"We will not wait any longer for the Obama administration to act" --- Why Bush Should Still Worry

[kpete]

Published on Thursday, November 11, 2010 by CommonDreams.org
Why George W. Bush Should Still Worry

Bush Pens True Crime Book, No Justice for CIA Destruction of 92 Torture Tapes

Sell those books, George W, you may need the money for legal fees yet!
by Bill Quigley

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

Bush and other criminals will be brought to justice if the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) have their way.

CCR and ECCHR jointly intervened into a criminal investigation in Spain examining the role of former civilian and military officials from the Bush administration in the commission of international law violations, including torture. The investigation is ongoing and includes the crimes that Bush admitted he authorized.

CCR and ECCHR made it clear that they are committed to pursuing criminal accountability and Bush’s confessions help. In a joint statement they said:

“As Attorney General Eric Holder stated during his confirmation hearings, waterboarding is torture. Calling these acts what they are, torture, is not the result of differing legal ‘opinion,’ as Bush states; it is a matter of law. Harold Koh, the State Department Legal Adviser, confirmed this in Geneva last week, stating during the U.S. Universal Periodic Review that “the Obama administration defines waterboarding as torture as a matter of law” and it is not a ‘policy choice.’

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

“There are no circumstances or excuses—including ‘national security’—under domestic and international law that allow for the use of torture. And there is an obligation to investigate and prosecute torture.

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

“Debates as to whether or not waterboarding of detainees led to intelligence or make the nation ’safer’ are not relevant questions. The only valid question is: can we torture? The answer is no.

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

“But we will not wait any longer for the Obama administration to act—we will continue seeking justice and accountability under the principle of universal jurisdiction and as counsel in the ongoing investigation in Spain.”

more:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/11/11-2

[Solly Mack]

1. K&R

[joeybee12]

2. KNR

[deminks]

3. K&R

We must take care of this, or someone else will. It is not a matter of looking forward anymore.

[piratefish08]

4. K&R

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. K&R

[kpete]

6. good to be back

to "capital" K&Rs
thanks and peace, kpete

[Donnachaidh]

7. K&R! n/t

[Dragonfli]

8. K&R No one should be above the law, not even if Obama says they are

[Stuart G]

9. K and R.

[Gamey]

10. Don't hold your breath

No one is going to be prosecuted. Ever.

[Moonbat2]

27. I Agree

This is going nowhere.Sorry but it is delusional to believe otherwise

[Independent_Liberal]

30. It isn't delusional.

Many of us believe that if the US doesn't do anything, other countries will. Like they said, they're not waiting for the Obama administration to act.

[Independent_Liberal]

29. Maybe not in the US, but other countries are doing something.

[ArcticFox]

32. What's stopping a "rendition?"

Certainly if a US President can "render" someone from a foreign country simply by calling him an "enemy combatant," the Russian or Chinese or German head of state could similarly "render" a person from the US upon calling him a "war criminal". Or would that just lead to a downward spiral of international human rights abuses?

[Jackpine Radical]

36. What would stop a rendition?

Well, we do spend a fair amount on our military, as I recall. I think it would sort of be like getting the schoolyard bully to give back your lunch money--assuming the bully is King Kong.

[Flatulo]

47. The Secret Service would put about a billion holes into anyone

who tries to seize a formet POTUS.

[progressoid]

63. So what.

Other countries have done the same with Bush I, Kissinger, etc. They still walk free today.

[Luciferous]

88. I have to agree.

[MissDeeds]

11. K&R

Thanks for bringing this to our attention, kpete.

:kick:

[slipslidingaway]

12. knr nt

[dchill]

13. K&R

[Angry Dragon]

14. K&R

[bluesmail]

15. K & R

[felinetta]

16. I would love to see the surprised look on W's face if this happened. He actually is

admitting guilt. I think he'd pull an O J and try and go on
the lam.

[bobbolink]

89. Which is why they bought that large amount of land in South America, right?

[EFerrari]

17. K&R Protest Bush "library" this weekend in Dallas!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9522306

[Celtic Raven]

18. K&R

At least someone is going to bring the war criminals to justice.

Ashamed it's not us.

[sabrina 1]

19. The war criminals should start paying attention to what is going on

South America. After years, decades in some cases, even after their deaths, people are being prosecuted for war crimes.

'Never again' meant something and even if they are not prosecuted in the near future by this country, they have created far too many victims to be able to simply explain it all away.

I hope those victims get justice somewhere someday even if it is not here.

K&R

[GentryDixon]

20. If this does come to fruition

scrub will hightail it out of this country and probably head to Guatemala. Maybe Darth Vader will just die for us.

[colorado_ufo]

28. Paraguay -

Remember, the Bush's purchased land there some time ago? And I think that country does not extradite.

[seafan]

45. There will be no safe haven for this man, neither in this life nor the next.

And while on this earth, no place will welcome him.




Link



October, 2006: Bush Family buys nearly 100,000 acres in Paraguay, October 15, 2006

Prensa Latina: Bush Paraguay Land Grab Incites Unease, October 17, 2006


U.S. president's brother Neil Bush visits Paraguay president as guest of Moon-founded group, February 29, 2008


Dave Lindorff: The Bush Family's Bad Latin Real Estate Investment, May 2, 2008

Back in late 2006, it was widely reported in the Latin American media that President Bush, or perhaps his old man, had bought a 100,000-acre farm in a remote area of Paraguay.

What struck people at the time was the choice of country. Paraguay, of course, has gained a certain Club Med status among the world's villains and criminal elements as the place to go when the law's on your tail. The country, ruled for six decades by the dictatorial and fascist Colorado Party of Gen. Alfredo Stroesser, an almost cartoon caricature of a Latin American dictator, has no extradition treaty with any nation.

That's why it has long harbored aging Nazis, bank robbers, and a string of ousted or retired Latin American dictators and their assistants over the years.

Given that President Bush, once he leaves office on January 20, 2009, will no longer have the diplomatic immunity conferred upon heads of state, or the Constitutional protection against indictment by domestic prosecutors, it makes sense that he would be looking for a safe haven from the long arm of the law.

After all, the guy is guilty of a huge laundry list of international crimes, from the Crime Against Peace and Conspiracy against Peace in the UN Charter, to Geneva Convention violations such as approval of torture of prisoners, collective punishment of civilians, the killing of children and child soldiers, the failure to protect occupied citizens, the use of banned weapons, etc., etc., and also of domestic crimes, ranging from political use of government employees, conspiracy, treason, lying to federal officials, defrauding Congress, etc.

No wonder he wants to do what Klaus Barbie, Josef Mengele, and Adolf Eichmann did, and hole up in Paraguay.

Only trouble is, Paraguay may not be such a safe haven for long.

Last month, a former Roman Catholic Bishop with leftist, populist tendencies, Fernando Lugo, surprised almost everyone in Paraguay, and no doubt President Bush, by winning the national presidential election, ousting the Colorado Party for the first time in 61 years. There is talk that among other things, Lugo is thinking of returning Paraguay to the community of nations, by signing some of those extradition agreements.

.....

And, to address the question whether there is at present an extradition agreement between Paraguay and the US, it seems to be the affirmative.

[olegramps]

21. If they are found guilty could they be seized as Noriega was?

I hope that they are captured by foreign agents and spirited out of the country for some extraordinary rendition and then tried and hung as war criminals.

[felix_numinous]

22. The CCR want to

go after President Obama also for targeted killing. I think the worst case scenario would involve him and endanger the next election, and we should give this possibility a glancing thought at the very least.

http://ccrjustice.org/

If this happens, it would be good to consider the consequences and be one step ahead in how we would react. You can bet Republicans will use any opportunity to go on the offensive and try to fill the void with a 'clean' Republican. Tea baggers are chomping at the bit for any excuse to impeach President Obama now. Republicans would win again, and they would be out for real blood then--ours.

Sorry to be making leaps of logic here but I do not trust the RW, they are ruthless.

[ArcticFox]

33. Republicans

They would go on a nationalist bender and label anyone seeking to prosecute a "terrorist" or "fascist" or "communist" or "elitist." Just add "ist" to any old word, and that's what the Republicans will be saying.

[NorthCarolina]

23. Does the failure of the current administration to act carry any danger of complicity? nt

[avaistheone1]

24. Kick

:kick:

[Bluebear]

25. How embarrassing if forces outside of America take care of what we should be taking care of.

[malaise]

26. K & R

for justice. Arrest the war criminals.

[Michigan-Arizona]

31. K&R n/t

[SaveOurDemocracy]

34. KnR

[pmorlan1]

35. K & R

We can't move forward until we face our past.

[femrap]

37. Send W to The Hague. nt

[rury]

40. Prosecute Dick Cheney and his puppet Bu$h!!

[femrap]

57. I'm all for it.....

dress them in orange. Bread and water for the rest of their pathetic lives. Justice!

[KoKo]

38. Without Attorney General Eric Holder "on board" this will not go anywhere...but it's good to keep at

it. Still I wonder all the time...WHY Obama put Holder in that job when he's done nothing that we expected him to do given all the evidence that was presented to him after years of Bush Investigations from folks who couldn't get anyone to listen.

Maybe in 20 or 30 years when many of us are too old or dead...someone will get him...but he and Poppy Bush and certainly Cheney will have probably passed on by then, too.

So...it goes on...but not something we should get our hopes up about...but just keep following it ...to KEEP IT ALIVE...for other GENERATIONS...so that "WE AND THEY NEVER FORGET!"

[humbled_opinion]

42. Forget?

Did you forget about the illegal and inhumane internment of Japanese American Citizens in WWII? Did you forget about Truman murdering thousands of innocent men, women and Children in Nakasaki and Hiroshima? Did you forget the illegal and inhumane treatment of African Americans throughout the 20th century? None of these crimes against humanity were ever punished, even though many humanists called for such punishment in the name of humanity. The cycle continues and will continue, the blood thirst of the Leviathan lives.

"The notions of right and wrong, justice and injustice have no place .” Thomas Hobbes

[Wednesdays]

82. So, because Truman and FDR committed atrocities, Shrub should walk?

What sort of logic is that? :crazy:

"Really, Your Honor, even though I robbed that bank, I should be set free. After all, there have been millions of bank robbers over history who were never prosecuted!" I'm sure the judge would buy that argument! :rofl:

[KoKo]

93. No! ..I will NEVER FORGET!

Neither will many DU'ers who have been here for YEARS...EVER FORGET!

[tavalon]

39. That's good but how do we get these guys out of our country

They can hide behind us like the Nazi's did in South America.

[Oceansaway]

41. K&R...n/t

[cate94]

43. K & R

[Mosaic]

44. Bring Them All To Justice, Period.

K&R 1000 times.

[Shanti Mama]

46. Obama wants others to do this.

During the election, he more or less told all of us that we would have to be the ones to make this happen.
I don't know how I feel about this. I guess it's wise politically, but makes his spine look even weaker.

[BetsysGhost]

92. sad too

he's missing his balls.

[Flatulo]

48. So while they're at it, will they be prosecuting Obama for ordering

the murder of US citizens without a trial?

Nah, I didn't think so.

[glinda]

66. I think Dick is the one they should go after also.

[tomp]

72. but they should....

....and prosecute him, as well, for not prosecuting bush.

[csziggy]

49. K&R

[midnight]

50. Thanks KPete.....

[tilsammans]

51. Kickin' this to the moon!

:kick:

[Lifelong Protester]

52. K & R for what I had hoped would happen

when it became apparent that this adminstration was not going after him for war crimes, I did wonder why some other international group didn't step in.

[Imagevision]

53. Obama administration already refused a year ago to investigate "the previous administration" for war

crimes.

[Lord Magus]

54. If only one of these other countries would send a commando team to abduct Bush & bring him to trial.

After all, the Israelis did it with Eichmann.

[BlueStater]

55. There should be thousands of protesters in Washington DC demanding Bush be prosecuted.

Why the hell isn't there?

[Imagevision]

85. protesters in Washington DC? - that went out with the 60's...

[BlancheSplanchnik]

87. because there is so many baseline survival issues being battled out, I think.

Chaos like what we've got makes it hard to act on critical ethical issues.

Seems to me :shrug:

I wish we had the foundation of economic and health security so that we could focus attention on the ethics that are so necessary to preservation of life.

[Goldstein1984]

56. Burn in Hell, George W. Bush and your ilk

You cannot abandon principles for the purpose of defending them. Once abandoned, there are no principles left worth defending. Moral leadership is lost, and all that remains is the ability to impose your will by force. An administration that commits high crimes while holding citizens accountable for lesser crimes is not only unfit to lead, it is unfit to exist at all. Goodbye George W. Bush. I wish I believed in Hell, because I'd like to think you'd eventually burn there.

[OnyxCollie]

58. K&R. nt

[spanone]

59. k&r

[ooglymoogly]

60. These monsters should be hanged...the tears and anguish

brought on this country by these heinous criminals is a sad testament to their evil and (0)and Holder are willing participants. This country will continue to suffer under the weight of this calumny until it is rectified and all are brought to justice.

[WheelWalker]

61. Oh, yea !

:kick:

[Swamp Rat]

62. For whom the bell tolls...

[syberlion]

64. Why not take a page of their own piousness and shun them?

Don't talk to them, turn your backs on them, etc. However, if you do that last one, make sure you put your hand on your wallet. Who was the publisher of his book? Why hasn't anyone talked about boycotting the publisher, or the bookstores selling his book? I say shun them all and just keep calling them what they are, mass-murdering war criminals.

[glinda]

65. have at it by all means. K & R

[Divine Discontent]

67. nauseating, the war crimes he & his henchmen ordered!

what a wonderful day for the world it would be, to see him hauled off to The Hague

[ClayZ]

68. Let him do the Perp Walk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqMOvVUH4HU&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=MLGxdCwVVULXceXMm70unrMF9UsjnTRyUB

K and R

[Citizen Worker]

69. The "rule of law" is a hollow platitude as demonstrated by Clinton and Obama.

[xchrom]

70. recommend

[leveymg]

71. KNR. May he have a fair and speedy trial.

[Agony]

78. K&R not that he even allowed his accused to have a trial, much less a fair one

be glad the civilized world isn't like you george. Civilized world? Hello? Civilized World? anybody there?...

[ScottLand]

73. K&R. Thanks, kpete!

[LawnKorn]

74. K&R

[Hubert Flottz]

75. K&R

Are we a "nation of laws" or are we a nation of outlaws?

[jimlup]

76. At least the bastard will be stuck in the country unable to leave

[HereSince1628]

77. I think there may be royal families that would help him out.

I can imagine their government/family aircraft are considered sovereign territory, and if Bush doesn't mind the limited number of places he could visit, he could probably slip out. Maybe he could get to that huge estancio his daughter bought in S.Am. where Xe could probably protect him.

[City Lights]

79. Good luck!

Rec'd.

[dotymed]

80. IF they "ACT", Bush will be dead or feeble(r)

There is more than enough evidence, even before this latest admission, to prosecute these murderers....

[Wednesdays]

81. I wonder if THIS is the reason for the sudden "rehabilitation" of W's image

Ratchet up the sympathy factor and all, just in case some prosecutor does catch up to him.
:puke:

[flyarm]

83. K&R There is no statue of limitations on war crimes..period.

although there could be pardons, there is no statue of limitations on war crimes.

[Javaman]

84. Meh, the newest kabuki show...

this will get us all "hopeful" only for it to be thrown out by one of morons* crony judges that he appointed and hadn't been replaced by Obama.

Or it will eventually to the supremes where they will give it some sort of fucked up justification and then throw it out.

We have two sets of laws now. One for the have mores and all the rest for the have even less.

Honestly, really, ask yourself, do you believe in your heart that anything will really come of this?

I put the jade in jaded and the sin in cynical.

[prodigals0n]

86. I found a lawyer who advised me it's OK to rob banks

So now I can legally rob banks. Whoopee.

This is a farce. Bush has supplied the Obama administration with yet ANOTHER PURE ADMISSION OF GUILT. If the Obama administration fails to bring Bush and his many accomplices to justice then they become complicit in these crimes and need to be brought to justice as well. Same goes for any administration that fails to bring this admitted war criminal and his accomplices to justice.

In my opinion, it's just that simple.

[Peggy Day]

90. Yea right

I don't believe ANYTHIMG will happen because of this book.

[BetsysGhost]

91. To the

Gallows.

[BlueIris]

94. SUCK IT, WAR CRIMINAL.

Just had to get that out.

I still sincerely doubt this man (or any president) will face any real consequences for his actions. The system protects these weasels (and itself.)