Shakowsky Letter to Holder Asking Him To Appoint A Special Prosecutor

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/42359


Schakowsky Asks Holder to Appoint a Special Prosecutor
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2009-05-06 19:04.

Dear Mr. Attorney General:

As a member of Congress deeply concerned about the Bush Administration’s interrogation policy, I want to congratulate President Barack Obama on barring the use of torture and abuse and disclosing important documents on the past use of torture. These steps have moved the United States towards restoring the rule of law, upholding our American values, and enhancing our country's national security.

Now that the Obama Administration has taken these steps, I am writing to request that you appoint a Special Counsel or Independent Commission to investigate whether federal criminal laws were violated by anyone involved in the development, authorization, ordering or implementation of the Bush Administration's policies and practices regarding the interrogation of prisoners. The newly disclosed Justice Department memoranda, as well as the International Committee of the Red Cross' 2007 report finding that the federal government engaged in torture, make clear that a full top-to-bottom criminal investigation of possible torture crimes is warranted.

There is mounting evidence that the Bush Administration systematically implemented, from the top down, detainee interrogation policies that constitute torture or otherwise violate the law. Therefore, I believe that an immediate investigation is warranted to determine whether actions taken by the former president, former vice president, their Cabinet, or other officials of the last Administration violated the War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 2441), the Anti-Torture Act (18 U.S.C. 2340-2340A), and other U.S. and international laws. I also believe that it is necessary to appoint a Special Counsel or Independent Counsel in order to ensure that a thorough and impartial investigation occurs, and that the prosecution of anyone who violated federal criminal statutes prohibiting torture and abuse is pursued if warranted by the facts.

Again, I commend the Obama Administration for ending the misguided interrogation policies of the Bush Administration that relied on torture and strongly urge you to appoint a Special Counsel or Independent Commission to investigate the actions taking by the Bush Administration to determine if laws were broken. I look forward to hearing from you in response to our request.

Sincerely,

Jan Schakowsky
Member of Congress

[Cha]

1. Thank you, Jan Shakowsky

who I understand is gearing up to run for the President's old Senate Seat in Illinois.

[NewJeffCT]

2. Recommended, and also just wrote my Congressman to support this call

Will also write my senators.

[stillcool]

6. thank you! It's time for me to..

drop an email on them again too. My Congressman emailed back a little while ago with some encouraging words. Hopefully he'll do that again.

[Gregorian]

3. Sadly, this feels like OJ Simpson's slow Bronco police chase.

Please, can we simply uphold the rule of law. But no, we're slowly walking around in circles while those who attacked Iraq and tortured civilians, just walk off into the sunset.

I don't have to ask a police officer to uphold the law. They seem to be rather anxious to bash my head in for the slightest infraction. Something is very wrong.

[Atticus]

5. Some of the cops are IN the Bronco!

First, I join in the appreciation of Ms. Shakowsky's call for action against these criminals.
I fear, however, that the reason that we haven't seen W, Cheney, et al being frog-marched into Court is that some in BOTH parties consider themselves complicit in the dirty deeds due to their knowledge of and unpardonable inaction concerning torture, wiretapping and genocide.
Yes, I'm aware there are GOP operatives working 24/7 to divide the Democratic Party, but we simply can't claim to be the better alternative while winking at---not just a little sexual hanky-panky or financial shenanigans---but, for cryin' out loud---TORTURE?
Yes, I intended to yell it pisses me off to no end that we are discussing this like there really is more than one moral alternative!
Prosecute, convict, incarcerate and forfeit their fortunes!

[Gregorian]

7. Having alternate rules of law sets an ugly stage for a democracy.

I think this is one of the bigger aspects requiring that we put everything else down and pursue the matters.

Wow, you are one hell of a lurker! Cool.

[AtomicKitten]

4. K&R!!!

:bounce:

[mopinko]

8. i talked to one of jan's aides today

(lucky me, she is my congressman) he assured me that they are pushing hard for the lawyers involved in this to be disbarred at the very least. he felt confident that that would come to pass. he also said that she wanted to see bybee impeached.
she is one of the good ones. if she had a magic wand, we would live in a different world. fwiw, she has been on the intelligence committee, and i trust will spill all if she gets a chance to testify.