Even more from the Secretary of CYA

From the War Room at Salon.com (membership req.):

Asked about torture by Iraqi authorities, Rumsfeld said that "obviously, the United States does not have a responsibility" beyond objecting. Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, disagreed, saying that each and every U.S. soldier has an "absolute responsibility" to stop inhumane treatment if he or she sees it. Rumsfeld disagreed, saying, "I don't think you mean they have an obligation to physically stop it. It's to report it." Pace fired back: "If they are physically present when inhumane treatment is taking place, sir, they have an obligation to try to stop it."

So, according to Rumsfeld, if a soldier walks into a room and sees an Iraqi with a car battery attached to his genitals and water dripping on his head, he's supposed to leave, let someone know, and that's it? This would be a difference between the soldiers, who by and large I respect incredibly, and men like Rumsfeld, who did everything they could to avoid serving the country, but have no qualms about sending others off to suffer and die in their place. The soldiers understand how damaging war is, even to those who are physically unhurt, and fight to keep some sense of morality in their lives. Rumsfeld, Bush, Cheney, and the rest of the chickenhawk yellow elephants see the soldiers as expendable, and anyone on the "other side" as even lower. That's not just wrong, that's inhuman. Not inhumane, inhuman - Rumsfeld, etc, forfeit their status as human beings, in my eyes.