Obama advisers: No charges likely for interrogators who carried out Bush torture policy

[bigtree]

34 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama's incoming administration is unlikely to bring criminal charges against government officials who authorized or engaged in harsh interrogations of suspected terrorists during the George W. Bush presidency. Obama, who has criticized the use of torture, is being urged by some constitutional scholars and human rights groups to investigate possible war crimes by the Bush administration.

Two Obama advisers said there's little — if any — chance that the incoming president's Justice Department will go after anyone involved in authorizing or carrying out interrogations that provoked worldwide outrage.

Obama has committed to reviewing interrogations on al-Qaida and other terror suspects. After he takes office in January, Obama is expected to create a panel modeled after the 9/11 Commission to study interrogations, including those using waterboarding and other tactics that critics call torture. The panel's findings would be used to ensure that future interrogations are undisputedly legal.

"I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture, and I'm going to make sure that we don't torture," Obama said Sunday on CBS' "60 Minutes." "Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world."


But Michael Ratner, a professor at Columbia Law School and president of the Center for Constitutional Rights, said prosecuting Bush officials is necessary to set future anti-torture policy.

"The only way to prevent this from happening again is to make sure that those who were responsible for the torture program pay the price for it," Ratner said. "I don't see how we regain our moral stature by allowing those who were intimately involved in the torture programs to simply walk off the stage and lead lives where they are not held accountable."

read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jNJh9ZFMqkoehf9byAYKGnm-EKYQD94H27D80


related:

November 17, 2008

Ex-CIA Officials Tied to Rendition Program and Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/17/obama_taps_ex_cia_officials_tied

[tekisui]

1. Dammit.

Not surprised, but dammit. Who will get them? We are going to have to rely on International support to convict the War Criminals.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

2. I agree with Ratner....

""The only way to prevent this from happening again is to make sure that those who were responsible for the torture program pay the price for it," Ratner said. "I don't see how we regain our moral stature by allowing those who were intimately involved in the torture programs to simply walk off the stage and lead lives where they are not held accountable.""

[bigtree]

8. at the very least, we should establish that their orders came from the top

. . . of the Bush administration. Bush admitted he signed off on all of the interrogations, so . . .

[Sarah Ibarruri]

10. YES. I'm all for getting along, but I don't want the start of lying down and taking bs again nt

[bigtree]

17. getting anxious?

that's understandable.

[Sarah Ibarruri]

18. I am. Really. nt

[Webster Green]

3. Whatever..They still better watch where they travel..

More civilized countries might hold them to account for their war-crimes.

Democrats, in general, are pretty chicken-shit. Let's see if they charge the fascists who were higher up on the ladder. I doubt they will. They're scared of the repukes :scared:

[gratuitous]

9. Or less civilized folks might hold them and us accountable

Although once you've been torturing as part of your official national policy, it's pretty tough to make a credible assessment that someone is less civilized.

[bigdarryl]

4. WOW!!!

[David__77]

5. I would hope not.

That would be politically problematic. There are more important transformative measures.

[Jim Sagle]

6. No, actually there are not.

[Bluebear]

14. "politically problematic" . . . versus morally correct?

[Autumn]

7. That is certainly not

a surprise. Disappointing, but expected.

[arcadian]

11. Change... still waitin' on that change...

[Pastiche423]

12. I found the HOPE!

It was w/the torturers the whole time.

:grr:

[bertman]

13. Why is Obama taking a conciliatory stance with these fascists? This is outrageous.

So this is what "looking forward" means. No HOPE for CHANGE. Same old shit.

[Bluebear]

15. Wow.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. I expected it and this country will PAY a huge price

as it still refuses to confront what it has done

[NNN0LHI]

19. I hope they keep saying that until we control everything and then WAMMO!!!!