The IG Report on Torture and Related Subjects
Despite the CIA’s delaying tactics, which have been going on for months now, the much-anticipated Inspector-General’s Report on the CIA’s Bush-era interrogation program came out yesterday, as promised the last time the release date was postponed. Also yesterday, Attorney-General Eric Holder announced his intent to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate “cases of abuse that went beyond government-authorized limits” to see if prosecutable offenses were committed.
Despite what some on the right may believe, it’s highly unlikely that Pres. Obama is pleased with these developments, or that he welcomes them as a distraction from the health care reform battle that’s been raging in Congress for most of the summer. He never wanted AG Holder to pursue the idea of criminal prosecutions for the torture of detainees in U.S. custody in the Bush administration. As David Johnston delicately puts it, “It is politically awkward … for Mr. Holder because President Obama has said that he would rather move forward than get bogged down in the issue at the expense of his own agenda.”
I hope he realizes now what a mistake it was to think that Republicans would work with him on health care reform just because he discouraged prosecutions and kept telling Americans we had to “put the past behind us.” It was naive at best for Obama to believe that conservatives in Congress who sincerely believe both that the authorization and use of torture by Bush officials was right and necessary, and that government-financed health care is wrong and unnecessary, would drop their opposition toward any kind of health care option not favorable to the private insurance industry (other than Medicare) just because Obama wanted to drop the idea of investigations and prosecutions.
By the same token, if the health care reform bill that Obama eventually signs does not include a strong public option, he should not expect his progressive base to be distracted by shiny objects and give him a pass simply because the Department of Justice has taken a step toward the possibility of criminal prosecutions on the torture issue.
10 Responses to “The IG Report on Torture and Related Subjects”
Yup the ACLU won their case against the Obama administration and got it released. Good for the SCLU.
Leonidas,
I actually agree with you on 2 and 4. I would also agree with you on 1 if you replaced the word “realizes” with “believes” or some such, because “realizes” implies agreement, and I don't agree that the CIA's “enhanced” interrogation program was necessary. Or that it was effective.
Kathy I have no problem with the word replacement you suggest, I actually think your word is better, so I'll edit my post.
Also what about three, from what I've seen and heard, 3 is something I take as a hard fact, and I don't think it unlikely that Obama is not concerned about it.
There are some new details I've just discovered on this via the Weekly Standard. Some of this are legitimate points
The So-Called Cheney Documents
http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/200…
The already-demoralized CIA and already-cynical Americans don't need any more far-left torture.
[...] link is being shared on Twitter right now. @tmv, an influential author, said The IG Report on Torture [...]
DLS, I had forgotten what a torture enabler you are. Innocent people were kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured, in some cases tortured to death. If you need a reminder I'll post some details of these reprehensible, despicable, cruel, perverted and ILLEGAL acts. I don't give a damn if it makes Americans uncomfortable to look at what was done in their names. I also couldn't care less about morale at the CIA, if boosting morale means ignoring crimes, including rape and murder. There are victims here, who deserve justice, and I hope the sick bastards who conceived and carried out these twisted perversions are prosecuted and imprisoned as they should be — for life.
The 2007 Academy Award winning Documentary of the Year, Taxi to the Dark Side, is about an innocent taxi driver who was tortured to death for driving by one of the CIA interrogation spots. He left behind a young wife and two kids, widowed and orphaned by this sick and illegal policy. Those three living victims of our criminal acts deserve their day in court.
Imagine your wife or kids killed and you being told, “let's move on” “let's not look back” or “this would hurt American morale” or any other lame excuse.
“Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
“I had forgotten what a torture enabler you are.”
You neglected similar things, like “unicorn.”
Three solders were convicted of offences in that incident portrayed in Taxi to the Dark Side, though the sentences were lacking to say the least. It is worth noting that no investigation of the CIA would include that situation or even type of incident.
Look there were guidelines and for those that went over what they were allowed to do should be held responsible. I'm not sure this is a good way of doing so.
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