Framing the Dialogue

There is daily news implicating House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in the “scandal” over Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EIT).  Rep. Pelosi (D-CA) had been a long-time opponent to EITs and the practice of water boarding in particular.  In an article that she wrote for Washington Monthly in March 2008, Pelosi (D-CA) was clear in her opposition to enhanced techniques.

“The use of torture violates fundamental American values. It damages the reputation of the United States in the eyes of the international community, and it increases the risks for our military personnel, diplomatic officers, and intelligence agents around the world. Many intelligence professionals have stated that torture is ineffective: it is unlikely to produce the kind of timely and reliable information needed to disrupt terrorist plots. The negative consequences of the use of torture far outweigh the supposed benefits.”