Senior Republicans Ask Attorney General Not To Probe Interrogations

[babylonsister]

I wonder what they're afraid of.

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=cqmidday-000003192790

Senior Republicans Ask Attorney General Not To Probe Interrogations


Nine Senate Republicans on Wednesday pressed Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. not to investigate CIA interrogators who might have exceeded Justice Department legal guidance on acceptable techniques.

“The country would be better served if the Justice Department refocuses its priorities and allocates its resources to pressing matters — such as prosecuting the terrorists responsible for the September 11 attacks — instead of contemplating legal action against the men and women who have dedicated their lives to protecting this country,” the group wrote in a letter to Holder.

It is not the first time lawmakers have weighed in on the plan for an investigation that Holder is reportedly contemplating. A Department of Justice spokeswoman said Tuesday “no decision has been made” about a probe.

But the trio of Republicans who spearheaded the letter are very senior: Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona; Christopher S. Bond of Missouri, the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee; and Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee.

The other Republicans who signed the letter are Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, John Cornyn of Texas, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma, Orrin G. Hatch of Utah, Charles E. Grassley of Iowa and Richard M. Burr of North Carolina.

The senators wrote that the Justice Department has already undertaken such a review, and a new investigation would “chill intelligence activities.

“The intelligence community will be left to wonder whether actions taken today in the interest of national security will be subject to legal recriminations when the political winds shift,” they said.

Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel memos written during the Bush administration maintained that interrogators could acceptably use a number of harsh tactics such as waterboarding on suspected terrorists. But a CIA inspector general report due for release under court order by Aug. 24 reportedly found that interrogators sometimes went beyond those guidelines, using methods such as beating detainees.

[aquart]

1. Are criminals now allowed to decide if they should be investigated?

[Botany]

2. Same motherfuckers who tried to run Bill Clinton for a blow job.

So what we raped kids in front of their parents so they would confess to phony stuff to justify an
unneeded war in Iraq so Dick Cheney and his friends could make billions as Bill Kristol could smile
and lie on Fox news.


Iraq had 26 million + people in it before the war now less than 23 million ... if that happened in the US
34 million people would be dead or gone from the country.

[Solly Mack]

3. The people of my country are not protected by torture...but rather, we become future targets

because of the crimes of my government.

K&R

[KansDem]

4. What's with these miscreants?

...not to investigate CIA interrogators who might have exceeded Justice Department legal guidance on acceptable techniques.

Was a crime committed? It seems that exceeding DOJ legal guidance indicates so. Therefore, an investigation is necessary...

I can't believe the protection sick and evil criminals are getting from the Republicans! So much for the "Party of Morality" and "Party of 'the Rule of Law'"

[Botany]

7. That slimy little shit Jeff Sessions who yapped about Sotomayor being ...

.... true to "the law" just one month again now wants the DoJ to ignore the law now.

[KansDem]

11. Their hypocrisy does make one's head spin!

With these jokers laws are written on an Etch-a-Sketch.


A Republican law book...

[FatDave]

12. You cannot expect consistency from these people.

Their ideals are completely malleable to suit whatever need they face in the here and now, and they know the people who vote for them are too stupid to notice the hypocrisy.

[prostomulgus]

5. Gee, I wonder who might be implicated in such an investigation?

I say we take those CIA guys, strap them to a chair, and beat the truth out of them. I'll bet that once they start singing, some of these repuke names will start coming up.

After we get the info that we need, get rid of these agents. We don't need any bush leftovers in the government generally and in the CIA especially. They should have been gone by now anyway.

[knowbody0]

6. all the more reason TO probe!

[MidwestTransplant]

8. I would love to see Saxby Chambliss waterboarded.

[Vincardog]

9. Why should the investigation be limited to those that exceeded the ILLEGAL Justice Department legal

guidance on acceptable techniques?
Since when has a memo written by a air mail lawyer superseded established law and binding treaty?
Note to RepubliCANTS "You lost get over it".

[Parker CA]

10. Stay STRONG, Mr. Holder and do what's right. You've got alot of support behind you!! nt.

[katandmoon]

13. The R after their names greatly increases their chances of getting somewhere with Holder

[Froward69]

14. echo of the Nixon

mentality.

we were the (republican) government there fore we could do no wrong.

[CanonRay]

15. Tell them to go f... themselves

[sofa king]

16. Oh, I am ALL ABOUT prosecuting the terrorists responsible for 9/11.

But the Republicans are not. Because they are responsible.

[ThomWV]

17. They are once again blowing up the importance of the small point to mask the big point

They will make it sound like the end of the world that he might go after the next round of Lindy Englands in order to drown out the debate about going after Yoo and Addington and Cheney and you can add all the names to the list you think are appropriate.

By the way, this is far far more important to the nation than Health Care financing. This is about the rule of law, and nothing trumps that.