Observer (UK): I never believed the US would turn on its torturers so swiftly

[Jackeens]

I never believed the US would turn on its torturers so swiftly

The lawyer who exposed those behind America's interrogation techniques believes a criminal investigation is now essential

Philippe Sands
The Observer, Sunday 26 April 2009


The world is watching as America attempts to come to terms with the abuse it unleashed in the aftermath of 9/11 and trying to digest the full implications of last week's extraordinary events. With a wide-ranging Spanish criminal investigation into torture at Guantánamo threatening to embarrass the US, Barack Obama decided to declassify legal memos sent under the Bush administration in the hope the country would move on. The opposite has happened. Ever more documents set out in meticulous detail the full extent of the cruelty: who was abused by whom, how they did it and what was done. The truth has been revealed in stark detail, from the number of times waterboarding was used to the legal deliberations that led to it. By Tuesday, President Obama had raised the possibility of US war crimes trials and far-reaching inquiries, developments that were unthinkable a month ago.

And yet perhaps it was inevitable. When Obama took office, evidence of torture was strong. Susan Crawford, the Bush-appointed head of the Guantánamo military commissions, confirmed that the use of stress positions, sleep deprivation, dogs and forced shaving on detainee Mohammed al-Qahtani was torture. President Obama's attorney general and the head of the CIA agree that waterboarding is torture. The issue was not how to characterise the acts, but what to do about them. By intervening, Spanish prosecutors seem also to have catalysed debate on what to do about the senior lawyers and officials involved, particularly Alberto Gonzales, David Addington, Jim Haynes, John Yoo, Jay Bybee and Doug Feith, those fast becoming known as the Bush Six.

Rest of article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/apr/26/philippe-sands-torture-usa

[lunatica]

1. I think when the truth starts to come out it's inevitable that things must play out

Sometimes it takes many years, but the truth will come out. The boy sticking his finger in the dike is relevant to this idea. First the truth comes out in little leaks which those who want their activities shrouded in darkness can stick their finger in and control, but eventually the dike gives out because that one little crack was it's weakness and the only thing the dike had keeping it standing as long as it was still little.

[AtomicKitten]

2. It is imperative that Pres. Obama restore the rule of law.

The most disturbing part of this conversation is the insidious claim that (1) waterboarding isn't torture and (2) it's okay if it's used to glean vital intelligence, neither of which is true.

Torture is ILLEGAL under our Constitution and federal law, and it expressly prohibited under international law. President Obama needs to punctuate that clearly by doing his duty and prosecuting as remedy vis a vis our laws and our international contractual obligations.

The world is watching.

[NYC Liberal]

3. It's amazing. It's like debating whether murder or rape are "really" crimes!

It's a crime. Period.
We investigate criminals. Period.

Of course, Jerry Ford set the precedent that presidents get pardons and don't have to be held accountable. Hopefully we can undo that. It's one of the worst precedents.

[AtomicKitten]

5. Both Pres. Obama and AG Holder have reiterated that no one is above the law.

Now they need to back that up with action because it is the right thing to do.

I prefer it done through the Justice Dept. as Congress would surely whitewash it just like they did in the 9/11 Commission.

A heinous institutionalized international crime spree has been committed and there is only one prescribed remedy - prosecution. Citizens must demand it.

[JayMusgrove]

4. I so much enjoy reading about our issues from

a different perspective, that of a scholar on the topic from London.

Thanks for the great read.