Thursday, December 13, 2007

Wolf Votes Against Army Field Manual, For Waterboarding?

Another day, another bizarre vote by Frank Wolf. This time, it was on HR 2082, "To authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes." The bill passed 222-199, with 217 Democrats and 5 Republicans (none from Virginia) voting "aye."

Among those "other purposes" was a measure "to require intelligence agents to comply with the Army Field Manual, which bans torture in compliance with the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners of war." In other words, The Army Field Manual expressly prohibits waterboarding. So why did Frank Wolf (and most Republicans) vote against this bill? Are they saying they oppose the Army Field Manual? Approve of waterboarding? What ARE they saying here? Maybe someone should ask Frank Wolf, that is if he ever shows his face in public.

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