Sperately and apart from notions of fundamental fairness and the notion that human rights are human right, wherever they are found (with which I agree) part of the argument for extending Bill of Rights protection to aliens apprehended on our soil is the same pragmatic argument against torture: reciprocity. Don't do to them what you don't want done to ours.

I think I will add to my collection of seemingly outmoded concepts begun a few posts back: "honor." Now there's a strange notion -- refrain from torturing prisoners because it's not honorable to do so? How quaint!

My latest ex-wife used to do a lot of immigration work;she told me a lot of war stories. I had some time on my hands waiting for something to happen in the old federal building here, and noticed that there were immigrationn hearings in progress. I went up and watched for a while. You know what they say about making sausage -- be real glad you are a citizen. I promise, visitors to our contry, legal or illegal, are treated none too well.