"'Til Human Voices Wake Us, and We Drown..."

In a previous version of the article noted here, (one which "disappeared" before I could link to it or quote it the first time), Condi Rice was quoted as saying "terrorists" were essentially "non-persons," because they were "enemy combatants," and thus, as we know, not protected by U.S. law or international law.

Keep that in mind when you read this:

"As a matter of U.S. policy," Rice said the United Nations Convention against Torture "extends to U.S. personnel wherever they are, whether they are in the U.S. or outside the U.S."

There is still a "lawyerly" distinction being drawn here. The law applies to "U.S. personnel."

But it has been the consistent position of this Administration, that the law does not apply to "enemy combatants." And the proof that this Administration understnds this point?

House and Senate negotiators are expected to include a ban on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of foreign terrorism suspects in a final defense bill. The White House has threatened to veto any bill containing such a ban, but President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, has been negotiating with its chief sponsor, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to find a compromise.

Which is aside from the whole question of "what the meaning of 'torture' is":

The U.N. treaty also prohibits treatment that doesn't meet the legal definition of torture, including many practices that human rights organizations say were used routinely at the U.S. military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

All of which means simply one thing: actions speak louder than words.

"Iraq's economic progress has fallen significantly short of administration's goals," the Democratic report said. "Clearly, efforts to grow Iraq's economy have been challenging because Saddam Hussein left his nation's economic infrastructure in shambles. However, the Bush administration has exacerbated the challenge by its poor planning and policies."

Billions of dollars have been lost waste, fraud and abuse, the report said.

Bush noted that the infiltration of militia groups and Iraqi security forces, especially the Iraqi police, is a problem. He said corruption also remains a problem at both the national and local levels of the Iraqi government.

"We will not tolerate fraud," Bush said. "Our embassy in Baghdad is helping to demand transparency and accountability for the money being invested in reconstruction. ... The Iraqi people expect money to be spent openly and honestly, and so do the American people."

I'm sure that will happen right after we bring Najaf into line with the fantasy vision Bush spun before the Council on Foreign Relations this morning.

No wonder he wouldn't take any questions.