# Padilla "Confession" Extracted After Months of Brutal Torture **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 1, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114 "2004-06-01T18:32:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/1 "2004-06-01T18:32:02Z")
Deputy Attorney General James Comey today revealed that Jose Padilla confessed to being an agent of Al Qaeda, planning to blow up apartment buildings and construct radiological dirty bombs in a campaign of terror on American soil: [http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040601/ap\_on\_go\_ca\_st\_pe/us\_terrorism\_5](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040601/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/us_terrorism_5) > [@](#): > > “We have decided to release this information to help people understand why we are doing what we are doing in the war on terror and to help people understand the nature of the threat we face,” he said. > > \*\*He asserted that if Padilla had been handled by the usual criminal justice system, he could have stayed silent and “would likely have ended up a free man.” \*\* What the government did not say was that this “confession” came after months of brutal torture in which Mr. Padilla was subjected to electric shock, his flesh seared with hot irons, near drowning, and heavy doses of psychotropic drugs. I have conclusive evidence of this torture, which I am not obligated to present here or anywhere. To do so would be inconvenient to my agenda, and would jeopardize my goal of evicting John Ashcroft from the Justice Department, as well as that chimpanzee from the White House. You must accept my claims as true, because to do otherwise would brand you as a supporter of government torture and the weakening of the Bill of Rights. Furthermore, Ashcroft and Monkey Boy must be imprisoned without the unecessary delay of legal proceeeding or government hearings; the threat to our freedom is too great, and to drag this through the Congress or the courts would only allow Ashcroft and his goons to continue to torture citizens with impunity. Will you join me in putting an end to the to the regime of Ayotollah Ashcroft once and for all, or do you support the forces of darkness that seek to blot out individual liberty from the face of this great nation? Your choice is clear. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/2 "2004-06-01T18:35:48Z")
What the hell is your point? ---
**Author:** ![Astroboy14](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/df705f/32.png) [@Astroboy14](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Astroboy14)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/3 "2004-06-01T18:46:15Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > I have conclusive evidence of this torture, which I am not obligated to present here or anywhere. To do so would be inconvenient to my agenda, and would jeopardize my goal of evicting John Ashcroft from the Justice Department, as well as that chimpanzee from the White House. > > You must accept my claims as true, because to do otherwise would brand you as a supporter of government torture and the weakening of the Bill of Rights. The fuck? 😕 I’m being whooshed, right? Right? ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/4 "2004-06-01T18:49:14Z")
This has to be some sort of parody thread. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/5 "2004-06-01T18:49:38Z")
Your ideas are intriguing, and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter. ---
**Author:** ![Tiggrkitty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggrkitty/32/17966_2.png) [@Tiggrkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggrkitty)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/6 "2004-06-01T18:51:05Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > I have conclusive evidence of this torture, which I am not obligated to present here or anywhere. To do so would be inconvenient to my agenda, and would jeopardize my goal of evicting John Ashcroft from the Justice Department, as well as that chimpanzee from the White House. > > You must accept my claims as true, because to do otherwise would brand you as a supporter of government torture and the weakening of the Bill of Rights. Furthermore, Ashcroft and Monkey Boy must be imprisoned without the unecessary delay of legal proceeeding or government hearings; the threat to our freedom is too great, and to drag this through the Congress or the courts would only allow Ashcroft and his goons to continue to torture citizens with impunity. So, let me get this straight. I am to trust your word that you have evidence, yet you will not share this because it would be inconvenient to “your” agenda? Yeah. I think I will pass unless you show me the proof. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/7 "2004-06-01T18:59:07Z")
> [@Tiggrkitty](#): > > So, let me get this straight. I am to trust your word that you have evidence, yet you will not share this because it would be inconvenient to “your” agenda? > > Yeah. I think I will pass unless you show me the proof. I think he’s referring to the conditions under which Padilla was detained. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/8 "2004-06-01T19:03:19Z")
Sarcasm or modeling the new Summer line of tin hats? You decide. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/9 "2004-06-01T19:04:54Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > I have conclusive evidence of this torture, which I am not obligated to present here or anywhere. Hmmmm…it can’t be **FORMERAGENT** , because he correctly uses capital letters… Seriously, what are you trying to say here? ---
**Author:** ![Incubus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c68b51/32.png) [@Incubus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Incubus)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/10 "2004-06-01T19:05:11Z")
This is the Straight Dope. All members should feel safe enough to hang up their tinfoil hats in the designated areas. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/11 "2004-06-01T19:08:04Z")
Ah, I get it. If **Fear Itself** should accept John Ashcroft’s claimed proof of Padilla’s guilt at face value despite his being handled outside the criminal justice system with very little transparancy, then we should accept his tongue-in-cheek claims of Padilla’s mistreatment in the same unquestioning manner. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/12 "2004-06-01T19:22:37Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Ah, I get it. If **Fear Itself** should accept John Ashcroft’s claimed proof of Padilla’s guilt at face value despite his being handled outside the criminal justice system with very little transparancy, then we should accept his tongue-in-cheek claims of Padilla’s mistreatment in the same unquestioning manner. Something like that, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Mojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Mojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mojo)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/13 "2004-06-01T19:38:08Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > To do so would be inconvenient to my agenda… I get the feeling your agenda looks a lot like: _12:30- Post crazy shit to the SDMB_ _12:35- Take nap while dopers discuss whether I’m sporting a foil chapeau, making a funny, or a combination thereof._ [sub]_1:00- Profit!_[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/14 "2004-06-01T19:42:19Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Ah, I get it. If **Fear Itself** should accept John Ashcroft’s claimed proof of Padilla’s guilt at face value despite his being handled outside the criminal justice system with very little transparancy, then we should accept his tongue-in-cheek claims of Padilla’s mistreatment in the same unquestioning manner. Or, even more exactly, we shouldn’t accept his ‘proof’, and by analogy shouldn’t accept Ashcroft’s either. I admit I went ‘huh’ for a moment, but it seemed pretty clear what he was saying to me 😕 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/15 "2004-06-01T20:07:32Z")
I’m really getting sick of the tin foil jokes. It’s starting to get to the point that whenever a poster is accused of wearing a “tin foil hat”, I decide to automatically believe them. > [@](#): > > He asserted that if Padilla had been handled by the usual criminal justice system, he could have stayed silent and “would likely have ended up a free man.” **Fear Itself** bolded this part for a damn good reason. Just in case you’re still confused: Padilla is an _American citizen_ who was arrested right here in _America_. He has been kept in custody for 2 years and barred from legal representation for most of that term. There is no legal precedent for this, up until now. There’s nothing stopping Ashcroft from doing the exact same thing to you or someone you love. So please stop with the name-calling and partisan crap. You don’t have to be a left-winger to be very concerned about this! ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/16 "2004-06-01T20:07:35Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Will you join me in putting an end to the to the regime of Ayotollah Ashcroft once and for all, or do you support the forces of darkness that seek to blot out individual liberty from the face of this great nation? I support the forces of darkness. From the Legion of Doom to Keyzer Soze, I’ve always supported the forces of darkness. Let’s face it, when you want to get something done, whom do you turn to? The forces of darkness, that’s who. Those goody two-shoes, pansy-ass forces of light don’t do shit but talk. Less talk, more torture, says I. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/17 "2004-06-01T20:11:04Z")
> [@](#): > > The information was provided in response to a query from Senate Justice Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. Comey said it took significant time to compile the information and **denied the timing had anything to do with the court case.** Whoever would have thought that it might? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/18 "2004-06-01T20:17:29Z")
> [@JuanitaTech](#): > > I support the forces of darkness. From the Legion of Doom to Keyzer Soze, I’ve always supported the forces of darkness. > > Let’s face it, when you want to get something done, whom do you turn to? The forces of darkness, that’s who. Those goody two-shoes, pansy-ass forces of light don’t do shit but talk. Less talk, more torture, says I. [Yoda]Much anger in her there is…like her father…[/Yoda] 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/19 "2004-06-01T20:17:44Z")
Well color me stupid because I have no idea what a tin-foil hat is supposed to represent. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114/20 "2004-06-01T20:27:21Z")
My all time favorite part: “ **He said Padilla signed an application joining al-Qaida in July 2000**.” They have a membership file. They check with your previous employers to see if you failed to blow things up where you worked last. This smells like propagande bullshit to me. YMMV. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/padilla-confession-extracted-after-months-of-brutal-torture/248114.md?page=2)