Editorial: Enhanced interrogation and the killing of bin Laden - 19 Action News|Cleveland, OH|News, Weather, Sports

Editorial: Enhanced interrogation and the killing of bin Laden

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CLEVELAND, OH (WOIO) -

Both supporters and opponents of the president were unanimous in praising his decision to launch the raid that killed Osama bin Laden---but his most ardent followers on the left had to be swallowing hard when they learned that the intelligence that led to bin Laden undoubtedly came from water-boarding detainees. No less than the head of the CIA Leon Panetta admitted as much when he told NBC news last week that intelligence garnered from enhanced interrogation techniques was used to track the terrorist.

You know, when the president came to office, he announced an end to those interrogations and it was Panetta in his 2009 confirmation hearings who declared that water-boarding is torture and that it's wrong. How water-boarding can be viewed as wrong while assassination by a navy kill squad is somehow ok is a distinction that may be lost on those of us who are less enlightened. Even so, count me among those who believe that whatever methods were used to find bin Laden…the end justified the means.

Write and let me know what you think.  I'm Bill Applegate.

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