Obama .. must fully expose .. mistakes and misdeeds behind abusive CIA interrogations (Plain Dealer)

[struggle4progress]

Obama administration must fully expose the mistakes and misdeeds behind abusive CIA interrogations
by The editors
Saturday April 25, 2009, 4:20 AM

... Now the Obama administration has struck an even more important blow for justice by revealing the extent of the contortions the Bush administration used in deepest secret to try to provide legal cover for these abusive interrogation techniques ...

The 124 pages of secret memos written in 2002 and 2005 reveal how a small coterie of Justice Department insiders twisted U.S. laws to allow techniques bordering on torture for some al-Qaida captives, including simulated drowning, confinement in tiny boxes, being slammed against walls and an insect torment ...

In this context, the Obama administration mandate is clear: Shine far more light on what was done to promote abuses, who did it and the context. Then, fix the flaws that allowed ideology and mistaken assumption to trump institutional knowledge. Expose the full range of documents, decision-makers and outcomes, but keep the focus on the truth, not punishment. And above all, do not let such a crucial probe slip into damaging partisan political attack. That would undercut any efforts to repair a broken system.

At the same time, these blatant violations of fundamental tenets of Western jurisprudence and of the accepted laws of war cannot be treated as mere error. The Justice Department or a nonpartisan outside party must get to the bottom of how and why a government based on laws could inspire, write and disseminate such justifications for torture -- and make sure it will not and cannot happen again.

http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2009/04/obama_administration_must_full.html