Is Bush in Active Denial? From Torture to Pain Ray

According to Voice of America, President Bush is denying that "the United States is preparing to attack Iran because of its nuclear program."

"President Bush has dismissed as 'baseless gossip' suggestions that the United States is preparing to attack Iran because of its nuclear program."

Another VOA story reports that "President Bush is defending his administration against reports that it authorized harsher techniques to interrogate suspected terrorists than it has previously acknowledged."

"This government does not torture people. We stick to U.S. law and our international obligations," he said.

Mr. Bush said highly trained professionals are responsible for interrogating suspected terrorists, and, he says, that questioning has revealed information that has prevented possible attacks.

Bottom line: When it comes to the war on terror, interrogation methods will be determined by the authority that decides how the word "torture" is to be interpreted.

Apparently torture does not include "head slapping, simulated drowning and exposure to extreme temperatures," according to a 2005 ruling by the Justice Department.

I wonder how the Justice Department would interpret the use of the Active Denial System to interrogate prisoners .

The Active Denial System, which is commonly known as the "pain ray," uses microwaves to induce an intense burning sensation in the skin.

The Active Denial System page at Wikipedia notes that "although the stated intent of the ADS is to be a non-lethal device designed to temporarily incapacitate, easy modifications or incorrect use by the operator could turn the ADS into a torture device that would violate international conventions on warfare."

"Or not."