Levin: I’ve Suggested To Eric Holder That He Should Appoint An Independent Investigator On Torture
Levin: I’ve Suggested To Eric Holder That He Should Appoint An Independent Investigator On Torture
Responding to a question earlier this month, President Obama didn’t rule out the possibility of appointing a special prosecutor to “independently investigate” the “greatest crimes” committed by the Bush administration. But he said that his “orientation” was “to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.” Congressional Democrats, such Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), have said that Congress should continue to investigate Bush’s torture policies regardless of Obama’s plans.
At the Progressive Media Summit on Capitol Hill yesterday, Marcy Wheeler asked Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), the chairman of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, about congressional plans to continue investigating torture. “There needs to be, I believe, an accounting of torture in this country,” replied Levin. He then said that he had suggested to Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder that he appoint “an outside person who’s got real credibility” to continue to investigate:
LEVIN: We’re going to try to complete this investigation, at least on the DoD side, Ok. But on the intelligence, the CIA side, that’s going to be up to the Intelligence Committe. I know I suggested to Eric Holder, who will be the next Attorney General despite the delay that took place today, that he select some people or hire an outside person whose got real credibility, perhaps a retired federal judge, to take all the available information, and there’s reams of it.
Watch it:
In December 2008, Levin’s committee released the executive summary of an investigation into the Bush administration’s detainee policy, which concluded that top Bush administration officials “bore major responsibility for the abuses committed by American troops in interrogations.” Levin said yesterday that the full report would be released “in the next couple of weeks.”
Transcript:
LEVIN: The CIA, which you make reference, that investigation will take place, if it takes place — and I think Sen. Cardin…– Anyway, let me give you a general answer first. There needs to be, I believe, an accounting of torture in this country. I — My committee, the Armed Services Committee, which I chair has recently issued a report, which you’re obviously very familiar with, I know you are, about torture at the highest levels. The policies that were put in place at the highest levels of this government. We released the executive summary of that report, and it’s on my website, and I have a copy here with me, I don’t have time, but I have it here with me, I don’t have time to read parts of it. But it does say, to state as the former Secretary of Defense said, or his deputy, that this was just a few people, a few bad apples, that was Wolfowitz, that a few bad apples perpetrated Abu Ghraib is false. The policies of torture were adopted at the highest level. That’s what our report finds. So, we’re going to continue. We’re going to try to complete this investigation, at least on the DoD side, Ok. But on the intelligence, the CIA side, that’s going to be up to the Intelligence Committe.I know I suggested to Eric Holder, who will be the next Attorney General despite the delay that took place today, that he select some people or hire an outside person whose got real credibility, perhaps a retired federal judge, to take all the available information, and there’s reams of it. Look, the Vice President, the former Vice President of the United States, acknowledged that they engaged in torture. He says that waterboarding’s not torture, he’s wrong. Waterboarding is torture, period. And this administration and Eric Holder has said so. It’s torture and there’s other forms that they engaged in, so what needs to be done, I believe, in addition to finishing the investigation, is for the Attorney General, the new Attorney General, to identify some people in his office to take the existing documentation. The acknowledgment, folks, this is not a very difficult — this is almost like a case in court with an agreed upon statement of facts, that the previous administration acknowledges that they engaged in waterboarding, period. Now, we’ve got a 200 page report, which goes into details, which will be released, we hope, in the next couple of weeks, the full report. But, in the event, we are going to finish our side of the investigation and Intelligence Committee, hopefully, will do the CIA part.
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He then said that he had suggested to Attorney General-nominee Eric Holder that he appoint “an outside person who’s got real credibility” to continue to investigate.
I would like to nominate Patrick Fitzgerald.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:26 amHow about Fitz?
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:27 am*I* suggest he put a Special Prosecutor on the payroll full-time, because there’s SO much work to do looking at all the Bush era malfeasance.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:27 ammaybe we can make it one of those “BLUE” ribbon commissions.
holder will be the ag, he should investigate. its his job.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:28 amfitz was investigating bushco…. that didn’t turn out too well.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:30 amNo, Fitzgerald already let Bush/Cheney/Rove off the hook once.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:33 amThat would be the best way to handle it. The only appropriate way, in fact, if it involves the President and/or Veep. That way everybody else in Obama’s administration is out of the way from conducting such an investigation themselves. Of course, the Republicans have already pretty much thoroughly politicized the Special Prosecutor function, but it’s the best thing available.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:38 amNothing is going to happen. All administrations cover each othesr backs. I want Obama to focus on creating jobs. Bush was bad at making jobs for people. He sent our jobs to India, I hope Obama brings them back. I’m sure he will.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:41 amShoe,
I think Fitz might have had some external pressures placed on him. He is after all a good prosecutor. This is just my opinion and I have no evidence to support it. Unless you take into account the Illegal Wiretapping and other nifarious activities the Bushco Criminal Cabal were evidently involved in.
Just sayin
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:43 amI love the way the Government passes buck. Last night on MSNBC, Russell Tice, former NSA analyst, stated the NSA played Congressional Committees like a Stradivarius, saying one time the Intel was DoD related so Intel Committees couldn’t see it, then say the same Intel was CIA related so DoD Committees couldn’t see it. Of course Congress plays the same game within their august halls and with Citizens. Why don’t these Bozo’s form a Joint Committee on DoD and CIA intel and get to the bottom? Oh, they don’t want to.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:45 amBush declined to grant pardons to the people in his regime because by doing so, he preserves their protected status by the Fifth Amendment.
Show me a Puke who DIDN’T ’support’ torture, if not rhetorically, then with their votes?
I suspect a majority of the Congress, both Houses, both parties, is implicated in permitting the violations, or at least in not objecting to them…
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:48 amFitzgerald was hampered by a recalcitrant administration that never wanted their wrong-doing exposed. They hid behind bogus claims of Executive Privilege (a concept found nowhere in the Constitution). Once the people who committed crimes can no longer hide behind a president who refuses to follow the Constitution, he’ll get more information, and we’ll see prosecutions.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:49 amtokin librul Says:
I suspect a majority of the Congress, both Houses, both parties, is implicated in permitting the violations, or at least in not objecting to them…
DING! We have a winner!
There will be just enough Sturm and Strang to cover the Dems left flank, and in the end there will be no arrests. Or if there are, it will be someone so low down the food chain that they will merely be a sacrificial lamb.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:53 amThe issue isn’t who in the Congress knew about it, the issue is who in the Bush Administration authorized it. Start with that, and worry about who in the Congress was complicit later. Better yet, let their constituents vote them out if they felt they were complicit.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:54 amI hope Obama brings them back. I’m sure he will.
Bruce, “My Home Town”: The foreman says these jobs are going boys, and they aint comin’ back…
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:55 amSing it people – Bush is going to jail, Bush is going to jail, Bush is going to jail.
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:59 amWhile I understand the administration’s “orientation” is to look forward, it seems to me that his duty as head of the executive branch is to ensure that the rule of law is followed. As such his “orientation” shouldn’t matter. And, although it may be ineffective, I have emailed him to offer my opinion. I encourage others to do the same.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:04 pmtokin librul Says:
The foreman says these jobs are going boys, and they aint comin’ back…
Yep; Kinda’ like clothes coming back in style; they do come back but it’s not really exactly the same, or in the case of jobs, not exactly the same as the one that the person who lost one had.
¶ AIO
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:05 pmtokin librul ,
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:07 pmSO you support the elimination of good jobs under Bush?
Profit Mo Says:
All administrations cover each othesr backs.
______________
Oh yeah… just look at the way the GOOP backed up Clinton over the Lewinsky kerfluffle… okay… bad example.
Well… how about Whitewater? Huh? What about that… oh, wait, another bad example.
Huh… lemme think for a minute here.
BTW, Mo… where are Larry and Curly this morning? And Shemp… heh… my fav.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:09 pmNice move on Levin’s part in suggestion a retired Federal Judge who knows Levin might request former AG Musk Rat to handle it and dismiss all charges or fix the case for the criminals. Some Democratic Law Makers were on the take from the White House and do owe some favors. Reid is doing his part for Ted Stevens and the Lobbyist.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:10 pmWell, J. Davis, we learned a long time ago that “states rights” was Republican code for “suppressing minorities”, so we think it’s a good thing that we ignored such people.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 pmJ.Davis,
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:26 pmYou have already proven yourself to be a bigoted racist. That makes you a peice of $hit in my book.
Deal with it.
Oh… I get it.
“Jefferson Davis”… wow… that’s really, really clever.
You were just “looking around”… scrolling back 7 months, were we?
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:26 pmJ.Davis Says:
You people have some serious issues to work through.
J. Davis is a concern troll and a psychologist.
¶ AIO
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:34 pmJ.Davis = Conservative mind set
Conservative mind set = criminal
J.Davis is a criminal
Logic
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:36 pm——————————————————————————–
The Republic of Stupidity Says:
——————————————————————————–
Profit Mo Says:
All administrations cover each othesr backs.
______________
Oh yeah… just look at the way the GOOP backed up Clinton over the Lewinsky kerfluffle… okay… bad example.
Well… how about Whitewater? Huh? What about that… oh, wait, another bad example.
Huh… lemme think for a minute here.
In fairness, once Clinton was out of office, Bush did not do one single thing to go after him on anything. There were some things he could have investigated – admittably, nothing like what Bush faces – but it is almost unheard of for new Presidents to investigate their predecessors. It is the same professional curtesy extended to others of their ilk by sharks and lawyers.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:41 pmYour a pathetic one J.Davis.
You are telling me I am intolerant and bigoted because I will not tolerate an admitted UnAmerican Racist Bigot.
Wow, my bad!
Sheez
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:45 pmJ.Davis Says:
…kick the South out of the country!
Better yet, just kick the Racist Scum Bags like you out of the country.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:49 pmJ.Davis Says:
Your people and party control the govt. at Washington now,please do me a favor,start a movement to kick the South out of the country! PLEASE! START RIGHT AWAY!
Put down the crack pipe and walk away from it, troll.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:49 pmLevin: I’ve Suggested To Eric Holder That He Should Appoint An Independent Investigator On Torture
Yes, AND THE SOONER, THE BETTER.
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:49 pmKeltoi Says:
In fairness, once Clinton was out of office, Bush did not do one single thing to go after him on anything.
____________
So all the deliberately harassing moves the GOOP made while Clinton was in office were jes’ boys bein’g boys, huh?
I suggest you read “Blinded By The Right” for more info.
____________
… but it is almost unheard of for new Presidents to investigate their predecessors.
____________
On the other hand, has there ever been an equally sprawling, out-of-control criminal enterprise entrenched in the WH to match BotchCo?
Bound and determined to run cover for ‘em, no matter what, huh, Keltoi?
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:54 pmJ.Davis Says:
Your people and party control the govt. at Washington now,please do me a favor,start a movement to kick the South out of the country! PLEASE! START RIGHT AWAY!
___________
Considering just how many “proud Southerners” are in-bred, Bible-thumping Welfare leeches, I’m actually all for it!
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:55 pmOops, got moderated. Oh well, got errands to run. Be back later.
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:00 pm“Old soldiers never die, they just fade away.”
January 22nd, 2009 at 1:31 pmSo let it be with J. Davis.
Do you also support a stat’s right to determine if it will torture, Mr. Davis? You are really too much…
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:29 pmUN folk have already gone public that they need to investigate for crimes against humanity in the last few days.
It is starting to look to me that either the Obama administration investigates or the UN steps in.
The USA investigating itself would add an aura of clearing the air. It would be healthy for the country. OTOH – it would suffer from both being painted as a political dems getting revenge and also tainted by an inherrent conflict of interest. But it appears to me that the postives would outweigh the negatives. Not to mention that a good faith effort to investigation could weaken the move for a much more painful UN investigation .
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:34 pmWouldn’t you like to have been able to ban it in your State over the last 8 years? But,alas you didn’t have that choice…..
Didn’t have to, as it was already illegal. All we want is the criminals to be prosecuted. What if TN did something you didn’t agree with? Would you then have to secede from TN? When does it end with you?
January 22nd, 2009 at 2:45 pmHey, J.Davis, dude — you need to take a few deep breaths and calm down — or you’re never going to last for the next 8 years without having a stroke.
On second thought……….
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:45 pmJ. Davis:
January 22nd, 2009 at 7:04 pmDo you really wanna check all the places you posted this?
I have a terrible feeling that Obama is not going to pursue criminal prosecution against George W. Bush and others—contrary to what has been fittingly suggested by the Society of American Law Teachers.
Please check out the information below to see why.
I like black people.
Black people are cool!
With all due respect to Obama: I really don’t mean to insult Obama, but I have a terrible feeling that Obama is not going to be substantially helpful in terms of so much of the racial discrimination inflicted against black people by white people.
Bush’s racial discrimination against black people was of epic proportions—with no sheriff, prosecutor, or court to uphold the “RULE OF LAW” and stop it from happening.
I can’t picture that Obama is about to go and undo all of Bush’s racial discrimination against black people.
For example, Bush murdered a black woman—Margie Schoedinger.
“One of those very least were George Bush’s personal complicity in the death (murder to be precise) of my friend Margie Schoedinger in September of 2003. Determining the exact whereabouts and contacts of [then] president-elect George Bush on September 21 thru 22, 2003, should be entirely lacking in difficulty” (Leola McConnell (Nevada Progressive Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010). Retrieved November 29, 2008, from http://leolaforussenate.blogspot.com/2008/02/leola-mcconnell-for-us-senate.html).
Obama should have the guts to assemble workers from the FBI and/or one or more state attorney general offices and say something similar to the following:
“I, Obama, am the most powerful person in America now. Bush is no longer the president and thus no longer the most powerful person in America. I, Obama, am in control now. I, Obama, demand that the ultimate law-enforcement workers in this country investigate Bush and then proceed to have him locked away for life or executed for murdering the black woman—Margie Schoedinger. I, Obama, am black, and I find Bush’s murder of Margie Schoedinger to be personally offensive. I, Obama, feel it is once again like the time of slavery when white people killed black people with no sheriff, prosecutor, or court to stop it from happening or prosecute it. I, Obama, am not going to go around in the modern-day democracy feeling like a black slave of white people—especially while I am the president of the United States. I, Obama, want Bush brought down for murdering a black woman. I, Obama, want Bush brought down for racially discriminating against black people pursuant to Hurricane Katrina. I, Obama, am going to supply financial compensation to the black people who were harmed by Bush’s racial discrimination and who are still alive. I, Obama, am taken aback by Bush having been so evil in wrongfully causing the deaths of so many black people pursuant to his racist response relative to Hurricane Katrina. I, Obama, am going to take advantage of my time as a racial-minority president and not allow “Bush’s KKK-Neo-Nazi mentality” to rule over and oppress black people in America.”
Unfortunately, I can’t picture Obama having the guts to assemble workers from the FBI and/or one or more state attorney general offices to rightfully bring Bush down—as suggested above.
What does this mean?
Does this mean that Obama is going to be a huge disappointment to black people and/or racial minorities otherwise?
Does it mean that Obama realizes that the USA is a predominantly white country and doesn’t want to rub powerful, former, white, government officials the wrong way?
Does it mean that Obama is like a black person who prances around wearing a KKK outfit or a uniform featuring the swastika symbol—in a figurative sense (not a literal sense)?
Does it mean that Obama is a weakling?
This is Obama’s opportunity to flourish and champion the interests of racial minority people in the U.S.A. Obama has four or eight years to do just that. To the extent Obama “steps down” to what can be illustratively referred to as the “Bush-KKK-Neo-Nazi mentality” while Obama is the most powerful person in the country, Obama simply disappoints racial minority people all over the place.
Obama needs to show that he is in charge, pursue Bush for murdering the black woman—Margie Schoedinger, financially compensate and/or restore and/or reward black people who were racially discriminated against and harmed by Bush pursuant to Hurricane Katrina, fight racial profiling, and make America a better place for all racial minority people who are racially discriminated against.
Of course, Obama needs to seek prosecution against Bush and the others.
But if Obama does not even help out his own people, specifically, black people, where Bush had victimized so many of them, then Obama probably will not try to bring Bush down for warrantless surveillance; torture; cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of suspects; etc.
Obama and Holder need to work together, focus on their identity—their black racial background, focus on Bush’s egregious racial discrimination against black people, and valiantly bring Bush down for Bush’s crimes against black people and infamous crimes otherwise.
Obama needs to change and participate in seeking incarceration against Bush.
If Obama is not prepared to change accordingly, then he really shouldn’t have been talking about “change.”
Submitted by Andrew Yu-Jen Wang
B.S., Summa Cum Laude, 1996
Messiah College, Grantham, PA
Lower Merion High School, Ardmore, PA, 1993
“GEORGE W. BUSH IS THE WORST PRESIDENT IN U.S. HISTORY” BLOG OF ANDREW YU-JEN WANG
ONLINE ANTI-BUSH SCHOLASTIC RESEARCH: LISTING OF MAJOR ISSUES
http://andrewyu-jenwang.blogspot.com/2008/10/bush-is-worst-president-in-american.html
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