On the original point, I saw the relevant TV programme just a few nights ago and listened to what the Palestinian leader said and most importantly the tone of his comments. My impression was that GWB didn't say God TOLD him to invade Afghanistan or invade Iraq or help give the Palestinian people a country of their own but that God WANTED him to do all of the above. In effect God was on his side and presumably for the benefit of a Palestinian and a muslim, Bush wanted to emphasise his good faith on the matter of Palestinian autonomy. It is nothing new for any political or military leader to believe God is on their side.
Naturally if I had an anti Bush agenda, as many do. I would deliberately spin the comments to make it seem that Bush is a raving religious maniac.
Plenty did.
But in truth the programme was more subtlely damming of Bush's handling of the Palestinian/Israeli issue even though it was all in good faith. The conclusion of the programme was that Ariel Sharon manipulated the whole situation and duped the Americans into recognising Israel's right to the occupied territories of the West Bank in return for giving up a few settlements in Gaza. God it seems is actually in Sharon's corner.
On the tangental point of torture.
Look, if only terrorists were tortured. Who would complain? The problem is that torture is nearly always applied to all prisoners guilty or not. A hardened fanatic probably won't talk and innocents have nothing to reveal. Torture is as damaging to the person doing it as the prisoner.
Just because someone is suspected and arrested does not mean they are guilty. Any country that applies torture no longer has the right to call itself civilised. It's wrong and counterproductive.
What is going to be the next bad idea? Take Iraqis hostage and shoot them every time an American soldier is killed or make them ride on US military vehicles as human shield? I'll bet someone somewhere has suggested that plan.
