21 Apr
Posted by charles as Journalism, News, Politics, commentary
You have to give it to Obama…it was hard to know where exactly he stood on some issues as a candidate and it is just as difficult now that he is president.
It was only about one week back when he said we all had to move forward and not lay “blame for the past,” as he ruled out prosecuting, or even investigating, CIA types who took part in the torture of so-called terror suspects.
But then came more revealations…about how often some were actually waterboarded…and the outrage grew among some in Washington.
So, while he has not backtracked on what he said about prosecuting CIA agents, he is leaving himself some wiggle room when it comes to maybe prosecuting lawyers from the Bush administration who actually put their stamp of approval on what some like to call “brutal” interrogation.
Obama says it is up to the attorney general to decde what to do next in this area.
He is also advocating that Congress establish a bipartisan review of what went on.
Obama is right to indicate that the lawyers who formulated the Bush policies might end up being prosecuted, but he is still very wrong about not going after the C.I.A operatives who carried out these policies with a vengence.
It is, sadly, the infamous “I was only obeying orders” rationale that the president is evoking as the reason for not going after the people who did the dirty deed…repeatedly.
These people could have resigned instead of following policy directives that were clearly illegal and clearly were in violation of international law on the treatment of prisoners.
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One Response
Herb Rubenstein
April 29th, 2009 at 11:04 am
1I must say that you are right on target with regard to calling for the prosecution of thoe CIA Operatives who participated in the torturing the so-called terror suspecs. They are indeed just as guilty as those Bush Justice Department Attornys who formulated these policies of “enhanced interrogation techniques” such as waterboarding.
The Justice Department should launch investigations of all parties concerned in the implemation of torturing these prisioners. We have laws and we have a Constitution. These CIA Operatives knew full well that they were breaking the law. They should be brought to justice along with those higher ups who formulated these policies.
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