When Rule of Law Meets Politics

[marmar]

from Consortium News:


When Rule of Law Meets Politics
September 11, 2012

Holding national security officials accountable for torture and other crimes against humanity may seem like the right thing to do when it’s someone else’s country. But U.S. politicians keep finding excuses when the abusers are American, observes the Independent Institute’s Ivan Eland.

By Ivan Eland


One of the most important issues in the 2012 election is a non-issue because both parties want to ignore it: punishment for Bush-era human rights violations by torture.

Nevertheless, in a country where the rule of law (that is, we are all supposed to be equal before the law) should be paramount, it is vital that such uncomfortable episodes be examined and, if necessary, prosecuted. Yet the CIA has been put above the law.

The episode is similar to President Gerald Ford’s holding of former President Richard Nixon above the law with an unconstitutional pardon for his Watergate crimes before Nixon had even been convicted of any of them.

Although this protection from prosecution is similar to that of the Justice Department’s protection of CIA torturers, at least President Ford’s pardon was justifiably unpopular with the American people and contributed to his defeat in his 1976 candidacy. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://consortiumnews.com/2012/09/11/when-rule-of-law-meets-politics/

[xchrom]

1. du rec. Nt

[just1voice]

2. Forget the CIA, prosecute the planners, Cheney, Bush, Rice, Rumsfeld and Powell

The CIA was ordered to do it by those war criminals. Of course, very few Americans even care, they act as if torture is some old political issue instead of the heinous war crime that it is.

[crazymanb10]

3. Spam deleted by Warren DeMontague (MIR Team)

[crazymanb101]

4. Spam deleted by Warren DeMontague (MIR Team)

[crazymanb11]

5. Spam deleted by Warren DeMontague (MIR Team)