Torture is a crime, not a state secret

[CHIMO]

The UK court ruling in the case of Binyam Mohamed demonstrates once more that judges on both sides of the Atlantic have had enough of governments hiding behind national security "secrets" to shield themselves from their many trespasses in the "war on terror".

The court's decision to publish a seven-paragraph summary of intelligence given to MI5 by the CIA has been met by the convenient, and wholly unbelievable, argument from British and American officials that the release could damage intelligence co-operation and sharing between the two allies.

The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, has argued that keeping the summary secret was vital to ensuring that the US continues to share vital intelligence with the British security services. The White House only played up this threat after the decision was handed down.

"We're deeply disappointed with the court's judgment because we shared this information in confidence and with certain expectations," White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said. "As we warned, the court's judgment will complicate the confidentiality of our intelligence-sharing relationship with the UK, and it will have to factor into our decision-making going forward."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/feb/11/binyam-mohamed-torture

[bvar22]

1. Those who cover up crimes...

...are complicit in those crimes.

[Wilms]

2. Accessory after the fact.

[pundaint]

3. Breaking his oath to uphold the constitution by enforcing the law is enough

reason to vote for Obama's primary opponent. And his governance doesn't help his case either.

[azul]

4. How about a balance sheet of CIA successes and failures?

Open up the books, let in the sunshine, on at least on as much stuff as can be declassified -which should be just about everything IMO. In a wholly-citizen-owned government that is spending my money in my name there should be no secret law-breaking agencies with about zero accountability and potential blackmailing powers over its supposed watchdogs.

And then make some informed decisions and determinations on its limits and liabilities and perhaps existence. The CIA's clandestine extra judicial operations are ruining the rule of law and mock and destroy peace efforts around the world.