Posted by Damozel | Did you know that George W. Bush is still president? It's true.
And while the Dems were sniping at one another last week, we learned that the top officials in the Bush Administration not only approved but specifically authorized the use of torture in the interrogation of terror suspects.(BN-Politics) Cheney, Powell, Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Rice, Powell, and Tenet all were named as participants in these discussions. (BN-Politics) ("Why are we talking about this in the White House? History will not judge this kindly," Ashcroft worried. (ABC News)) But Bush's name was not listed among those present and in fact, they took care to "insulate" him. (AP)
In fact, of course, he did know all along.
In a stunning admission to ABC news Friday night, President Bush declared that he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details of the CIA’s use of torture. Bush reportedly told ABC, “I’m aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved.” Bush also defended the use of waterboarding. (ABC News)
As Paul Kiel at TPM remarks, Bush still doesn't seem to understand what the big deal is: "Well, we started to connect the dots."(ABC News)
The ACLU is calling for the appointment of an independent prosecutor to investigate the administration for violation of War Crimes Act, the federal Anti-Torture Act, and federal assault laws.
“No one in the executive branch of government can be trusted to fairly investigate or prosecute any crimes since the head of every relevant department, along with the president and vice president, either knew or participated in the planning and approval of illegal acts,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “Congress cannot look the other way; it must demand an independent investigation and independent prosecutor.”
Fredrickson added, "Congress is duty-bound by the Constitution not only to hold the president, vice president, and all civil officers to account, but it must also send a message to future presidents that it will use its constitutional powers to prevent illegal, and immoral conduct."(ACLU)
As Digby says, it's pretty to think so. On Thursday, Jack Balkin said, "Dream on."
It is not that certain members of the Bush Administration haven't committed war crimes. I'm pretty certain that at least some of them have. The point rather is that it is very unlikely that they will ever be brought to justice for it, at least in our own country-- despite the fact that there are statutes on the books which assert that the commission of war crimes violates our laws. That is not a normative recommendation. It is rather a prediction about power politics and about the deeply unjust world that we live in. (Balkinization)
But that doesn't mean we shouldn't demand justice. But how?
John Conyers has apparently raised the question of impeachment, though the context seems uncertain. (BooMan) Digby proposes that we join in writing to the media to inquire why this story has received so little attention.
Update:
Glenn Greenwald reminds us that responsibility for the administration's torture policy extends beyond the executive branch.
In addition to abolishing habeas corpus, the 2006 Military Commissions Act (.pdf) "insulated government officials from liability for many of the violations of the War Crimes Act they might have committed during the period prior to 2006," as Yale Law Professor Jack Balkin put it. It also vested vast discretion with the President to determine what constitutes "torture." Nonetheless, it was passed by an overwhelming Congressional majority, with substantial bipartisan support, without even a filibuster being attempted, and with the blessing of alleged "torture opponent" John McCain. It still has not been even partially repealed.
As a country, then, our democratic institutions -- without much outcry -- literally amended the War Crimes Act, retroactively, to declare that those who violated it, those who committed war crimes, would be free from investigation or prosecution. The Abu Ghraib scandal was disclosed in early 2004 and George Bush was re-elected. Accounts of systematic abuse at Guantanamo and elsewhere were known before then as well. (Salon)
Memeorandum is linking blogger buzz here.
OTHER BN-POLITICS POSTINGS
Another Whistle Blower Says Telecom has Domestic-Spying System
Bush's Newest Domestic Spying Program
Sources Tell ABC News: Bush Administration Officials Participated in War Crimes
The Administration's Secret Plans for A Lasting US Presence in Iraq
What we do is stay on the topic to the exclusion of everything else. I've tried to do that at Pruning Shears. If we're serious we should take the "No Primary Pledge". For God's sake stop contributing to the Clinton/Obama drama. Every word we write on it gives aid and comfort to the horserace paradigm. I've seen a lot of hand wringing over it on the left-leaning blogs but every word posted on it dignifies the talking heads. We might not be able to change them but surely we can change ourselves.
Posted by: Dan | April 13, 2008 at 11:24 AM