It’s time for Obama to stop pussyfooting around. He should indict, arrest, and prosecute Cheney.

[kpete]

Cheney War Crimes: Just Look at the Statute
By Matthew Rothschild, March 25, 2009

President Obama needs to tell Attorney General Eric Holder to indict Dick Cheney, right now, for war crimes.

Just look at the statute,http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/dss/statute/2441.html
Title 18 of the U.S. Criminal Code, Section 2441.
It says that someone is guilty of a war crime if he or she commits a “grave breach of common Article 3” of the Geneva Conventions. And then it defines what a grave breach would be.

One such breach is torture, or the conspiracy to commit torture, which Cheney was clearly in on, as when he repeatedly defended waterboarding and talked about the need to go to the “dark side”

Here’s the language from the statute:

“The act of a person who commits, or conspires to commit, an act specifically intended to inflict severe physical or mental pain or suffering . . . upon another person within his custody or physical control for the purpose of obtaining information or a confession, punishment, intimidation, coercion, or any reason based on discrimination of any kind.”

Another grave breach is “cruel or inhuman treatment,” or the conspiracy to inflict such treatment. Again, Cheney was supervising such treatment

An additional breach is “mutilation or maiming.”

“Intentionally causing serious bodily harm” is yet another grave breach.

...........

For each of these offenses, Cheney could receive life in prison, according to the statute.

more at:
http://www.progressive.org/wx032409.html

[LakeSamish706]

1. I would like to know why he is standing in the way of this and other investigations...

It's time to get on with major investigations and indictments against these criminals.

[MadBadger]

4. What do you think the public's response would be if Obama did what the OP wanted?

[LakeSamish706]

6. Last poll I saw the public was in agreement with charges (if applicable) against...

these criminals.

[MadBadger]

13. When was the poll taken?

Id expect now the generic response would be: Obama should be fixing the economy, not going after Bush.

It would be political suicide for Obama to take the lead on this.

I want Congress to do this.

[LakeSamish706]

15. It was posted here on DU a week or two ago, sorry didn't mark it. n/t

[earth mom]

9. Sounds like your loyalty to Obama trumps bringing murdering criminals to justice.

Maybe you need to question your devotion because no one is above the law and elected officials should not be allowed to ignore the law as Obama is doing.

[MadBadger]

14. lol

[tomp]

16. what's so funny? nt

[rocktivity]

2. That's why Cheney's been calling him out

He's daring Obama to do something!

:headbang:
rocktivity

[bdamomma]

5. Cheney could be but remember when Cheney said

something to the effect if Bush did anything wrong he would have been impeached, and Cheney added well I guess we didn't do anything illegal. If that isn't arrogance I don't know what is. Cheney needs to be arrested and so do the rest of them.

[global1]

11. Maybe Cheney Has Been Dumping On Obama And Obama Responding In Kind.......

if Obama nows goes after Cheney for war crimes, etc - it now has the appearance of more of a personal vendetta against Cheney then it would have if they didn't have this interchange.

Does this make it harder for Obama to do now?

[EFerrari]

12. Obama can't move until his DoJ is in place and it isn't yet.

There are still plenty of Bush holdovers -- like Mueller! -- that he has to contend with.

[tritsofme]

3. I'm sure he'll get right on that.

[LakeSamish706]

7. Tell me why he shouldn't get right on it? We can't move foreword until ....

these crimes are dealt with IMHO. The fight that Obama is engaged in now was no doubt brought about by the previous Administration.

[bobthedrummer]

8. It's got to start somewhere-K&R-- Cheney had articles of impeachment entered against him

Let Congress hear from you about these BUSH/CHENEY administration criminals, even if the call is answered by criminals!

TOLL FREE CONGRESSIONAL SWITCHBOARD NUMBERS

1-800-862-5530

1-800-828-0498

1-800-614-2803

1-866-340-9281

1-866-338-1015

1-866-220-0044

[GreenTea]

10. Fuck YES! No excuses & no compromise. Cheney is a criminal, proof has been exposed - PROSECUTE!

[Luminous Animal]

17. There is ample evidence of war crimes...

Obama should appoint a Special Prosecutor now.

From Maddow's Monday show with Jonathan Turley.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29859430/

TURLEY: Rachel, let‘s be honest here. It is just as bad to prevent the investigation and prosecution of a war crime as its commission because you become part of it. There‘s no question about a war crime here. There is no need for a truth commission.

You know, some people say, what do you need, a film? We actually had films of us torturing people. So this would be the shortest investigation in history. You have Bush officials who have said that we tortured people. We have interrogators who have said we tortured people. The Red Cross has said it. A host of international organizations have said it.

What is President Obama waiting for? And I‘m afraid the answer is a convenient moment. The fact is he has been told by his adviser that it would be grossly unpopular to investigate and prosecute Bush officials. Well, that is a perfectly horrible reason not to follow principle.

When we talk about values, the most important one is that the president has to enforce the laws. He can‘t pick and choose who would be popular to prosecute.

MADDOW: Should he be appointing a special prosecutor? What should he be doing?

TURLEY: He should be appointing a special prosecutor. There is no question about that. This is the most well-defined and publicly known crime I have seen in my lifetime. There is no debate about it. There is no ambiguity. It is well known.

You‘ve got people involved who have basically admitted the elements of a war crime that we are committed to prosecuting. We don‘t need a truth and reconciliation commission because we are already reconciled to the rule of law. There is nothing to reconcile to.

What the people have to reconcile are the people who broke the law. They need to reconcile with the law. And he happens to be having a debate with one of those people as if they are talking about some quaint notion of policy.