Dodd: Torture investigations may need to go as high as Cheney’s office.
Dodd: Torture investigations may need to go as high as Cheney’s office.
In a new interview with Connecticut bloggers, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) unequivocally states that he believes waterboarding is torture and comes out in support of Sen. Patrick Leahy’s (D-VT) Commission of Inquiry into a “comprehensive, nonpartisan, independent review of what happened.” He also compares today’s situation to the Nuremberg Trials — for which his father was a prosecutor — and criticizes the Obama administration for releasing the documents and then resisting calls for investigations:
DODD: I don’t know who the genius was in the room that night when they were discussing this, but if you’re going to make a decision to release the documents, I presume everyone of us here would then have a follow-up question, which is: What are you going to do with that information? [...]
In a sense, not to prosecute people or pursue them when these acts have occurred is, in a sense, to invite it again in some future administration.
When someone then pointed out that “a lot of this stuff seems to point toward Cheney’s office,” Dodd replied, “You gotta go where you gotta go.” Watch it:
Transcript:
DODD: I don’t know who the genius was in the room that night when they were discussing this, but if you’re going to make a decision to release the documents, I presume everyone of us here would then have a follow-up question, which is: What are you going to do with that information? And if the answer is, “Well, nothing, we’re just going to release the documents,” I’m amazed, and some of us in the room say, “Wait a minute, you’ve got a problem.” If you’re going to release them, you’re going to have to answer the next question: What are you going to do with them?
I believe that waterboarding is torture. … Pat Leahy of Vermont has been arguing for a select committee — or a commission, I forget which he’s talked about — to go and review all of this. I agree with him on that. There’s some debate about whether he does it or the Intelligence Committee does it — somebody ought to do it. [...]
In a sense, not to prosecute people or pursue them when these acts have occurred is, in a sense, to invite it again in some future administration. If you think it doesn’t mean anything, that you can basically do what you want and we’ll somehow just say, “That was yesterday, today’s today.” Had that handful of people who advocated at the Nuremberg Trials embraced that view — Nuremberg became the symbol of who we were. Even these thugs got a lawyer. Even these thugs had a trial, despite their acts. So we became a symbol of jurisprudence and the rule of law. [...]
Q: Even if it goes up as high as — A lot of this stuff seems to point toward Cheney’s office.
DODD: You gotta go where you gotta go.
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Well, I have heard many people say Dodd is owned by the financial industry, but at least he has the b*lls to stand up and be counted on this matter and I have to give him credit for that. I would agree that regardless of how high this goes; even to W’s office, those involved need to be sent to trial and put in prison if the charges are true [which we already know is true]. Thanks Senator Dodd!
May 5th, 2009 at 3:54 pmDon’t forget to include a complicit Congress!
May 5th, 2009 at 3:54 pmfrog-walk the old coot right down pennsylvania ave
May 5th, 2009 at 3:54 pm“Dodd: Torture investigations may need to go as high as Cheney’s office.”
Torture investigations need to go just a little bit higher than that…
May 5th, 2009 at 3:55 pmDodd: “In a sense, not to prosecute people or pursue them when these acts have occurred is, in a sense, to invite it again in some future administration.”
Exactly what those of us who respect the rule of law have been arguing for how long? Glad to see Dodd’s finally up to speed. Sheesh!
May 5th, 2009 at 3:55 pmI’m still thinking that this is a rather diabolical plan by Obama. He’s going to keep stalling on investigations until the public outcry becomes too much an he has to start investigations. If he does it this way, the Republicans can’t be claiming the investigation is a partisan witch hunt AND if they protest the investigations too much, it will look as if they are going against the will of the people, alienating the Republican Party from the American People even more.
Well, I can dream, can’t I?
May 5th, 2009 at 4:00 pmGee, ya think? Maybe even higher…
May 5th, 2009 at 4:00 pmRayman, you can dream, but -
” . . and criticizes the Obama administration for releasing the documents and then resisting calls for investigations: . . ”
Obama does NOT have the AUTHORITY to say where these investigations lead once they are completed. Only the DOJ has the ‘authority’ to investigate and if they conclude those involved in torture should be tried and if found guilty, they HAD BETTER NOT ALLOW THEM TO SKIP OUT ON PUNISHMENT as I do believe the SANE citizens of this country would be out on the streets for blood.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:02 pmHow about stoping all the BS talk and make them inforce our laws, starting with the prosecution of Bush/Cheney on down to te CIA goons that did the actual torture.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:03 pmwhere are all the trolls trying to convince us waterboarding isn’t torture since you can’t drown from it? collecting their troll welfare checks?
May 5th, 2009 at 4:03 pmYa’ think? Well, Uncle Jed, I suuuure hope that Mr. Dodd up there in Wash’ton is right! Ya’ gotta go where you gotta go.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:08 pmWas there a debate before the Nurenburg trials about prosecuting the war criminals? Was anyone saying that the world should look forward and not back? Were people against the idea of putting criminals on trial? Was there a debate in the US on what constitutes torture before waterboarders were prosecuted?
May 5th, 2009 at 4:08 pm…as high as Cheney’s Office…..
Why stop there ?
May 5th, 2009 at 4:11 pmas soon as the muck gets a little deeper, a little thicker, a little less maleable, then our fearless former v.p. will — wait for it — be hospitalized. Unable to stand trial. Too weak for public appearances. Teetering.
What.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:12 pmA.
Typical.
Bully.
“May?” “May?” The investigations and prosecutions need to start there!
May 5th, 2009 at 4:15 pmSo you’re saying the Vice President was running the country?
:|
ok, I can see that.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:17 pmrayman, I agree. Obama is playing this perfectly (if you can even use the word “playing” when we’re talking about torture investigations and prosecutions) by have his hand publicly forced.
It seems that the only people stonewalling these investigations are those who are complicit, including Dem members of congress.
Open the windows, let in the sun and then let the chips fall where they may. Nothing less is acceptable to We the People.
PEACE
May 5th, 2009 at 4:31 pmI remember years ago when laws started changing to quit giving wrist slaps to drunk drivers and treat them like the criminals they are. There was a fair amount of opposition, mostly from people who could see themselves on the wrong side of such laws merely for having a glass of wine in a restaurant and then driving home.
People eventually realized that this really wasn’t a “there but for the grace of God go I” situation — that was a big difference between having a glass of wine with dinner and having enough drinks to get to the legal impairment stage. And there’s also a big difference between getting drunk and getting drunk and then choosing to drive.
I’m starting to see the “there but for the grace of God go I” syndrome with legalizing torture (not to mention covering it up). Elected officials are keenly aware that any laws, prosecutions, and punishment could apply to them in the right set of circumstances.
Our lawmakers have to realize there is a big difference between doing what is right for the country and flagrantly breaking laws for no reason other than political gain. This should NOT be a situation of “there but for the grace of God go I”. It should be a situation of “this is wrong, we’re going to put a stop to it, and we’re going to hold the responsible parties accountable.”
May 5th, 2009 at 4:37 pmWe might have one good apple in our system here and there, but we need to dump our whole corrupt government. We need a representative government that will work under our Constitution and is answerable to the People, and not to the corrupting corporate gluttons. The CIA, FBI, NSA, Homeland security, and the Pentagon are controlers of the people rather than their servants. The must be dumped.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:47 pmUmmm, Senator? The pope might need to be Catholic, as well.
A bear might need to defecate in a wooded area, as well.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:54 pmAnother 911 Whitewash Commission? Sure-I believe that 19 cavedwellers defeated the FBI, CIA, NSA, NORAD and the US Air Force and that hydrocarbon fires melt steel.
Why- To keep the criminals out of jail. That is why Dodd is proposing this crap.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:56 pmIn a sense, not to prosecute people or pursue them when these acts have occurred is, in a sense, to invite it again in some future administration.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:04 pm****************
In a sense, not to prosecute people or pursue them when these acts have occurred is, in a sense, to invite ….other less scurpulous countries to use this as an excuse to use torture (the US does it) and the rest of world to no longer assume we as a nation can be expected to abide by our international agreements in good faith !
Raynman #6
May 5th, 2009 at 5:14 pmThe only problem with that supposition is that Obama did not merely stall these investigations ,he actively sought to expand the logic behind the legal rationale used by the Bush administration in attempting to have these cases dismissed permanently in a court of law .
http://www.1115.org/2009/04/30/presidential-prevarication-still-alive-and-well/
When are the blowhards in congress, Dodd, Leahy, Conyers Waxman, and the rest going to stop “torturing” us with the same meaningless g-damn rhetoric and “strongly worded letters” and DO something? All the talk is nothing more than to keep themselves in front of microphones and cameras. This SHOULD have been done in 2007 while Bush and Cheney were still in office and it is now 2009 and zip has been done. Pelosi dropped the ball with “impeachment is off the table.” If ever a President and VP should have been impeached it was then!
May 5th, 2009 at 5:15 pmIt’s good to be King .
Kill a million people ,
displace millions ,
maim and wound innocent men, women and children ,
torture without charges in secret prisons,
assume dictatorial powers and then move on .
All men are created equal but some apparently were created more equal than others .
May 5th, 2009 at 5:35 pmthe demos will fold like a deck of cards they always do.
americans the swamp needs drained.
until them not much will change
unless you bought into the hope thing.
hope does not drain the swamp
just puts in new water in a very muddy swamp
move gov out of wash and change consitution.
ie a start: term limits for congress.
May 5th, 2009 at 5:50 pm@23 freeman Says:
One rational for Obama doing this is to open the way to quicker investigation by allowing the question to go forward for review. The supposition is that Obama knows the move for dismissal will fail. ..or so i hear…
May 5th, 2009 at 5:53 pmMay I suggest ONE STEP further….say….Bush, the WAR CRIMINAL who also ordered this embarrassment heaped upon our country.
Trials for all, freedom for none…we have lots of rope in this country, put it to use.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:18 pmOf course Cheney is involved. Involved? How about “the instigator”?
May 5th, 2009 at 6:22 pmTorture is not the way to facilitate cooperation with other countries. The U.S. should focus more on soft power and increase the strategic foreign aid.
The Borgen Project has good info on the estimated cost of ending global poverty:
$30 billion: Annual shortfall to end world hunger.
$550 billion: U.S. Defense budget.
May 5th, 2009 at 6:34 pmFunny, Dodd’s Countrywide, banking, loan mess caused more financial pain on U.S. citizens then any water boarding.
May 5th, 2009 at 7:24 pmkwsventures
No its not funny. It is you being an ignorant soulless jerk and a punkass troll. We get it you have no decency, no care for American values and not a single functioning braincell. So just stick your head back up Bush’s A$$ while the grownups run the country. Thank GOD the last two elections made morons like you irrelevant
May 5th, 2009 at 9:01 pmThere will be no investigations. The same military-industrial, Financial, surveillance, and Zionist handlers who controlled Bush are puppeteering Obama. The reason is simple….Fingers will point at Democrats such as Pelosi, Biden, Clinton, et al, if such an investigation occurs.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:52 pmctcadguy Says:
Another 911 Whitewash Commission? Sure-I believe that 19 cavedwellers defeated the FBI, CIA, NSA, NORAD and the US Air Force and that hydrocarbon fires melt steel.
You got that right! The most unbelievable of ALL the conspiracy theories. The Left is just as block headed as the Right when it comes to simple physics. In fact, I am tired of this idiotic “Left vs Right” crap. Both sides are bought and sold by the Captains Of Capital.
May 5th, 2009 at 11:58 pmI THANK
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I live in KY but would like to be an honorary RI resident so I could claim Sheldon Whitehouse as my Senator.
I’m not for cloning but really wish there were 99 others like him in the Senate with his smarts and backbone.
May 6th, 2009 at 10:14 am