RED CROSS CONCLUSION: “Investigate and Punish the Perpetrators”-By Scott Horton

[kpete]

April 6, 8:31 PM, 2009 · No Comment · Previous · Next

“Investigate and Punish the Perpetrators”
By Scott Horton

The Red Cross apparently thinks that a number of senior Bush Administration figures belong in jail. Its report on “high-value detainees” from February 2007 has just been published by the New York Review of Books. It can be downloaded herehttp://www.nybooks.com/icrc-report.pdf(PDF).

A stand-out among the conclusions:

…That the US authorities investigate all allegations of ill-treatment and take steps to punish the perpetrators, where appropriate, and to prevent such abuses from happening again.

...............

The Red Cross does not reach quickly to an “investigate and punish” recommendation. That happens only where the evidence of criminal conduct is manifest. And it was in this case. They use the word “torture” repeatedly, without equivocation or qualification.

Given that six of the key Bush Administration perpetrators now face a criminal investigation in Spain, the publication of the Red Cross report makes it far more likely that the Spanish prosecution will go forward. The question, however, is for the Obama Administration: why has Eric Holder blocked the criminal investigation that a proper understanding of his duties would lead him to initiate?

more:
http://harpers.org/archive/2009/04/hbc-90004701

[midnight]

1. The rest of the world thinks so too.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "But, but, but, we are Republicon Homelanders. Smirk." - xCommander AWOL

"So -- as me and xVP Dickie 'Five Military Deferments' Cheney have always believed -- 'elite' fatcat Republicon Homelanders like us are 'special.' Therefore, all you Americans, you defenders of the Constitution, your upholders of International Justice, and you adherents of basic Christian morality, can just STFU and sit down. Smirk."

- xCommander AWOL (R)

[chill_wind]

3. Per the footnotes, this report contains the names of 2 children.

Confirming once again allegations we've heard before-- and the sick, sick scope of what govt and Americans in service of it are capable of.

[acmavm]

4. The Obama administration seems to have lost all interest in the

pursuit of criminality from the bush** boys. It seems the sort of like all the perks and privileges of unethical and unConsitutional behavior.

[Echo In Light]

7. That's assuming there ever was ANY interest/intent

Highly doubtful. The "look forward" ruse was deployed as usual.

[chill_wind]

5. Leon Panetta

"Director Panetta has taken decisive steps to ensure that the CIA abides by the president's executive orders. That means CIA will not use interrogation techniques outside the Army Field Manual," he said. He noted that Panetta also has stated repeatedly that "no one who took actions based on legal guidance from the Department of Justice at the time should be investigated, let alone punished."

Should not even be investigated, let alone punished.

WAPO, talking about the incredible breaches of ethics by participating medical personnel..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/06/AR2009040603654.html

[bushmeister0]

6. And now we see the GOP in congress is threatening to "go nuclear"

if the Obama administration makes good on its promise to release that classified "legal guidance."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5400561&mesg_id=540056

It's all wrapped up into a neat package. We won't prosecute the perps because they were following legal advice that was written by people who should also be prosecuted but can't be because all the evidence against them is classified.

[chill_wind]

11. Along with Brennan pressuring Obama, and bet me, with Panetta's blessing.

Brennan:

Ex-CIA Officials Tied to Rendition Program and Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team

(Democracy Now)
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/17/obama_taps_ex_cia_officials_tied

Tuesday Nov. 25, 2008 15:00 EST
Exceptional news: John Brennan won't be CIA Director or DNI

(Glenn Greenwald)

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/11/25/john_brennan/

April 1st, 2009

"Back in November we opposed former CIA official John Brennan for CIA Director. Our Open Letter was credited with playing a role in Brennan’s withdrawal. Despite what some believed, we never claimed that Brennan played a key role in the Bush administration torture program. Rather, we were concerned that he had, when it mattered, never taken any position critical of that program. We needed someone who did not have such an equivocal history, we argued.

Afterward there was considerable criticism of those of us who opposed Brennan. We didn’t realize that Brennan was really opposed to the policies he could never get himself to publicly criticize, we were told.

Today the New York Times reports that the Obama administration is still debating whether to follow through with their committment to release all the Bush administration’s torture memos. In the article is the news that Brennan is among those opposing the release of the memos. It seems that some of those in the CIA who carried out the torture program might have their feelings hurt if those in whose name they tortured know what they actually did.

Some administration and Congressional officials said John O. Brennan, a C.I.A. veteran who now serves as President Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser, has urged caution in disclosing interrogation documents.

Sadly, after Brennan withdrew his name for CIA director, he was kept on as a top Obama counterterrorism adviser. This helped signal the intelligence community that Obama understood their concerns about having the past unearthed. Obama has also signalled this message with his refusal to endorse any investigation of Bush-era abuses and his rhetoricabout “looking forward.”

more: http://psychoanalystsopposewar.org/blog/2009/04/01/john-brennan-and-the-administration-stalling-on-bush-torture-memos/

[bushmeister0]

18. Despite all of this, the ICRC report is going to make these issues a little

more difficult to sweep under the rug. The someone on the inside who leaked that report is sure indication there are still patriots within the Agency who care about maintaining the integrity of their profession. We're not Pakistan, yet.

If they could survive Cheney's de-Gossing, Panetta should be a walk in the park.

[chill_wind]

19. They have been leaking these reports since 2004.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=3819121&mesg_id=3820351

Between them and the vast compilations of these kinds of reports at the ACLU, it's become the slow-boiling frog in the pot. FIVE YEARS at least. Congress, which saw the Abu Ghraib pictures and revelations years ago now, many of which the rest of the world still has not, MUST become another part of this equation. So far.....

:-(

[EFerrari]

9. Leon Panetta, in reserving the use of rendition, cannot claim

that none of our prisoners will be tortured.

[EFerrari]

8. Kick

[Supersedeas]

10. a Nation of Cowards is looking for an AG with courage

[Solly Mack]

12. K&R

[mod mom]

13. Has Scott Horton won a Pullitzer yet? If not, he should!

[northernlights]

14. Don't you know?

Smoking a couple joints is a much more important than minor little problems like torture or mass murder. Seriously. Get your priorities straight. :sarcasm:

[Hubert Flottz]

15. "and to prevent such abuses from happening again."

It's how the "Rule Of Law" works, I think.

If you don't punish criminals for their crimes, they generally keep right on committing more crimes and usually more serious crimes.

Torture and murder are still crimes, I think.

Do lawyers not learn how the rule of law works any longer in law school?

If we are going to stop looking back do I still need to pay the IRS?

[rhett o rick]

16. Before Pres Obama can do this, he needs the backing of most of the country.

We can help. We need to spread the word that investigation and prosecution is needed of all war criminals.

[chill_wind]

17. rhett.. I believe a sizable American public is with him

but as much as that, he needs the the committed, aggressive backing of Congress. With some exception only, they have betrayed us for years on this matter. No matter how many petitions, how many emails, phone calls, protests, how many books written, and how much pressure by civil liberties and human rights groups, American and International Legal orgs, and no matter how much excoriation by the alternative liberal media.

Perfect example-- whatever happened to the State Secrets Protection Act of 2009 bill?

Oh-- here it is..... just laying around.... while the court cases keep rolling right by...

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-984

The state secrets shield has been used by the old and new admins in everything from torture/rendition court cases (remember Jeppesen Dataplan of just a month or two ago?) to warrentless wiretapping just this past week. And let us not forget the Patriot Act, the Fisa Fix and the MCA. How serious is Congress about its own sworn oath of duty? Not very.

[rhett o rick]

21. Although most Americans may agree that investigations and prosecutions are needed, they are not

vocal enough. Until they speak out very strongly, protests and violence*, Pres Obama won't go there.

*(FISA note) For the record I do not encourage violence.

[KharmaTrain]

20. Drip, Drip, Drip

For many of us here, Scott's work is vindication of what we either had heard or suspected. It affirmation of what Jane Meyer and Seymour Hersh were reporting but is now finally seeing the light of day after the final demise (or at least in a governmental sense) of the booosh regime. This isn't the end...this is just a start. And for many, this is the first time these crimes are being aired...they're gonna have to catch up to where many of us already are.

The war crimes of the past 8 years can't be burried...or shreaded or stonewalled. But it won't resolve itself in any short order, either. Each revelation takes us one step closer to the need to investigate, but not on a national, but international level. I've long felt these crimes were way beyond what our political system could handle and the corruption of our judicial system by the booosh regime has handcuffed that branch as well. It will take International investigations and condmenations to put the pressure on not just President Obama, but our politicians and the corporate media to demand a full accounting. Without it, America's credibility as a true world leader will never recover.