White House not likely to pardon torture officials, claims torture memos make pardons ‘unnecessary.’
White House not likely to pardon torture officials, claims torture memos make pardons ‘unnecessary.’
The Wall Street Journal reports today that the White House “isn’t inclined to grant sweeping pardons for former administration officials involved in harsh interrogations and detentions of terror suspects.” White House officials believe that the Justice Department’s torture memos make such pardons “unnecessary”:
Some Republicans have been pushing for President George W. Bush to grant pre-emptive clemency to officials who fear being investigated by Democratic critics. White House officials have countered that such pardons are unnecessary, these people say. The officials point to Justice Department legal opinions that supported the administration’s methods of detaining and interrogating terror suspects. [...]
Some former Bush administration officials have argued against a blanket pardon for post-9/11 activities, saying it would be tantamount to an admission that the Bush policies weren’t legal.
President-elect Barack Obama is reportedly unlikely to pursue criminal cases against officials responsible for authorizing and executing the Bush administration’s torture policies, but some Obama advisers are said to be in favor of “setting up a 9/11-style commission that would investigate counterterrorism policies and make public as many details as possible.”
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November 25th, 2008 at 10:03 amMemo to self:
This memo makes it legal for me to violate international law.
There. That was easy.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:08 amsome Obama advisers are said to be in favor of “setting up a 9/11-style commission that would investigate counterterrorism policies and make public as many details as possible.”
I realize Obama has his hands full and that this isn’t the highest priority of things to accomplish in the first year.
However, I would expect that his Attorney General will be looking into the whole Bush Regime for war crimes in general, as Obama sad he would do on the campaign trail.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:12 amGitmo the whole lot of them! Water-sports & extreme gymnastics for Bush, Cheney, Yoo, Gonzo, Ashcroft, et al.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:13 amIssuing a blanket pardon would not be “tantamount to an admission that the Bush policies weren’t legal”; it would be an admission of guilt. A pardon cannot be granted when the is no crime.
Were there investigations this would be a boon. It is unfortunate to think that these crimes might go unpunished (like so many other from these traitors).
Must be nice to be in the ol’ boy’s club.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:14 amCharges will be filed and indictments will be given by the United Nations and other countries who’s citizens were abused and killed by the Bush Administration. Unlike the Watergate Case, Bush now has to deal with the World and Daddy Bush can’t get him out of this one. Obamma is right to let the chips fall as they may by releasing all the facts.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:24 amWar Criminals – each and everyone of them.
Reinvestigate 911 – All is not what it seems.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:26 amEstablishing a commission to investigate the abuses by Bush&Co seems like the way to go at this time. It would free Obama from having to involve himself personally, and it has the potential to provide the public with sufficient evidence that the clamor for prosecution of individuals will be hard to deny.
They are war criminals – but much of America refuses to face it. The sordid details will have to be unfolded gradually through findings in from a commission, and make it undeniable.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:32 am“a 9/11-style commission”? why does the word ‘whitewash’ spring to mind?
November 25th, 2008 at 10:34 amWhile I can see a new President not pursuing various legal issues against a previous President what does it say about ANY nation that they would intentionally not pursue crimes against humanity?
This isn’t graft, etc. These crimes are the highest level of crimes.
The Bush administration used Saddam’s treatment of his own people as one of the justifications for overthrowing his administration.
Yes, these crimes weren’t against our own citizens, but they were no less abhorrent.
Of course ALL of the folks involved in this will ultimately judged on their actions in this regards no matter what Obama may or may not do.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:36 amNowhere in that post is the name Yoo. Whether that was on purpose or not, it great to know that that face is instantly recognizable as the symbol of Shrubworld mendacity and extra constitutional arrogance.
John Yoo shouldn’t have been within a thousand miles of the U.S. gov’t but there he was, deep on the inside injecting his poison.
Yoo will always be confident in his own perfection just as Shruby is in love with his own. But, with luck, history will thoroughly discredit Yoo in his own lifetime so he can contemplate his magnificence in splendid isolation.
Nasty piece of work, that one.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:42 amIf Obama claimed he was going to file charges now then Bush could pardon and say he did it in response to threats not because they were admitting guilt. Why don’t we wait until the inauguration to say Obama isn’t going to investigate. Now would be a good time to contact Obama and let him know how we feel about this issue and what will happen if he doesn’t follow through. If he does nothing in four years I will vote for anybody but him.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:42 amIf the shoe was on the other foot, Republicans would already be burning Democrats that abused the Constitution like Bush and his willing congressional todies have done these past almost eight years. The Democrats are unwilling to take down Joe L. and even more unsetteling take down the criminals that committed these, torture, abominations. I hope congressional democrats will have the balls to conduct needed investigations.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:45 amPardon me, but torture cannot be ignored, supported or initiated by any American. These people must pay a high price for aborting justice, torturing people and then covering it up.
If the USA isn’t willing to prosecute, many other Countries will.
Oh, & by the way, Phuck Yoo, John.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:46 amMarie Says:
Establishing a commission to investigate the abuses by Bush&Co seems like the way to go at this time. It would free Obama from having to involve himself personally, and it has the potential to provide the public with sufficient evidence that the clamor for prosecution of individuals will be hard to deny.
There’s already sufficient evidence, and fully documented as well. The unknown horror stories for which we don’t have full documentation of yet, because the Bush administration has classified it and refused to release it can be overridden by the new administration. A “commission” is only a way to avoid dealing with it, as well as a great opportunity to engineer further coverups. If any of you feel that prosecutions SHOULD take place, please let the incoming administration know. Here’s a good place to post your opinions.
http://change.gov/
November 25th, 2008 at 10:47 amNewt Gingrich is on the move. Got a call today from “Newt Gingrich at American Solutions” 1-877-289-9613. I don’t know what he wants.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:52 amNewt Gingrich is on the move. Got a call today from “Newt Gingrich at American Solutions” 1-877-289-9613. I don’t know what he wants.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:53 amRemember, Yoo is the guy who claims the president has the legal right to sexually torture babies. Ironically enough, absolutely NOTHING saddam did in his entire brutal reign would be considered by Yoo to be legally out of bounds for an american president. Yoo’s legal philosophy is “the president can define when we’re at war, and when we’re at war the president can do anything he wants to”.
Basically, what this boils down to is “the president is dictator, except when he chooses not to be”…
The whole concept of pre-emptive pardons is fascinating and could very well become the subject of litigation someday..i.e. by accepting a pardon, does a person admit guilt of a crime, which, for example, could be used against him in a civil suit…interesting legal question indeed…
November 25th, 2008 at 10:58 amI think it comes up because the constitution makes NO mention of pardoning allegations, merely of pardoning actual CRIMES (against the united states)…what if those same acts were also crimes against individuals? would seem some degree of guilt would be implied from the acceptance of the pardon..
I personally will never be completely at ease until these monsters are brought to justice. I understand the whole “moving forward, why look back” mentality, but this is too big to sweep under the rug. We are talking about what defines us as a Nation.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:05 amUnder what kind of delusions must one have been suffering to ever have imagined that there would be judicicial consequences for ANYTHING the bastard busheviks did?
November 25th, 2008 at 11:09 amNewt Gingrich is on the move. Got a call today from “Newt Gingrich at American Solutions” 1-877-289-9613. I don’t know what he wants.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:53 am
he wants to drill here, drill now!!!
November 25th, 2008 at 11:10 amYep that will work just fine (whispers aside We executed those nazi bastards that used that defense in WW2 but let’s not tell these fools )
November 25th, 2008 at 11:22 amIt is a diseased brain that can rationalize a continuation of morally abhorrent behaviour through the issuance of a “memo”
It’s like dumb and dumber leaving IOU notes in a breifcase full of cash.
November 25th, 2008 at 11:49 amI am also of the belief that Obama would and should not tip his hand regarding possible future prosecutions of Bush Administration thugs. Wait until after january and then quietly tap someone like say…Patrick Fitzgerald to look into the myriad crimes happily commited by this boy-king and his merry men.
“Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.”
-T. ROOSEVELT
“We are not afraid to entrust the American people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies, and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”
-John F. Kennedy
“”If we do not maintain Justice, Justice will not maintain us.”
November 25th, 2008 at 11:56 am-Francis Bacon
“a 9/11-style commission”? why does the word ‘whitewash’ spring to mind?
Lee Hamilton suits up in his worn coveralls, and reaches for the turpentine…
November 25th, 2008 at 11:57 amHAGUE 2009! WAR CRIMINAL!!!! THAT IS WHAT THIS ANIMALS ARE!
November 25th, 2008 at 12:08 pmDidn’t the Repub went after a ‘blow job’? How about have a decent administration who go after JUSTICE! UNIVERSAL JUSTICE!
November 25th, 2008 at 12:12 pmThis has been an internation assult on humanity. We, as Americans, and in who’s name this was done, should have a fair and open (totally transparent) investigation of ALL documents and records involving the treatment of foreign nationals in American custody. Present ALL this information to the World community and assist them in any criminal prosecution, including rounding up of the perpetrators, that they feel need to be taken.
“Our government… teaches the whole people by its example. If the government becomes the lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy.” – Justice Louis Brandeis
November 25th, 2008 at 12:16 pmHow Cal-Berkley can continue to let a scumbag like Yoo continue to represent their law program is beyond me. A state supported university should NOT have this kind of arsehole anywhere on their campus as a paid employee.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:44 pmMarie Says:
Establishing a commission to investigate the abuses by Bush&Co seems like the way to go at this time. It would free Obama from having to involve himself personally, and it has the potential to provide the public with sufficient evidence that the clamor for prosecution of individuals will be hard to deny.
I agree totally. First of all Obama doesn’t have the time to go after the Bush Crime Family. And if he did, he would be making it much less likely that the Republicans would support his stimulus package. They would be crying “partisan politics” and “revenge politics”.
I say let a commission look into it. All the whistle blowers who were afraid to talk to people before January 20 (fear of losing their job or even their lives) will be coming out of the woodwork. Sy Hirsch was quoted as saying that he can’t count the number of people who told him to come back to talk to them after January 20.
If the Commission exposes crimes that have been committed and the public insists that the people who committed the crimes be prosecuted, then the Republicans can’t scream “partisan politics”.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:46 pm“Under what kind of delusions must one have been suffering to ever have imagined that there would be judicicial consequences for ANYTHING the bastard busheviks did?”
The “delusions” that our country was founded on, I guess.
November 25th, 2008 at 12:50 pmis this obama’s “off the table” remark a la pelosi?
that’s alread three mistakes that obama has yet to admit, and yet just this morning he said that admitting mistakes is the “new way of doing business”.
November 25th, 2008 at 1:01 pmdarladooner Says:
is this obama’s “off the table” remark a la pelosi?
that’s alread three mistakes that obama has yet to admit, and yet just this morning he said that admitting mistakes is the “new way of doing business”.
I am sure he will be in touch with you on this since you appear to have been appointed arbiter of such things
November 25th, 2008 at 1:18 pmAh, the torture memos. A likely source of war crimes evidence… No pardon available for Den Hague, now is there?
November 25th, 2008 at 2:40 pmHmmm, very interesting conundrum here that the Bushies have gotten themselves into. If they pardon them, it’s a tacit admission that they commited torture. If they don’t pardon them, the rats will turn quicker than a screw being turned by a power driver.
At this point, I’m not sure that any action against the Bushies by the government would be seen as legit by our own country, much less the world.
I’m hoping there might be secret negotiations that are going on, or will go on to refer the war crimes of the past 8 years to the UN for their unbiased investigation and action.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:07 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
Does this make torture legal now?
The Rule of Law is for naught?
.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:24 pm.
Q U E S T I O N:
Which came first…
… The torture or the memos?
.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:25 pmThe Prosecution for War Crimes of President Bush
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=10554
Nine Reasons to Investigate War Crimes Now
November 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pmhttp://www.thenation.com/doc/20080804/brecher_smith
Why do they fear being investigated if they did legal things for national security?
It’s as if the fear of surgery prevents us from having an operation to remove a festering, malignant legion that we know is there.
I find it ironic that those who will authorize torture, in secret, without proof are completely terrified of a public trial that will, for things they actually did and gained from, probably incarcerate them at worst (though treason is in play). So brave.
The change from Eisenhower to Nixon, and how they must have lived life after the presidency, is profound and terrible.
November 25th, 2008 at 4:43 pmAND NOW FOR THE REALLY BIG PARDON
http://pacificgatepost.blogspot.com/2008/11/trigger-for-cheney-presidential-pardon.html
Stories just don’t get much better than this.
November 25th, 2008 at 8:01 pmThe bad news is there may not be any action taken on this while the recession/depression is ongoing. The bad news for Bush is the “memo” defense is laughable. The good news is the Obama administration CAN walk and chew gum at the same time.
November 25th, 2008 at 10:37 pm