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Sullivan: Rumsfeld, Addington, Yoo should fear being indicted as war criminals if they leave the U.S.

On The Chris Matthews Show this morning, the Atlantic’s Andrew Sullivan said that recent release of the Yoo torture memo means “that Donald Rumsfeld, David Addington, and John Yoo should not leave the United States anytime soon. They will be at some point indicted for war crimes,” he said.



50 Responses to “Sullivan: Rumsfeld, Addington, Yoo should fear being indicted as war criminals if they leave the U.S.”

  1. Dreary Urbanite says:

    Wishful thinking – I wouldn’t hold my breath.


  2. overlap says:

    Also, I wouldn’t like their chances in my living room .

    They’d be happy to be on trial for war crimes instead of that.


  3. sacopenapa says:

    So they should! Because that is what these scumbags are!!! WAR CRIMINALS! Bush has ordered War Crimes! HAGUE 2009 FOR THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION!


  4. spencers mom says:

    I was thrilled to hear someone, on any network, say this out loud! And I just hope the list of war criminals doesn’t stop there!

    PEACE


  5. sacopenapa says:

    …if they leave the US. Soon, when tho cookie start to crumble, they will feel the buble they live in is getting smaller by the minute!


  6. sacopenapa says:

    …and their situation is not limited in leaving the US, they do not come out in public, have you noticed? When was the last time we saw these criminals around your neighbourhood? Has Bush given any speech in public recently? It might be a very expensive one, but these people are already in prison! Come out Bush… come out Chenney… come and have a stroll on the streets of your country!


  7. cerberus says:

    Once they’re no longer protected by Chimpy, these war criminals will have nowhere to hide. It will be sweet, poetic justice to watch these war criminals, aka Traitors to our country, fry in jail.


  8. cerberus says:

    #6: Bush and Cheney will go into hiding once they leave office. They will never enjoy what’s left of their disgustingly corrupt lives and the torture of their consciences. Bush will be holed up in Paraguay and Cheney will be hiding out in some hospital or nursing home.

    Once they leave office, the states will take it into their own hands and follow Vermont’s lead – issuing warrants for their arrest. They will be prisoners in their own consciences.


  9. cerberus says:

    In the history books, Darth and Chimpy will become the most reviled, prezidunce and veepster ever.


  10. cerberus says:

    People need to begin pressing for an initiative similar to that of Vermont – to get the warrant for the arrest of these war criminals onto the ballot soon. We also have the Hague to bring charges, too.


  11. Bilbo Hussein Baggins says:

    Thinkfast for today:

    In Oregon, Clinton Makes False Claim About Her Iraq Record Vs. Obama’s

    http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/04/in-oregon-clint.html

    Read this one. It’s a doozy. Hillary Rove Clinton has become as adept at spinning the truth as her silent mentor Rove.


  12. linda says:

    no they won’t. and did you notice how quickly tweety dumped out of that to hurry to a commercial. it’s not a live program; it’s taped and edited..


  13. Bilbo Hussein Baggins says:

    None of this will mean anything in the US. On his way out the door (if he chooses to leave) Bush will issue a blanket pardon for anything the Bush Crime Family has done or was even thinking of doing.

    The Hague, on the other hand, is a different story. It will be totally humiliating if community outside the US has to bring these criminals to justice. We should be the ones to do it.


  14. chisholm says:

    This administration is a whole new generation of Pinochets.


  15. Badmoodman says:

    God bless Andrew. He’s been on the anti-torture crusade against BushCo from the start, matched only by his disgust with the Clintons. But no one in this administration will have their feet held to the fire for the damage they’ve done.


  16. Sachem says:

    Sullivan posted One day this president and vice-president will be prosecuted for war crimes a week ago Saturday.

    Missing from the list is the tip of the rectal spear is General Miller.


  17. Max-1 says:

    .

    Andrew Suliivan said:
    “that Donald Rumsfeld, David Addington, and John Yoo should not leave the United States anytime soon. They will be at some point indicted for war crimes,”

    Does this imply that by staying in America, they are protected, safe and secure? They’ve been protected and defended so far, free to go on teaching, lecturing, and writing books ON their war crimes… PROFITING very nicely, mind you.

    Only IN America can I BE a war criminal AND not be arrested…
    Only when I LEAVE America can I BE arrested for War Crimes… NO?

    .


  18. carollt says:

    If only it were so. Certainly, these men committed war crimes. All the Bushies are guilty of war crimes. They should be arrested today.


  19. hanshiro says:

    They’ll end up in some US-backed banana republic secreted away in a hidden villa…the locals referencing the new inhabitants “Generalissimo” and his asian pool boy….

    This could be a Seinfeld episode.

    Kramer: “I’m tellin’ ya Jerry, that guy is Rumsfeld!”

    Jerry: “Oh c’mon, what would a former Secretary of Defense be doing down here sipping a pena-colada and wearing flip-flops and a hawaiian flower-print colored flak jacket?”

    Kramer: (low)”He’s hiding out, Jerry. Two words, “extraordinary rendition.” He doesn’t want an all expenses-paid return trip to the US wearing khaki diapers and sipping a sodium pentathol cocktail.”


  20. 5th Estate says:

    C&L is running this too. Some seem to be praising Sullivan. The fact is that he’s stating the blindingly obvious.
    He’s also a complete f-ing hypocrite. He was such a cheerleader for the war–indeed that’s how me made his bones–because he’s gay everyone expected him to a liberal lefty peacenik. Instead he boosted Bush and the war, dismissed the wsar’s opponents and continually and baselessly attacked Clinton, the Democrats and anyone smarter than him.

    Sullivan-Oct. 20 2002:
    “It’s my judgment that president Bill Clinton’s policies – not his person or his private life or anything else – but his policies left the world a far more dangerous place than when he took office. History will judge him brutally for what he has done to damage world peace. He may have meant well; but we must live with the consequences.”

    Sullivan Oct. 23, 2002:
    “Remember the last evil empire? The main fear is that chaos would follow and terrorist elements might loot or use some of the most lethal weapons in Saddam’s arsenal. Which means we must be ready to go in sooner rather than later. [...] Bush’s hard line is already paying dividends. We can only pray we can disarm Saddam and liberate Iraq without war.

    “We must be ready to go in sooner….we can only pray we can disarm Saaddam and liberate Iraq without war” ????

    Sullivan was not only praying for war, he was preaching war. Hypocrite!

    The dividends he was referring to was Saddam’s opening of jails, which Sullivan saw as a measure to gain favor with the Iraqi public and stave off a popular uprising. It never occured to him that the prisoners might be tying-down Saddam’s forces when he was facing a likely invasion.

    Because Sullivan is an f-ing idiot who loves the sound of his own voice. Like I said, Sullivan, the gay Catholic, made his bones in supperting the invasion of Iraq, and like a good Catholic of old, loves a crusade.

    The encouragment of crime is a crime in itself, as is the protection of criminal after the fact.

    Note Sullivan’s selectivity–only the minions are mentioned, not the executives which he supported. Torture by the US was directed by Bush, Cheney, Rice–all Sullivan;s heroes–and would at least the scale of torture and other abuses would not have occured BUT FOR THE SUPPORT given the Bush administration—and Sullivan as a volubke supporter was given prominence precisely because he was atypical.
    And war-profiteering too as he’s made more money from his blind belligerence than he wouyld have had the invasion he prayed for not gone ahead.


  21. barfly says:

    I think the most important point, is that these criminals cannot move money offshore, for if they are adgudged to be war criminals, any offshore accounts can be seized. That hits them where they live.


  22. barfly says:

    Make that “adjudged.”


  23. VerbalKint says:

    I find it unlikely this will ever happen, even though it is legally justified. No country can directly challenge the U.S. because of our military power, and even more because of our power to inflict economic pain. A U.S. president is unlikely to tolerate their seizure abroad because of the precedent it would set. Our allies will decide it is more trouble than it is worth. Probably the best we can hope for is their prosecution within the U.S.


  24. barfly says:

    A U.S. president is unlikely to tolerate their seizure abroad because of the precedent it would set.

    And what could he do? Threaten to free them by force? Or hash it out at the Hague?


  25. Freedom Rebel says:

    Since they don’t consider WATERBOARDING as Torture. (Because torture is a legal Term according to Heydern) And that the term according to Haydern is used too casually.

    That means we can do pretty much whatever we want once they are convicted of war crimes..


  26. hotlip says:

    It’s about time, the rest of the world is far ahead, and perhaps the only ones with enough guts to go after these crooks. I can only hope and wish they include George Bush.


  27. barfly says:

    In any event, it torches long-held international agreements between us and our allies if we refuse to indict them, after they have been charged in the Hague.


  28. Marie says:

    Andrew, I sure hope you are correct. Indictments of our own war criminals would be the best medicine for our ailing government.



  29. deblacksmith says:

    I don’t understand.

    Really what I don’t understand is how this can go on. In my country — why are the people not in jail now. What is wrong with us. Not what is wrong with them — we know that — but what is wrong with us.

    deblacksmith


  30. Freedom Rebel says:

    Unfortunately if we try to convict them Now deblacksmith, Cheney would become President. What a horrifying thought. Plus we have the get out of jail free card that they would use. No one can take the chance of that happening. (Nixon is a good example in history, Ford pardoned him) He should have gone to jail.

    We are all praying Nancy Pelosi goes after all them With A Vengence after the elections. When they can’t use their pardons and get out of jail free cards anymore.

    If she doesn’t I do believe there will be an outcry the likes no one has ever heard.


  31. Johnbo says:

    I’ve been waiting for just this kind of thing to happen. I would definitely add Bush, Cheney, Feith, and Cambone (Rumsfeld’s former assistant) to the list.

    Too bad we don’t have enough people with the guts to do something here in this country.


  32. Keith H. says:

    Probably the biggest reason no one in our country will bring these people to justice is because there isn’t a one of them who has that authority that is willing to be the one to start the process in a serious way.
    They value being alive and would prefer to stay that way.


  33. Left Coast Mike says:

    Not only is Hillary Rove Clinton a corporate whore…but a lying corporate whore.


  34. Left Coast Mike says:

    Sorry, in response to:

    Bilbo Hussein Baggins Says:
    April 6th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
    Thinkfast for today:

    In Oregon, Clinton Makes False Claim About Her Iraq Record Vs. Obama’s


  35. Freedom Rebel says:

    #33 Keith
    (From my home state of Ohio) I beg to differ..this is why..

    Kucinich Introduces Impeachment Articles Against Cheney
    Tuesday, April 24, 2007; 6:09 PM

    REP. DENNIS J. KUCINICH, D-OHIO
    Because I believe the vice president’s conduct of office has been destructive to the founding purposes of our nation. Today, I have introduced House Resolution 333, Articles of Impeachment Relating to Vice President Richard B. Cheney. I do so in defense of the rights of the American people to have a government that is honest and peaceful.

    He is the only one that had the guts to do it.. This is why I wanted Dennis for President. He is much better than the two candidates Hillary and Obama. But, I will be voting for Obama. Hillary voted for the War. I can’t believe she made it this far, because of that reason.


  36. chabuka says:

    Hey..don’t forget Bush, Cheney and Rice!!

    I don’t really care who wins the Democratic nomination (okay I lean towards Obama..since Dennis and John dropped out) but I’ll vote for Hillery if she wins the nomination, even though I like her less and less every day…I will not vote for John McCain, another four years (maybe 8) of McBush would be a nightmare….put the blame where it belongs these policies that are being so meticulously followed..by Bush 41, Clinton 1 and Bush 43..started with Ronald Reagan..but the Supreme Court is in the balance..and I would rather have Democratic appointed Judges for that


  37. Fred says:

    chabuka is right……..seriously……


  38. Keith H. says:

    Freedom Rebel Says:
    April 6th, 2008 at 4:23 pm

    Hey, I’m aware of that.
    I also know that introducing articles of impeachment doesn’t and didn’t, start the hearings.
    That’s why I used the term ’start the process in a serious way’.


  39. Bilbo Hussein Baggins says:

    VerbalKint Says:
    I find it unlikely this will ever happen, even though it is legally justified. No country can directly challenge the U.S. because of our military power, and even more because of our power to inflict economic pain. A U.S. president is unlikely to tolerate their seizure abroad because of the precedent it would set.

    I disagree. If, after Obama takes office, Bush and or Chaney was captured and taken to the Hague for trial, I don’t think that Obama would threaten anyone. We sanctioned Milosovich being tried at the Hague, I don’t think that we could or would threaten anyone over trying Bush and/or Chaney.

    It would be humiliating to the US, though, to have the Hague do what we should have done.


  40. Freedom Rebel says:

    chabuka Says:
    April 6th, 2008 at 4:33 pm

    That is why I said I will vote for Obama, I’m assuming he will win the nomination. Like you I like Hillary less and less, but that is because of all the mud slinging she is doing at Obama. Very unbecoming. But I will vote for her if she wins the nomination.


  41. Ms_Joanne says:

    Great. I completely support extraordinary rendition. Bush hates travel so he will never leave Crawford (or maybe Paraguay if that plays out as it might). Bush is a dope who does what he’s told. Cheney is the one who should have a rope around his neck.

    And our entire treasury (and many times over in borrowed) funds are nicely lining their pockets and those of their cronies.


  42. Freedom Rebel says:

    #39 Keith

    My Bad.. But introducing the Articles of Impeachment is pretty big. No one else tried but him. He also has 22 co-sponsors.

    Rather than allow a debate fraught with political risk, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) moved to send the Kucinich resolution to the Judiciary Committee, whose chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), has publicly speculated about impeaching the president or vice president but has declined taking any action since taking the gavel in January.

    Defusing any chance of an actual impeachment debate today, the House then voted 218-194 to send the motion to Conyers’s committee, with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting the move.

    This is where it is at so far.


  43. Keith H. says:

    Dude . . . I wanted Dennis too.
    Largely based on him being the only one to stand up and do what he did. Quite a few times.


  44. MiMiCcs says:

    No country in it’s right mind would do so. They would sic Osama on him and give them their own 9/11. Our own government is afraid to do anything, why would any other government want to do so. We are the beast that has terrorized the world.


  45. republicanSScareme says:

    The whole Bush Administration is a gang of war criminals and traitors. Let’s hope a new administration and Congress puts these thugs on trial. The American people demand it.

    No more thugs!!!


  46. ctcadguy says:

    Investigate 911 already – it appears to be an inside job!

    Too many questions by engineers and architects as well as scholars. No answers and a farce of an investigation.

    Not your usual conspiracy nuts.


  47. ThomasMc says:

    Don’t let Bush or Cheney leave the country, either.


  48. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    For those of you who didn’t follow the links above, please read this Vanity Fair article. It is LONG – 8 pages, but definitely worth the read. Many in this administration are certainly vulnerable to being tried as war criminals, and more likely, internationally rather than within the U.S. In fact, some of the legal machinations contrived by this bunch in an attempt to immunize themselves leave their prosecution via the Hague more likely, since they’ve laid out squarely the inability of the U.S. justice system to try them.

    http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/guantanamo200805?currentPage=1


  49. Anacher Forester says:

    C’mon, Sully was one of the loudest drum beaters in the run up to this war. He “changes” his view on the war and he’s suddenly viewed as more relevant. He is given more attention by progressives than he ever received from conservatives. He gets a column in Time.

    Now, when he states what all of us have been thinking for years, he is anointed our mouthpiece? Please. He is a poseur and a fraud. Andrew Sullivan is a weather vane blowing in whatever direction is best for Andrew Sullivan.

    -AF

    Andrew Sullivan Is A Fraud



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