Spain to probe Guantanamo torture claims

[kpete]

Source: Expatica

Spain to probe Guantanamo torture claims

A Spanish court Friday agreed to investigate a complaint by a Moroccan who said he was tortured while in the US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, judicial sources said.

The National Court said it was competent to take the case as the complainant, Lahcen Ikassrien, has been living in Spain for 13 years.

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

Spanish courts can now deal only with cases that have a clear link with Spain, or cases that are not being investigated in countries where the offences are alleged to have been committed.

The judges Friday rejected an appeal by prosecutors who sought to have the case thrown out on the grounds that Ikassrien did not have sufficient links with Spain.

Read more: http://www.expatica.com/es/news/spanish-news/spain-to-probe-guantanamo-torture-claims_132455.html

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Here’s what the Center for Constitutional Rights has to say about the news:

This is a monumental decision that will enable a Spanish judge to continue a case on the “authorized and systematic plan of torture and ill treatment” by U.S. officials at Guantanamo. Geoffrey Miller, the former commanding officer at Guantánamo, has already been implicated, and the case will surely move up the chain of command. Since the U.S. government has not only failed to investigate the illegal actions of its own officials and, according to diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, also sought to interfere in the Spanish judicial process and stop the case from proceeding, this will be the first real investigation of the U.S. torture program. This is a victory for accountability and a blow against impunity. The Center for Constitutional Rights applauds the Spanish courts for not bowing to political pressure and for undertaking what may be the most important investigation in decades.

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2011/02/25/spain-will-investigate-gitmo-torture/

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Oh Oh. Deep doo doo." - xCommander AWOL Bush (R)

[gimama]

2. YAY! ..I mean,"interesting.."

:woohoo:
woo-damn-HOOOO!

[jtrockville]

3. Is this the case against the "Bush Six", or is this a separate one?

[SpiralHawk]

4. All of the Republicon torture freaks should be brought to justice

And then taken to Golgotha to do penance on their knees.

[jtrockville]

5. Absolutely. I'm just trying to figure out who Spain will go after first.

The case I'm referring to, Velasco's case against the "Bush Six", was reported to be on hold until March 1.
http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=439&topic_id=297070&mesg_id=297070

So are they aiming higher now (Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney, Bush) or is this the case against the lawyers?

[social_critic]

6. I think they'll invade Texas first.

Bush is hiding in Texas, I believe.

[social_critic]

7. They could do a deck of cards, with their faces

You know, like the US did in Iraq? They could make Bush the Ace of Spades, and Rumsfeld could be the Joker. Or something like that.

[FLPanhandle]

8. Even if they find the US officials guilty, what can they do?

They have no authority over current or past US officials unless they enter Spain.

[hack89]

9. Fortunately nothing. nt

[jtrockville]

11. They have authority in all of Europe, not just Spain.

So the cabal would be banned from Europe, and maybe elsewhere too. The US will soon become the only safe harbor for war criminals.

[EFerrari]

12. They could get an INTERPOL warrant.

That would put our government in an awkward position which it richly deserves.

[jtrockville]

13. Nigeria already tried that with Cheney

He bribed Nigeria into dropping the bribery charges.

[EFerrari]

14. Yes but Spain isn't NIgeria. Although, I think the Spanish royals

are into BushCo up to their eyeballs. The real problem is that the Obama administration will fight this for the torture president.

[jtrockville]

15. Yes, sadly, Obama is sealing his fate.

He is committing a war crime if he doesn't prosecute this cabal. Since he actually likes to travel the world, it's going to pose a serious problem for him.

What a disgusting mess.

[hack89]

19. Isn't Obama a war criminal in his own right?

many here believe that indiscriminate drone strikes that kill many innocent civilians are war crimes. Perhaps Obama finds himself on the horns of a dilemma and has decided not to set a precedence that can be used against him.

[jtrockville]

20. Yes, you could make a good case to support that.

Sad but true.

[hack89]

16. Too bad an American is in charge of INTERPOL

A good Democrat and Clinton supporter - I don't see a Red notice coming from him.

[EFerrari]

17. What kind of "good Democrat" would obstruct justice, hmm?

[hack89]

18. One that understands that Obama is potentially a war criminal too

because of drone attacks killing civilians in Pakistan among other things. He will not set a precedence that will create legal jeopardy for Obama.

[Solly Mack]

10. K&R