Sen. McCain: disappointed on waterboarding answers by GOP candidates

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) tells CNN’s John King that he was disappointed in the waterboarding answers by the GOP candidates. A highlight from the interview is below and a full transcript of the interview is posted at CNN.com.

Please credit all usage of the interview to CNN’s John King, USA

Highlight from Full Interview
THIS IS A RUSH FDCH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: I’m disappointed.  Ask any military lawyer, ask any person who knows about the Geneva Conventions that we’re signatories to.  We actually prosecuted Japanese war criminals specifically for the act of waterboarding against Americans.

And just two additional points, John.

One, it doesn’t work.  If you put enough physical pain on somebody, they will tell you whatever they think that you want to hear in order to — for the pain to stop.

And second of all, what about our moral standing in the world?

It — Abu Ghraib was a terribly damaging situation and one that we still have not recovered from.  I still want to close Guantanamo Bay.  But the Obama administration has mishandled it so badly that it can’t be closed now.

But the point is that waterboarding is a — is a — is an affront to all of the standards that we believe in and adhere to of humane treatment of people who are human beings.

And, of course, I am disappointed at the statements that were made.

And, again, it doesn’t work.

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