UN Rapporteur on torture: Obama decision not to prosecute CIA torturers- breach of international law

[bigtree]

VIENNA (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's decision not to prosecute CIA interrogators who used waterboarding on terrorism suspects amounts to a breach of international law, the U.N. rapporteur on torture said.

"The United States, like all other states that are part of the U.N. convention against torture, is committed to conducting criminal investigations of torture and to bringing all persons against whom there is sound evidence to court," U.N. special rapporteur Manfred Nowak told the Austrian daily Der Standard.

Nowak, an Austrian, suggested an investigation by an independent commission before suspects were tried and said it would be important for all victims to receive compensation.

Nowak did not think Obama would go as far as to seek an amnesty law for affected CIA personnel and therefore U.S. courts could still try torture suspects, he said on Saturday.

http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE53H1Y020090418

[thunder rising]

1. Obama needs us to YELL and insist on prosecution. The CIA must be held accountable by us.

He cannot do this alone.

[Old Codger]

6. He can

Maybe not do it alone but he can definitely get it started on his own.

[Old Codger]

2. Yes

Aiding and abetting after the fact, any officer of the court is required to report and prosecute, failure to prosecute is tacit consent.

[G_j]

3. & that goes for the Congress-people who saw the tapes nt

[bigtree]

4. .

[madokie]

5. It looks to me like he is setting it up for the ICC to prosecute the torturers

[bigtree]

7. I'll take comfort in that

. . . when (*big* if) the president officially recognizes the international tribunal.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. I think that occurance can safely be placed on the "Fat Chance" shelf.

These speculations on some sort of hidden plan by Obama flies in the face of actual facts and have no foundation.

[bigtree]

10. agreed

There's enough info already provided by Obama and his principles to make pretty clear judgments on the administration's view and approach on these issues, and to speculate on their positions and actions in the future.

[spanone]

8. k&r