It Is NOT Up To The President To Declare Torture Is OK-It Is A War Crime!

[kpete]

America tortures.

America has committed War Crimes.

The CIA has broken domestic and international laws. The President of the United States has broken domestic and international laws. The entities that should prosecute these War Crimes are compromised.

Now What, America?

BRIAN ROSS: And did you know the CIA officers feel without a doubt you had the legal right to do what you were doing?

JOHN: Absolutely. Absolutely. I remember - I remember being told when - the President signed the - the authorities that they had been approved - not just by the National Security Counsel, but by the - but by the Justice Department as well, I remember people being surprised that the authorities were granted.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3978231&page=1

In ordinary circumstances...when a President has committed a crime, especially one as heinous as torture...one might expect the Speaker of the House to start investigations for the purpose of impeachment. But The Speaker of the House KNEW America was engaging in torture ...and did not object. And make no mistake...the purpose of those briefing the Intelligence Committee heads is specifically in place to allow them to object to programs and practices that cross the line of decency, and legality. It is their purpose. There is NO excuse for not objecting.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/11/162212/45/657/420375

Since the United States is a signatory to this Convention, it is not up to President Bush to declare waterboarding is okay. It is not. It is torture. Plain and simple.

. . . any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity. It does not include pain or suffering arising only from, inherent in or incidental to lawful sanctions. http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/h2catoc.htm

http://noquarterusa.net/blog/2007/12/11/waterboarding-and-torture/

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

MS. PERINO: I am saying that the United States does not torture. The President has been -- <...>

Q But when you have a former CIA officer, John Kiriakou, now saying that waterboarding was used -- since you're saying the interrogations were legal; he's saying on the record now, waterboarding was used in at least one case. You're saying waterboarding is legal?

MS. PERINO: Ed, I'm saying I'm not commenting on any specific technique. I'm not commenting on that gentleman's characteristics of any possible technique. I've given you a very general statement about interrogations being legal, limited and --

Q You just said it was legal.

MS. PERINO: I'm sorry?

Q You said it was within the legal framework.

MS. PERINO: Yes.

Q Everything that was done.

MS. PERINO: Yes.

Q So waterboarding is legal.

MS. PERINO: I'm not commenting on any specific techniques.

[Mike03]

1. Absolutely right.

But why aren't our leaders calling press conferences every fucking day to point out the rampant corruption of this damned administration, and to emphasize the huge, HUGE fuckups of the past three weeks?

Investigations should be started now.

Subpoenas should be flying.

Press conferences should be held daily!

Why isn't the entire country all over these recent developments?

It's so damned frustrating I can hardly think straight.

[babylonsister]

2. You dug this up; why can't Pelosi? I know, she's involved in it.

Too bad I just received a request for donations from the DCCC. They'll get their envelope back, with no money but a few choice words.

[mod mom]

10. I stopped being a straight party voter after the response from the Dems after OH '04.

I have a feeling there will be others joining in this sentiment as more is revealed. Blind loyalty is irresponsible regardless of party. Time to clean house (and senate).

[Hydra]

3. 50 years worth

We torture. We teach other tin-pots to torture. We fund other tin-pots that torture.

The WH orders, the CIA and others actually do it, and the Judicial and Legislative branches nod sagely.

Any more proof needed that we have become the "good germans"?

[tekisui]

4. And chimpy was just directly implicated in the War Crime.

Go Dennis, take these treasonous basterds down. IMPEACH!!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=2449277&mesg_id=2449277

[Solly Mack]

5. Exactly! Bunch of cowardly pieces of shit

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

6. Torture is a war crime. America TORTURES. America is,...criminal.

x(

We, Americans, still fail to take a stand against crimes,...against laws, against humanity.

Time to look in the mirror or,...

[KharmaTrain]

7. The Truth Will Out...

Unfortunately with the pardon fairy and executive privilidge being thrown all around, we will have to wait until after 1-20-09 to start really getting to the truth of what happened. The power of the "unitary executive" not only has stonewalled this regime but the right wing spin machine continues to dominate and intimidate the corporate media. Not only does booooshie think torture is ok, so do the talking heads on our televisions...as if there's any "debate" on such matters.

My hope are the courts will be where this regime's guilt and our national disgrace can be exposed. The door is open for civil and criminal suits on many levels...not only domestically, but internationally. There's not just clear evidence of torture, but the attempts to cover it up and lie about it. Boooshie without pardons can and should be a man always watching over his shoulder as his crimes catch up to him.

[kestrel91316]

8. Caligula the Decider has decided that nobody gets to punish him

for ANY of his crimes. Most especially the war ones.

[EVDebs]

9. Bush has absolutely ZERO credibility and for poor Dana Perino to trot out daily and defend the

indefensible is just too much to look at. And that's saying quite a bit since Dana is a babe, you still have to turn away when the whoppers come out. Oh wait, that can be miscontrued.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/10/05/bush.torture/index.html#cnnSTCText

[Gregorian]

11. It is illegal, but it has not been prosecuted.

We teach torture at the School of the Americas. Funny how that's plural. So if it's a war crime, and if we haven't been prosecuting it, what precedent does that set? Or does it set one? Where do we draw the line? Was Clinton guilty of torture? What about Carter? And when do we begin enforcing the law? Or is that an international jurisdiction?

I worry that if we let bank robbers go, then it lessens the crime of robbing a bank.

It's time to end this nightmare. And I say we start with Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld, et. al. Their use of torture is part of an illegal invasion. It's so flagrant, that we need look no further for other crimes. It's time.

The only thing an independent investigation will uncover is whom is guilty of what. We know the crimes exist. To not take action is also illegal.

[windoe]

12. Perhaps a 'citizens arrest'

is in order-of course that's probably illegal now.