Former CIA Bin Laden Chief: Prosecute Clinton for Rendition

[Vyan]

Run time: 12:26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EK9akf-W9MM   Posted on YouTube: April 29, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: May 01, 2009 By DU Member: Vyan Views on DU: 1284

 
Approximately 8 mins into this discussion on the CIA use of Torture, former CIA Bin Laden Desk Chief Micheal Scheuer (Author of Imperial Hubris) argues that prosecuting Bush Officials for the Criminal Conspiracy of Torture would "tear this country apart", and that if this is attempted - it should go even further into prosecutions against Bill Clinton for the Rendition Program that he setup which was run my Scheuer himself.

It's classic bait and switch, tar and feather the hated opposition for shoplifting a donut while hiding the stolen Queen Mary behind your back.

"Look over there - A Bird!"

In the meantime he makes every possible wingnut argument, many of whom I thoroughly debunked last week when they were parroted by Liz Cheney. Scheuer's a smart guy, and clearly the world's leading expert on Bin Laden, but he's also a raging Clinton-Hater and budding Barack-No-Phobe, so his comments on either of them have to be taken with a Back-Hoe of Salt.

I don't have a lot more to add, the video speaks for itself.

Vyan

[librechik]

1. sure, why not--he's already endured a pointless political prosecution or three

That won't lessen the guilt of Scheuer and his neocon masters for far more serious crimes.

[sattahipdeep]

5. Micheal Scheuer has sociopathic impulses

[EFerrari]

2. We don't know if he is the world's leading expert on anything.

That's how he has been sold to us.

[EFerrari]

3. Wow, he's more openly assholish than I've ever seen him.

Good. Outed for a right wing shill.

[JDPriestly]

4. Prosecutions do destroy lives. When a child's parent is prosecuted

for assault or fraud or just shoplifting, not only is the parent's life destroyed, so is that of the child. Do you realize how many children in the United States live in the shame and shambles of a home broken by a prison sentence? If you add up the destruction in America that results from prosecuting crimes of all kinds, you get a far worse devastation than will occur from prosecuting the likes of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Michael Scheuer.

I'm sure every right-wing law and order fanatic will agree with me: The ultimate cause of the destruction, the devastation, the tearing apart of the child's family or our society is not the prosecution but the criminal act itself.

Michael Scheuer's suggestion that we treat these prisoners like any other war prisoners makes the most sense. Had we only done that from the get-go, had Mr. Scheuer only resigned rather than agree to the renditions or the torture, we would be so much better off now.

I think I was just looking at one of the chief evildoers in this torture and rendition scenario: Michael Scheuer. I think he should pay the same price as some of the local gang members who kill and maim. What makes him think he should be excused for murder and assault? Is it because he can read better than our local gang members? The crime is exactly the same down to its violent physical details.

As for Bill Clinton, maybe he too should be prosecuted. The facts should also be released on what happened with those renditions. Open the files. This could serve to pressure some of the other torture states to end their primitive prison conditions. Let's take mankind a step further toward ending torture everywhere.

Of course, prosecutions will be tough. But it's going to be even tougher if Obama succumbs to these Republican threats. What will prevail here? Justice or bullying? It's up to the Obama adminstration.

[DutchLiberal]

6. So just because he has a D behind his name Clinton shouldn't be held accountable?

Just because he has a D behind his name he shouldn't be be judged the same as George Bush when it comes to breaking (international) laws? Just because he has a D behind his name you are willing to smear the messenger instead of listening to the message?

Michael Scheur is indeed, as you say, a smart guy. You may remember him from the 2007 primaries in which he assisted Ron Paul in debunking Rudy Giuliani's filthy lies about 9/11 and Bush's wrongheaded foreign policy. At that time, he was hailed as a hero at DU, but now he's going after someone with a D behind his name, suddenly he's not so popular anymore?

In that case you're no better than all the blinded Bush-followers who think he was right because "he's the president". And yes, I do agree with Michael Scheur: Clinton should be prosecuted. Together with every (former) government official who broke (international) laws.

[aquart]

7. Ron. Paul.

No Libertarian Underground?

[DutchLiberal]

9. Would you please be so kind as to answer to anything I've written in a substantial way?

If not, please don't bother me again.

[mmonk]

8. I have no problem looking into rendition. Technically, it's a crime.

I'm just not for using any prosecution of it to excuse torture programs under the bush regime or to water it down or to say, "look at what Clinton did".