush was correct to demand definitions.

He is also correct that, whatever definitions are agreed to by the administration and Congress, they should not be made public. Otherwise the terrorists will incorporate the known treatments into their training. There is a limit to what the public needs to know.

JAMES PAYTON

Rancho Mirage

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Shame on Republican Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham and John Warner. After displaying political courage rarely seen in Congress, they allowed themselves to be bullied by the White House into a shameful compromise on torture. How does one compromise on torture? Although hard to define, torture is easy to recognize. Conduct interrogations in the open for everyone to see. If we are ashamed of our actions, it’s torture.

AL KUBERA

Orange

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The new torture bill will not authorize torture, but it won’t prevent it either. It also retroactively protects those who engaged in or set the policy for torture. We are constantly reminded that the world hates us. It is not us, it’s the policies.

ROBERT PISAPIA

Westlake Village