'President Obama did an amazingly important thing by releasing the torture memos.'

[BlueJessamine]

' President Obama did an amazingly important thing by releasing the torture memos.'

- Jane Hamsher of Fire Dog Lake:

excerpt:

In making the memos public, Obama gave the public everything we need to demand that they be investigated. The evidence is harrowing, and it's clear that these people were wantonly transgressing the law. It's our obligation as citizens to take it from here, and to create the climate for doing what needs to be done. The media doesn't want to use the word "torture" -- but it's instantly obvious to anyone who reads these memos that it was torture by any rational standard.

We're working with Glenn Greenwald to organize right now, and here are the efforts we'll be whipping support for next week:

• Jan Schakowsky is talking with the Justice Department, and asking that contractors not get the same immunity as CIA officials. She's specifically talking about James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen who developed the torture program.

• Jerold Nadler, Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, is calling for a special prosecutor: "We must have a criminal investigation if the U.S. is to reclaim its moral authority and prevent repetition of these crimes.

• DDay and other California bloggers are pushing for a resolution at the upcoming California Democratic Party Convention calling for the impeachment of Jay "Insect Memo" Bybee, who is still sitting on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

We're also communicating with other organizations and coordinating a consolidated campaign to push for an investigation, and we'll be delivering signatures to the Justice Department calling for a special prosecutor (you can add yours here: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/Prosecutor).


If anyone has good online communications skills and some spare time and is interested in helping with these efforts, drop me a line.

http://firedoglake.com/2009/04/17/torture-looking-forward-by-cleaning-up-the-past/

[chill_wind]

1. K & R n/t

[mopinko]

2. jan was on the intelligence committee last congress

not sure if she still is. she could use to make up for her past inaction.

[jillan]

3. Senator Whitehouse (RI), a former attorney, said the same thing.

Obama gave everyone what they need in order to follow through.

[pat_k]

4. We're WAY beyond need to "investigate." The public record mandated Prosecution. . .

. . .(and before January 20, 2009, Impeachment) more than 5 years ago.

To say we must "investigate" is to promote the lie that known facts demanded IMMEDIATE impeachment, followed by IMMEDIATE Prosecution, years ago.

[cutlassmama]

6. Agree. n/t

[Senator]

9. K&R

[annabanana]

5. And there it is. Right in front of us. Is there anyone here who HASN'T

contacted their Rep?

[Tutankhamun]

7. K&R

[Spazito]

8. Excellent!

This is exactly the way to go, imo. In releasing the memos, in spite of what we now know was an inordinate amount of pressure being put on him to keep them secret, President Obama deliberately, imo, put in place the impetus for a groundswell of support for the prosecution of those who authorized the use of torture.

When the cry comes overwhelmingly from the people, Congress WILL act and the republicans will have little chance of subverting the process by claiming "witch hunt, etc.", imo.

[kentuck]

10. Barack will follow the will of the people.

He can only carry so much of the load. He needs just a little assistance.

[emulatorloo]

11. KICK AND REC n/t

[chill_wind]

12. ..

[Stuart G]

13. Kic and Rec nr

[TankLV]

14. WE HAVE TO CREATE A CLIMATE WHERE THEY CANNOT REFUSE TO PROSECUTE THESE WAR CRMINALS!!!

That's it in a nutshell.

Pure and simple.

WE WILL HAVE "JUSTICE" - it is NOT "revenge" by any means...

[HopeOverFear]

15. Very good

[Skittles]

16. if there's no prosectutions

he is merely tossing a bone :thumbsdown:

[bertman]

17. Kick. Nothing will happen unless We the People DEMAND it. Start demanding.