For those who thought that the torture-now-suffer-the-consequences-later, Jack Bauer age of US counterterrorism was completely discredited, think again. In today’s New York Post, relatives of 9/11 victims and the ranking Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee criticized President Obama’s order to shut the Guantanamo Bay military prison within the year.

Representative Peter King called Gitmo a “necessary evil.” While both he and FDNY Fire Lt. Jim McAffrey, whose brother-in-law died on 9/11, said waterboarding was acceptable. “On September 10, would you have put Mohamed Atta’s head under water for 20 seconds to prevent the Sept. 11 attacks?” King asked the Post.

Indeed, who would not? The problem is that waterboarding is not putting someone’s head under water for twenty seconds (as Christopher Hitchens found out) and the ticking timebomb scenario is a fantasy. Meanwhile, Gitmo is a stain on America’s character.

Yes, there are serious questions to be asked about which detainees should be freed. (As the New York Times pointed out yesterday, one former inmate is now the deputy leader of Al Qaeda’s Yemeni branch.) There are also serious questions about whether the remaining prisoners can or ought to be tried in military or civilian courts. But it does seem absurd to read about people still debating the merits of torture and using terms like “necessary evil.”

During the presidential primary race, Republicans were falling all over each other to act tough in a ticking time bomb situation. Yet during the election proper I don’t think I heard Jack Bauer’s name once. Thank god the “24″ view of the world is finally a minority.

The Terrorists Will Now Cheer (NYP)

Test

• See my delicious