Sen. Leahy: Lifting the Bush-era veil of secrecy

[babylonsister]

Lifting the Bush-era veil of secrecy
On US torture, we need to find out what happened - and why
By Patrick Leahy
May 3, 2009


THE OBAMA administration's decision to release more Bush-era memoranda, which sought to rationalize torture, shows that President Obama is following through on his promise to ban torture and to provide transparency to our government. The Bush-Cheney administration not only broke the law, it shattered the public trust and undermined America's reputation around the world.

After withdrawing the so-called Bybee "torture memo," the Bush-Cheney administration secretly reinstated the torture policy. While repeatedly claiming that the United States did not torture, the Bush-Cheney administration secretly authorized techniques that included waterboarding - up to 183 times in one case. This was not an "abstract legal theory," or "hypothetical," as Alberto Gonzales dismissively described in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. These were specific techniques, authorized by high-ranking US government officials and used on real people. We have prosecuted people for these kinds of acts against Americans, and condemned other nations for sanctioning these methods.

The techniques are wrong and their supposed legal rationale is just as bad. The idea that the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel would be used to contort our laws on subjects as serious as torture is appalling. The rationalization of these memos showed a willingness to ignore legal requirements as long as there is no clear mechanism of enforcement. These memoranda seem calculated to provide legal cover - a legal free pass - for these unlawful policies. The Justice Department was apparently being used to immunize government officials to conduct torture by defining it down and building in legal loopholes.

The apparent predetermined outcome of these legal memos raises the question of where the demand for this outcome and for approving these policies arose. Press accounts indicate that these were not the results of requests from CIA officers on the ground and in the field, but arose through pressure from senior administration officials in Washington.

I have fought for years for access to these documents. When the Bush-Cheney administration stonewalled, I worked to have the Senate Judiciary Committee issue a subpoena for them. Under the Obama administration, the veil of secrecy is finally being lifted.

more...

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/05/03/lifting_the_bush_era_veil_of_secrecy/

[Captain Hilts]

1. The military said, "no." The CIA said "no." And it happened anyway. nt

[malaise]

2. Bravo Pat Leahy

Now lock them up

[shraby]

3. It's time for Leahy to put action where his mouth is and

open public senate hearings..not truth commission type...criminal type and smoke those perps out of their holes. Bring them before the public and testify under oath and where crimes are, turn them over for prosecution. I want to see Watergate type hearings.

[cali]

4. Leahy can't do that without support from his fellow dems

he was very activist under bushco. that he couldn't get anywhere was due to repuke obstructionism and the bush justice department.

[L. Coyote]

6. HELLO! Which cave did you just crawl out of?

"It's time for Leahy to put action where his mouth is"

What do you suppose he s trying to do? Who is doing more? Leahy is the front wave.

[cali]

7. yes, silly little non sequiturs are a brilliant retort

and I know what cave you crawled out of. hint: the charming one that got your um, unusual post in GD-P locked a couple of weeks ago. One of the more disgusting pieces of shit ever posted on DU. You know, the one where you outright claimed that Obama was being controlled by a a cabal of white men.

[L. Coyote]

8. I'd like to see that post. Got a link?

[L. Coyote]

5. HELP! Go to the article and recommend the comments

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/05/03/lifting_the_bush_era_veil_of_secrecy/

There are weird freepers posting comments there. Give the sane ones a bump, please.

[L. Coyote]

9. Support a Truth & Reconciliation Commission 104,857 signatures so far... keep it going!

Support a Truth & Reconciliation Commission
http://bushtruthcommission.com/

[bvar22]

10. I don't support a "Truth & Reconciliation" Commission.

ANYTHING done by Congress (especially where granting immunity is involved) will be an obstruction to Justice th this point.
There is NO DOUBT that high crimes have been committed.
It is time for the Justice Dept to ACT, not time for Congress Critters to get Face Time on TV. Remember how effective the Senate Investigation into Abu Ghraib was? Lots of showboating for the cameras, NONE of the REAL criminals exposed.

It is PAST time for the White House to appoint a legitimate INDEPENDENT PROSECUTOR, and then step away from this explosive issue.
Let the chips fall where they may.

AFTER a Public Trial...after the criminals have been prosecuted, I will support a Truth Commission to gather up those that were able to dodge the Rule of Law.