So, our government doesn't torture people, but do we contract independent companies that are immune to US and military laws (like the Blackwater group) for this? Mr. Bush's address seems to fall short of defining this clearly - is there a technical loophole being used?

Bush is correct when he says that this government does not torture. We get third nations to do our dirty work.

You bet, GWB, this is the first and only truthful statement he has made since stealing office. The government does not torture, you let someone else do that dirty work for you. Before GWB and his cronies got in, the U.S. was respected all over the world for its regard for human rights. Now GWB et al., have put the U.S. in the same category as so many other countries that abuse human rights. We can't go into other countries now and tell them they are wrong for torturing people. They will tell us to go home and practice what we preach. You bet, GWB, you have screwed everything up in this country. It is going to take a long, long time to build the U.S. reputation back to where it was B.B.

If we're not torturing people, why are only a selct few members of Congress privy to the techniques being used? Are there really "classified" interrogation techniques? I'm sorry, but I'm not buying it. We've been fooled too many times by this administration, and they have proven time and again that they will do whatever it takes to work around the system. The manner in which the Bush administration behaves is only one step away from a dictatorship.

Touche Ron & Lake....
Can anyone say Abu ? And was those private firms ever punished for what their employers did? NO... They are still bidding and securing government contracts.

Bush IS torturing people. Just months after the denial of torture, the Justice Dept authorized even MORE aggressive tactics. What the hell kind of America are we becoming???!!! I want to say I'm proud to be an American but knowing that we torture people, I'm ashamed. Being an America means ACTING like an American. We cannot use these techniques and have ANY credibility left in the world.

How can George W. say that we don't use torture tactics when it is clear that he and his administration have tortured the U.S. since he was elected?

I AM SO SICK OF THIS IDIOT!!!

Why does news such as this always draw the kooks out of their lairs?
1. Do any of the dummies who have made comments have the vaguest idea as to what "torture" actually is?
2. Assuming that our troops do slide over the line and carry out what you believe is torture, and in so doing save numerous lives of Iraqi civilians or, more importantly, our soldiers; what do you suggest their fate should be?
3. It would help it you would add to your comments a truthful statement as to your service in the armed forces or lack thereof. I am a WWII vet, with a permenant disability from wounds recieved in the Bulge.
4. I do not give the slightest damn if our enemies are subjected to torture if our people, in good faith, believe they might have information which could avoid death or injury to anyone.
Have a nice day!

Once again, Bush is wrong. This country and many others have been tortured daily ever since he moved into the White House.

When are we going to go back to being the respectable country that everyone looks up to? I want my American way of life Back!!!!! This administration has done nothing but lie to us and take away our rights a little at a time. we need change and we need it now!

Bush is a LIAR! In 2006 he had the Military Commissions Act passed which allowed him to make up his own definitions of "torture"! That bill is Unconstitutional and you can't change the language of a Treaty after the fact to suit your purpose, which is what Bush did! If Bush doesn't torture, why do we need secret CIA torture camps outside the US? Bush needs to be impeached!

To the Dummies who say the people of the US have been totured just by reason of his being in office. I say, get a life! Bush was elected by the people, and he got a higher percentage of the popular vote than Bubba did. If you yearn for Bubba and Monica and Denise Rich and Vince foster's ghost, etc, just shut up and vote for Hillary.

Of course! The U.S. Government doesn't torture! It just allows, condone and turn a blind eye to others, even their own who do. Torture of prisoners by staff and guards in America's own jails and prison systems are quite rampant. I'll provide the link below. Dah! See how Bush chooses his words and choose them wisely? No one's suppose to be the wiser. It's ludicrous and naive to say the U.S. Government is NOT involved either directly or indirectly in torture. Only an idiot or a sicken dedicated follower believes otherwise.

Hey TheOldTrooper:

Maher Arar

Maher Arar (born 1970 in Syria) is a Canadian software engineer who was subjected to the United States policy of extraordinary rendition, a process where detainees are transferred from one country to another, with the alleged expectation that they will be tortured in the country to which they are rendered.

Arar, a citizen of both Syria and Canada, was detained during a layover at John F. Kennedy International Airport in September 2002 on his way home to his family in Canada. He was held in solitary confinement in the U.S. for nearly two weeks, interrogated, and denied meaningful access to a lawyer. The Bush administration labelled him a member of Al Qaeda due to his association with Al Qaeda suspects Abdullah Almalki and Ahmad El Maati.[1] They rendered him, not to Canada, his current home, but to Syrian intelligence authorities, known by the U.S. government to practice torture.[2] While in Syria, he was tortured and detained for almost a year before being released to Canada.

Both the Canadian and Syrian governments have publicly cleared Arar of any links to terrorism. The United States government, however, refuses to clear Arar’s name and continues to have both him and his family on a watchlist.

His U.S. attorneys at the Center for Constitutional Rights are currently pursuing his case, Arar v. Ashcroft, which seeks compensatory damages on Arar’s behalf and also a declaration that the actions of the U.S. government were illegal and violated his constitutional, civil, and international human rights.

George Bush is a boob in every sense of the word, however he is a person who sees the world for what it is and recognizes that the enemies we are facing are animals who will stop at nothing to destroy us and our way of life. Torture is the ONLY way to deal with these subhuman creatures who threaten us and our nation. Anyone who disagrees with this policy is either naive or hates George Bush more than they love their country and their way of life.

There is no reason in an open democracy for the government to refuse to specify what particular actions it considers "torture". These things are being done in our name, and the people have the right to know. I served in the military, and even though our current enemies may not follow any rules, we risk the lives of our soldiers in future conflicts when we lose our reputation for treating prisoners humanely. There is a reason why in WWII (sith the very existence of the US at stake), we gave captured Nazi officers good treatment and did not torture them even though we could have extracted valuable information from then that would save American lives. Any information that results from torture is not only likely to be unreliable but is not worth the long-term damage to the image of the United States as a moral nation.

Say, "s," what exactly is your interest in Maher Arar? I think it is possible that your interests and the best interests of the people of the US may be quite different, possibly diametrically opposed. Disclose, "s", disclose!

John. Hear, Hear; right on target!

So a person can be convicted of rape by proxy but Bush insists that he can get away with torture by proxy -- I'll bet that he's wrong.