Fault Lines on the torture debate, Obama's relationship with Mubarak, Saudis

I caught a glimpse of a very lively debate on torture on Al Jazeera English's new show Fault Lines (hosted by Josh Rushing, former US Army spokesman in Qatar captured in the wonderful documentary on al-Jazeera Control Room). The show is about the recent US controversy over President Obama to close US-based torture programs (but not torture carried out by allied countries such as Egypt, Jordan or Morocco), his decision not to release further Abu Ghraib and other photos, and his ambivalence about prosecuting senior Bush administration officials who were involved in the decision to authorize torture.

Part I


The second part has an interesting outburst by former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer against Obama's visit to Cairo. At around 1:08 he says:

This business of rendition and interrogation is important and should get sorted out. But when congressmen and other people say, "this is a a great recruiter for al-Qaeda" -- let me tell you what's the great recruiter for al-Qaeda: when Mr. Obama goes to Cairo and raises his arms with Mr. Mubarak and cheers for freedom, and then goes and kisses the royal buttocks of King Abdallah in Saudi Arabia because we're dependent on their oil, that's much more of a recruitment tool then anything that happened at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. This is small potatoes.

Later (3:38) he adds:

Mr. Obama does not know the first thing about how this world works and cheer freedom with Hosni Mubarak.

Part II