Eric Holder, Barack Obama's Attorney General, yesterday affirmed that waterboarding is torture, and reaffirmed that the use of torture would not be countenanced by this administration. Here's something else he said (see also here):
Some have compared the Cold War - which President Kennedy called "our long twilight struggle" - to our current struggle against terrorism. In many ways, this is an apt comparison. The Cold War did not end on a traditional battlefield, and neither will our fight against terrorism. But the comparison is even more compelling because both struggles are ones in which values - ideals and morals - are as important as military strength. As the President has made clear, winning the war on terrorism requires winning the hearts and minds of people around the world. Engaging those hearts and minds is dependent upon our ability to show the world that the United States will once again be a force for positive change in the lives of people across the globe. We must accomplish that goal by setting an example with our ideals, and by rebuilding our partnerships with our allies. We cannot ask other nations to stand by us in a pursuit of justice if we are not viewed as being in pursuit of that ideal ourselves.
Clear enough, no? Values as important as military strength; hearts, minds, and also a fight against, and even a war on, terrorism. FKATWOT 15.