Author: Some in Congress calling for war crimes trials

[seemslikeadream]

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Author_Some_in_Congress_calling_for_0715.html

The Bush administration's laxity towards torture of prisoners could expose its top officials to war crimes charges, said investigative journalist and New Yorker writer Jane Mayer to CNN's Wolf Blitzer.

"I think that's more a political question than a legal question, really," Mayer said. "It's a question of whether there's a political appetite for this. There are Democrats on the Hill who are calling for these kinds of hearings and trials."

As Mayer wrote in her new book, The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned into a War on American Ideals, officials that may find themselves under arrest should they visit certain European countries include President Bush, Vice President Cheney, his aide David Addington, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, for violations of the Geneva Conventions and American law.

"What the book makes clear, really, is that this wasn't the action of some kind of 'bad, rotten apples on the bottom of the barrel,' as people were saying Abu Ghraib. This is a program that was put into place by the top of our government to use the to get information."

"As part of that process," the book reads, "for the first time in history, the United States sanctioned government officials to physically and psychologically torment U.S.-held captives, making torture the official law of the land in all but name."

" interrogation methods used to question detainees have been lawful, safe, and effective," CIA spokesman George Little countered in a Friday statement responding to claims made in the book. "The program has yielded valuable information that has helped the United States and other countries save lives and disrupt terrorist operations."

[tekisui]

1. KNFUCKINR!!!!

Let's get this ball rolling. Lock up the War Criminals!!!!!

[wildbilln864]

2. *k&r. nt

:hi:

[MadMaddie]

3. They committed crimes...now let's see who has the guts to

prosecute them.

[gratuitous]

13. I'm confident someone will prosecute these crimes

Will it be us? Or will it be an international tribunal? Or will it be an ad hoc committee of concerned world citizens using extralegal means?

[MadMaddie]

19. Any of the above will do!!

[robertpaulsen]

4. K & R for justice!

:kick:

:hi:

[bonito]

5. K&R!

[chknltl]

6. I look forward to the book but I find this statement disturbing:

regarding those hearings: "I think that's more a political question than a legal question, really," Mayer said. "It's a question of whether there's a political appetite for this."

F**K THE DAMNED POLITICS-IT'S A FULL BLOWN CONSPIRACY TO COVER UP IMPEACHABLE OFFENSES AND WAR CRIMES!!!! :grr: WE THE PEOPLE ARE supposed to know the truth! The electorate needs to be enlightened to the real source of the hindering of the investigations...not be told that these investigations are being hindered due to mere political (career) concerns! The crooks are in plain sight covering their own asses and somehow convincing our congress to go along with this! Political concerns, imo are secondary here.

Good on her for the book though...sounds like a big step in the right direction.... It's best to reserve judgment though until one gets a chance to read it. I have been hearing about this book lately on prog-radio and look forward to purchasing a copy soon.
KnR.

[DCKit]

7. Thankfully, I believe the article is stating that we no longer have to depend on Nancypants or...

"WhereIsHarry" for justice. It's been outsourced - like everything else in this country.

Off to the Hague!!!

[conscious evolution]

9. Nancy and Harry sitting on their ass's

is what will allow the International Criminal Court to have jurisdiction in any war crimes tribunal.
While I think of it as criminal of pelosi and reid to not pusue impeachment for bushcos domestic crimes their is good reason for them to place impeachment for war crimes off the table.For them to do so would take the ICC's jurisdiction away.

[Imagevision]

8. I'd be thrilled to see hearings at this point...

[crickets]

10. "making torture the official law of the land in all but name"

Pfft. It WAS "in name" - they hired lawyers to consult and write it up. There were official meetings and reports to a small segment of Congress pressed to secrecy, and that small segment of Congress rolled over like a warm, furry puppy.

It was definitely OFFICIAL and IN NAME.

[Senator]

11. Impeachment Must Be First

Nothing else will happen without it.


--

[bdamomma]

12. I wish Cheney would get his

impeachment first, he is the mastermind behind everything, he is a major player.

[EVDebs]

14. Dr K occasionally has to change his travel plans

Kissinger may face extradition to Chile
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4431760,00.html

[electropop]

15. "Laxity?" I thought BuCheney were very firm on torture.

Firmly demanding it.

[Imagevision]

16. They can't get Rove to show up to answer questions, Bush already claimed executive privilege on this

[Twist_U_Up]

17. but,but,but........what about 911 this time around. No mention?

911 was an inside job. Never forget.

[jeff30997]

18. "a political appetite for this"

Ironic expression when you consider that there's nothing on the table according to you-know-who.