"John McCain doesn't understand interrogation...."

That's what past Senator Santorum said of Senator John McCain, a well known American war hero, who was detained and tortured 5 1/2 years in a Vietnam concentration camp prison, 1967-1972. North Vietnam Tran Trong Duyet was the North Vietnamese guard administrator in charge of that prison. Santorum understands interrogation because he read about it; Duyet claimed "we never tortured McCain or any prisoners". 

What do you think?  Forget Duyet, but Santorum set-up a exploratory committee to run for President of the United States, 2012.  He's an idiot, that chance is done (hopefully). What's left?  How about a Santorum/Duyet award for the dumbest politician this week?   

Tran Trong Duyet (Vietnam prison administrator) and John McCain (USA soldier and war prisoner), article from BBC News 6/23/08.  ....."Navy pilot John McCain was shot down during a bombing raid over the North Vietnamese capital, Hanoi, in 1967.  He ejected from his aircraft and parachuted into a city lake - only to be dragged out by an angry crowd, barely conscious, and with two broken arms and a broken leg. From there he was taken to Hoa Lo prison, known to its American military inmates as the

"Hanoi Hilton". McCain has since described enduring months of solitary confinement and systematic torture which drove him to try to kill himself.  'I don't know how he'd react if he met me again,' said Mr Duyet, flicking through old black and white photographs of himself and his American prisoners at Hoa Lo. 'But I can confirm to you that we never tortured him. We never tortured any prisoners.'"  Right!

Criticism of Rick Santorum's comment, article from The Christian Science Monitor 5/18/11.  .... "John McCain... tortured and imprisoned for more than five years. He was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion o Slide Show f Merit, Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying Cross Medal, and Prisoner of War (POW) Medal.  .... .. According to the staff of the Senate intelligence committee, the best intelligence gained from a CIA detainee … was obtained through standard, non-coercive means,” McCain wrote, echoing what CIA director Leon Panetta has asserted as well.  'I know from personal experience that the abuse of prisoners sometimes produces good intelligence but often produces bad intelligence because under torture a person will say anything he thinks his captors want to hear – true or false – if he believes it will relieve his suffering,' McCain wrote.

....The implication that Santorum – who has no direct experience in anything related to combat or captivity – could suggest that he knows more than McCain about the utility of torture brought swift and harsh criticism.  Within a day, Santorum had to issue a statement (although not an apology) saying: 'For anyone to infer my disagreement with Senator McCain's policy position lessens my respect for his service to our country and all he had to endure is outrageous and unfortunate.' Santorum said his position is based on 'everything I’ve read.' McCain’s is from personal experience'."  What would McCain know about interrogation, he lived through it as did other prisoners at the concentration camp known as the "Hanoi Hilton".

Other references: 
Another current article, Huffington Post 5/19/11.
Rick Santorum background information, Wikipedia.

Senator John McCain article, while running for President New York Times 9/19/08.

 Posted by Kathy Meeh