General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsACLU Calls on Obama to Pardon Bush Officials for Torture
In the run-up to the release of the Senates scathing report on CIA interrogation techniques, American Civil Liberties Union Director Anthony Romero called on President Barack Obama to pardon George W. Bush and Bush administration officials for their hand in allowing those techniques. Romero argued that a pardon would establish precedenttorture is a crime that requires a pardon. Without that acknowledgment, he said, there is little legal pressure preventing techniques like those outlined in the Senate report from being used again.
"The spectacle of the presidents granting pardons to torturers still makes my stomach turn," Romero wrote in a New York Times editorial. "But doing so may be the only way to ensure that the American government never tortures again."
http://www.newsweek.com/aclu-calls-obama-pardon-bush-officials-torture-290640
Xipe Totec
(43,893 posts)No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No! No! No No!
Xipe Totec
(43,893 posts)wordpix
(18,652 posts)His point is that IF you're not going to prosecute the Criminals, at least label them as such b/c a pardon means the Criminals have done something wrong. It'a a warning to those Criminals Next Time in Power. He is proposing the pardon only IF there's no prosecution.
Xipe Totec
(43,893 posts)Prosecution my ass.
PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)Last edited Tue Dec 9, 2014, 10:51 PM - Edit history (1)
Ok, i see what aclu is trying to get at. Still, the thought of it pisses me off...
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)bridge too far!
wordpix
(18,652 posts)what's going on. He is FOR Bushco prosecutions
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)msongs
(67,509 posts)people what they did to need a pardon in the first place
wordpix
(18,652 posts)Now in the case of Jimmy Carter pardoning Vietnam War draft dodgers, I'm all for the pardon if used wisely.
Trillo
(9,154 posts)To: <snip>
Subject: No free pass for torture
Date: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 <snip>
Hi <snip>
If you read my op-ed in the New York Times(1) this morning and were surprised, youre not alone. Even some of my staff here at the ACLU were confounded until I had a chance to explain.
In my op-ed about the Senates report on post-9/11 torture, I call for the formal pardon of the architects of the CIAs torture regime. While the ACLU has demanded the prosecution of these criminals for 13 years, the Obama Administration has shown very little political will to appoint a special prosecutor I wanted to provoke the administration, and shame them into taking action.
If your only option is pardoning the torturers, you know something is terribly wrong. As we all know, impunity for torture is indefensible. We still need the Attorney General to appoint a special prosecutor its more important than ever that there is accountability for torture.
For over a decade, the American people have demanded to know about post-9/11 torture conducted in our names. Today, we finally have some answers.
The Senate just released its summary report detailing widespread and illegal CIA torture during the Bush years. Over a hundred people were abused and tortured by the CIA and its contractors, often in secret prisons, set up in countries such as Poland, Romania, and Thailand.
Now that we have additional evidence of the wrongs committed in our name, we must demand accountability. Were calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to conduct an independent investigation of the torture program.
Will you call upon Attorney General Holder to appoint a special prosecutor? We must ensure there is a full criminal investigation of such horrific wrongs.
We have long known that the Bush administrations torture program was authorized at the highest levels, including the White House, the Department of Justice, the CIA, and the Department of Defense.
We now also know that the CIA misled the public, Congress, and other oversight agencies about the scope and extent of its torture and the significance of the information obtained through torture.
In our system, no one should be above the law or beyond its reach, no matter how senior the official. Although some lower-level military personnel were prosecuted for their roles in the torture program, none of the officials who authorized the use of torture or oversaw its implementation have ever been charged with a crime.
We cant undo the damage that was done, but we can declare today that it wont stand unexamined. Urge Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a special prosecutor.
Now that more secrets have finally seen the light of day, its time to pursue justice and accountability. As the United States has repeatedly told other nations that commit human rights violations, a nation cannot move forward without accounting for the abuses of the past. Accountability is necessary for our country to regain its damaged moral authority, and to prevent the same wrongs from being committed again.
The Senate torture report makes clear that the torture program violated the Constitution and our criminal laws. This is our opportunity to urge a full criminal investigation of all those responsible for the torture program.
Accountability for torture today is critical for stopping it tomorrow: Sign the petition.
Thank you for taking action,
Anthony for the ACLU Action team
matt819
(10,749 posts)I sort of understand the reasoning given the lack of political will to prosecute. But I think this report provides thr hook on which to hang a. prosecution.
Also I hope international organizations take actions as well. It's long past time. Let's make it so that these criminals are no longer free to work or travel, etc.
LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)Response to underpants (Original post)
1000words This message was self-deleted by its author.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)I agree with a presidential pardon. The history books would show Bush and Cheney as pardoned war criminals!