Will Holder's Gitmo inquiry turn out to be a White House whitewash, covering up Bush's crimes?

Submitted by Eternity on Mon, 08/24/2009 - 21:53.

Max Eternity - Today, just after the announcement by President Obama's Attorney General, Eric Holder that a special prosecutor had been appointed to investigate crimes [torture] committed at Guantanamo Bay's Camp X-Ray, U.S. House Judiciary chair John Conyers (D-MI), and subcommittee chair Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) released a joint statement applauding the appointment while also calling for a 'broad mandate' to prosecute beyond the 'frontline personal'.  The statements appear to indicate that Conyers and Nadler are encouraging Holder to seek prosecutions not just against low-lying personnel, but also against the higher-up'policymakers and lawyers' who created the "conditions where such absues were all but inevitable to occur." 

Nadler also said that "Seeking out only the low-level actors in a conspiracy to torture detainees will bring neither justice nor restored standing to our nation."  Nonetheless it has been revealed by Truthout.org that 9 Republican lawmakers signed a letter sent to Holder equating prosecuting members of the [CIA] government for using torture might result in yet another terrorist attack.  The GOP members wrote in the carefully worded letter that "Such an investigation could have a number of serious consequences, not just for the honorable members of the intelligence community, but also for the security of all Americans...The 9/11 Commission emphasized that keeping our country safe from foreign attack requires that the Justice Department work cooperatively with the intelligence community."

Glenn Greenwald @ Salon.com reports here, and the Brad Blog reports in further detail here.

( categories: )

war crimes & cheney

Submitted by westward on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 19:30.

 I wonder if there is any truth to this: if the U.S. fails to find Cheney et al guilty of war crimes, other governments can bring charges and convict them. If they leave the U.S. they can be arrested and legally held by the country that is charging them with the crimes (i.e. if Iraq were to ever get free of the U.S., this is something that they can do). Some are speculating that this is why Cheney is still actively fighting investigations that bring the truth to light.

Debbie

HEADLINE: Rumsfeld Flees France, Fearing Arrest

Submitted by Eternity on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 20:55.

Yes, as to the statement you quote (above) it is substantiated.  Just read this story from the AlterNet, which ran in 2007 while Bush was still residing at 1600 Pennslyvania Avenue, which had the headline "Rumesfeld Flees France, Fearing Arrest."  As well this year, in a New York Tiimes report (coming from London) which spoke to the issue of prosecuting American officials abroad, a piece was published bearing the headline, "Spanish Court Weighs Inquiry on Torture for 6 Bush-Era Officials." 

The first sentence of that piece reads as follows:

A Spanish court has taken the first steps toward opening a criminal investigation into allegations that six former high-level Bush administration officials violated international law by providing the legal framework to justify the torture of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, an official close to the case said.

The New York Times article provides a decent introduction to the story, but this article from the World Socialist Web Site (WSWS) really goes into detail, telling the backstory and framework of how Spanish law works--providing an international (unfiltered) angle

Eternity

Rumsfeld enters US, is arrested

Submitted by westward on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 22:12.

 allow me my dream for a little bit.

ok, back to reality.