Senator (Leahy) calls for ‘truth commission’

[sabra]

Source: CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Senate Judiciary Committee chairman called Wednesday for the establishment of a non-partisan “commission of inquiry” to investigate allegations of wrongdoing against former Bush administration officials in their prosecution of the war on terror.

Nothing “did more to damage America’s place in the world than the revelation that our great nation stretched the law and the bounds of executive power to authorize torture and cruel treatment,” Sen. Patrick Leahy said at the start of a committee hearing.

American “detention policies and practices from Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib have seriously eroded fundamental American principles of the rule of law,” he added.

Leahy, D-Vermont, called for the “truth commission” to have a “targeted mandate” focusing on issues of national security and executive power. He said it should look specifically at allegations of “questionable interrogation techniques,” “extraordinary rendition,” and the “executive override of laws.”


Read more: http://cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com/2009/03/04/senator-calls-for-truth-commission/

[CanonRay]

1. No more "commissions". We need a Grand Jury or Special Prosecutor

Do we really need another Warren Commission or 9-11 Commission to whitewash everything?

[AndyA]

2. No thanks, Leahy. You didn't disclose all the details about your "Truth Commission"

Ironic, isn't it? A truth commission is formed to get to the truth, but the facts of said commission are omitted...isn't that lying by omission?

Enough wasted time! Jonathan Turley said on Countdown last night that the recent evidence that has come to light warrants a Special Prosecutor. Nothing less!

[billybob537]

3. No Thanks

This is far over the line for a whitewash.
We want indictments not amnesty!

[no_hypocrisy]

4. That sounds so Orwellian.

Ministry of Truth is right behind that commission.

[Old Codger]

5. sounds to me

Like a normal cover up by the pols. They are in that mode and will do nothing in the end except spend a lot of time and money spinning their wheels and then spinning the "truth" til it suits them... Commissions suck stump water.

[goforit]

6. Hell..... we need to arrest first and ask questions later!!!

[struggle4progress]

7. Leahy Hears Two Views on Looking Back (NYT)

March 4, 2009, 1:02 pm
By John Cushman

... Mr. Leahy has not yet fashioned an explicit proposal for what he calls his middle way, something between aggressive criminal prosecution of anyone who might have overstepped legal limits, or not exploring the past at all. The hearing was an effort to build momentum for his idea, by hearing from distinguished supporters including former diplomats, law enforcement officials and military officers. But it was not a one-sided show, including harsh critics of the idea as well.

“Nothing has done more to damage America’s place in the world than the revelation that this nation stretched the law and bounds of executive power to authorize torture and cruel treatment,’’ Mr. Leahy said. “There are some who resist any effort to look back at all, while others are fixated on prosecution,’’ even if it takes eight years or divides the country further. A nonpartisan commission of inquiry, he said, “would shed light on what mistakes were made so that we can learn from these errors.’’

A panel of six witnesses testified, four in favor of the idea and two opposed. Speaking in favor were Thomas Pickering, a former senior state department official, Lee Gunn, a retired vice admiral, John Farmer, a New Jersey lawyer who served on the 9-11 commission and Frederick A.O. Schwarz Jr. a prominent New York lawyer who served on the Church commission which investigated and exposed excesses of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1975 and 1976.

Objecting to the proposal were David B. Rivkin, a former Republican administration lawyer and Jeremy Rabkin, a law professor at George Mason University ...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/04/leahy-hears-two-views-on-looking-back/

[struggle4progress]

8. Senate Hears Testimony On Proposed Truth Commission (ACLU via CommonDreams)

Committee Would Investigate Bush Administration’s Abuse of Power

WASHINGTON - March 4 - ...

The American Civil Liberties Union is urging the establishment of a Select Committee that will work in conjunction with Senator Leahy’s commission, believing that the combination of both committees would be an effective format for congressional review of Bush administration policies. The Select Committee would have the ability to allocate the necessary time and resources outside of the day-to-day demands of the standing committee structure. It would also bring together members from the relevant committees with jurisdiction over the relevant issues to share their expertise concerning the programs under review.

“Americans’ faith in government has been deeply shaken,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “While a truth commission is a valid and admirable suggestion, Congress must go further. Congress’ complacent approach to oversight has done our country irreparable harm and legitimized illegal and counter-productive intelligence programs. It’s time for Congress to step up in a very real way and assert its role of oversight.”

The ACLU believes that the legendary Church Committee, formed by Congress to investigate the egregious abuses of executive power of the 1970s, is a good model for a Select Committee to investigate Bush administration policies. In nine months, the Church Committee interviewed 800 individuals and conducted 250 executive and 21 public hearings. Its report had far reaching impact and resulted in the creation of the permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the passage of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, among other reforms. The ACLU believes that a new Select Committee could have similar results, ensuring that future administrations would follow the law and respect individual rights, regardless of the party in power. The ACLU is also encouraging the Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor to conduct its own investigation and, if warranted by the facts, to bring any criminal charges.

“The work of Frank Church and ten other Senators should not be lost on the 111th Congress,” said Fredrickson. “For eight years, our system of checks and balances has been woefully unbalanced in favor of the executive branch. The Truth Commission is a beginning for Congress to reassert its power, but it must go further. A Select Committee would pave the way for the reform our government so desperately needs.” ...

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/03/04-0

[struggle4progress]

9. Feingold supports 'truth commission' with reservations (Raw)

Muriel Kane
Published: Wednesday March 4, 2009

... "I think a truth commission is the best way to get the comprehensive story out to the American people and the world," Feingold stated. "A crucial part of restoring the rule of law ... is a detailed accounting of exactly what happened in the last eight years and how the outgoing administration came to reject or ignore so many of the principles on which this nation was founded."

However, Feingold also warned against taking any action that could interfere with prosecutions of high-level officials once a commission has determined the basic facts. "On the question of immunity, I think we should tread carefully," he cautioned. "There are cases that may require prosecution, and I wouldn't want a commission of inquiry to preclude that. Those who clearly violated the law and can be prosecuted should be prosecuted."

"While a commission of inquiry is the best way to get the facts out," Feingold concluded, "Congress, the Justice Department, and the public should decide what to do with those facts." ...

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Feingold_supports_truth_commission_with_reservations_0304.html

[struggle4progress]

10. What the OLC Memos Mean for 'Truth Commission' Idea (BLT)

... At hearing this morning (above), the Senate Judiciary Committee gathered testimony about the merits of a commission that would investigate possible wrongdoing under the Bush administration. The hearing came two days after the Office of Legal Counsel made public nine memoranda advising on national security policies, including one opinion that the military does not need to abide by the First and Fourth Amendments.

"How can anyone suggest such policies do not deserve a thorough, objective review?" asked Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), suggesting that the memos bolster his argument for an independent, bipartisan commission.

Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the committee's ranking Republican, took the opposite view, saying that the Justice Department's disclosures show that Obama officials can air information about their predecessors without the help of an outside body ...

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that Congress has "already had 150 oversight hearings on these subjects" and has produced 3,200 pages of witness testimony and at least 17,000 pages of reports. "Seeking this commission is in fact an indictment of congressional oversight responsibilities," Cornyn said ...

http://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2009/03/what-the-olc-memos-mean-for-the-truth-commission-idea.html

[No Elephants]

11. Call your Senators. We've always had a special prosecutor, not a "truth commission." This is bs.