ACLU Calls for Independent Counsel to Investigate Administration’s Approval of Torture and Abuse

[Hissyspit]

Source: ACLU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bush Admits To Knowledge of Torture Authorization by Top Advisers (4/12/2008)

ACLU Calls for Independent Counsel to Investigate Administration’s Approval of Torture and Abuse

WASHINGTON – 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.

- snip -

“We have always known that the CIA’s use of torture was approved from the very top levels of the U.S. government, yet the latest revelations about knowledge from the president himself and authorization from his top advisers only confirms our worst fears,” said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. “It is a very sad day when the president of the United States subverts the Constitution, the rule of law, and American values of justice.”

- snip -

The American Civil Liberties Union is calling on Congress to demand an independent prosecutor to investigate possible violations by the Bush administration of laws including the 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.”

Read more: http://www.aclu.org/safefree/general/34879prs20080412.html

[usregimechange]

1. Send this to your rep as welll... k&r

[sce56]

2. So all those troops torturing prisoners in Abu Graib were indeed just following orders from the

White House?


Seems like some soldiers need to have their verdicts appealed with this info!

[Wizard777]

4. Nope! Just following orders is not a legal defense to war crimes charges.

But the investigation was not conducted in accordance to the Geneva Convention. The investigation begins with Bush. Not the guards. They were Bush's POW's. Not the guards POW's. This can also be used to deny our troops GC Protections.

[bluesmail]

3. please, the crimes are adding up, there's a heap of them

documented, please hurry.

[truedelphi]

5. I would agree more whole heartedly

But if indictments get close, the war with Iran gets even closer.

[HardWorkingDem]

6. HM, where is HRC's comment about this?

Shameful. She stirs up a shit storm over how people do feel and says nothing while the US Constitution is being used for toilet paper by the Bushies and their ilk.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Will our Democratic President allow extradition of Bush & Co. to The Hague for trial?

That's the question that we should be asking of Hillary and Obama!

[Tesha]

19. Of course not! Silly you for asking! :-( (NT)

[annabanana]

8. ALL of Congress, should be clamoring for an Independent Counsel

House & Senate, Democrat & Republican, NBC, ABC, CBS, EVERYBODY.

[Kurovski]

9. K&R. (nt)

[pnorman]

10. From another DU thread:

http://action.aclu.org/torturefoia/released/102405/3235.pdf

pnorman

[bobthedrummer]

11. Yoo Army Torture memo doc dated 3-14-2003 (pdf)

"Memorandum for William J. Haynes II, General Counsel of the Department of Defense March 14, 2003
Re: Military Interrogation of Alien Unlawful Combatants Held Outside the United States"
http://www.aclu.org/pdfs/safefree/yoo_army_torture_memo.pdf

IMPEACHMENT NOW, ACCOUNTABILITY NOW!!!

[bobthedrummer]

12. "In Contravention of Conventional Wisdom: CIA 'no touch' torture" (active thread started 1-24-08)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x333974

[burrowowl]

13. Impeachment Hearings! NOW!

Is Bu$hie snubbing his nose at us? Does he think that saying he was in on the discussions and all will be forgiven? How blatant! Will Congress and the American People hold these War Criminals accountable?!

[mhoran]

14. Let's make some noise!!!

Presumably the MSM will downplay this, if they don't ignore it entirely. Contact your representatives, your local media, anyone you can think of. Let's raise a racket!

[Subdivisions]

15. Isn't it simply amazing that ever since the ACLU's inception

they're antics have been a favorite fodder and source for the MSM yet now, after a United States president has committed high crimes and human rights atrocities, a search for this particular story on Google News turns up only the very press release the OP posted?

http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLR_enUS264US264&q=ACLU&um=1&tab=wn&scoring=n

GO FIGURE!

[defendandprotect]

16. Independent . . . ??? You mean no Kissinger? Maybe even no Lee Hamilton?

[Peace Patriot]

17. Special prosecutors are for "semen-stained dresses," not for torturing prisoners

and shredding the Constitution, the Geneva Conventions and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Or hadn't you heard?

This drives me bananas!

:mad: :silly: :wtf: :wow: :silly: :mad:

[Tesha]

18. Error: You can only recommend threads started in the past 24 hours. (NT)

[Supersedeas]

20. Mukasey has other partisan priorities