so..other countries now have not a legal basis(be it American or otherwise) to perform the acts.

What he said or what was done in his name may never have in reality had any effect on how others treated captured Americans. BUT, now they have an excuse to justify their behaviour. In time his words and these events may indirectly cause more loss of US lives than the losses in Iraq at present.

What I cannot figure is why he said it. It was one thing to do it but a totally different thing to say as official US government policy. Despite his moron appearance and demeanour, this is is a clever man, at least in the sly slippery way and the consequences of his words were ...

so..other countries now have not a legal basis(be it American or otherwise) to perform the acts.

What he said or what was done in his name may never have in reality had any effect on how others treated captured Americans. BUT, now they have an excuse to justify their behaviour. In time his words and these events may indirectly cause more loss of US lives than the losses in Iraq at present.

What I cannot figure is why he said it. It was one thing to do it but a totally different thing to say as official US government policy. Despite his moron appearance and demeanour, this is is a clever man, at least in the sly slippery way and the consequences of his words were known in advance. It's almost as if he was deliberately making it harder for the men serving under him!

This might ensure that there would never be American hostages, just dead ones. And that might make his job easier, not having to deal with crying family members. He doesn't do grief well, in fact not at all. Cindy Sheehan says he is a cold fish, deadly cold. He doesn't do funerals either! Nor did he serve, unless holding up a bar counts. Some commander-in-chief.