John Conyers, Jerold Nadler and others on the House Judiciary Committee today asked Attorney General Holder to appoint a special prosecutor for torture:
Holder is required by law to prosecute violations of the Geneva Convention such as torture. And this is not supposed to be a decision based upon politics.
Unfortunately, Holder will likely do whatever Obama tells him to do. Therefore, it is now or never to call Obama and demand prosecution.
You realize that by going forward on this the country will cease to exist and will break into smaller regional sections. Right? Is this the desired outcome? Because that is what it will lead to. Civil War is never pretty and we all have families.
ReplyDeleteCivil War? No, it would only make the union more perfect under the rule of law.
ReplyDeletewhy on earth would this lead to civil war? It's simply a violation of International and National laws. Torture has been illegal since George Washington and the Revolutionary War. Seems to me a lot of folks out there want to break the union of states anytime they don't get their way. Don't look behind you there may be no one there.
ReplyDeleteYes but does your local prosecutor worry about what the families of drug dealers will think when they convict them? No they do not, as that has nothing to do with the laws broken. What republicans do or don't think doesn't either.
ReplyDeleteEither they believe in the rule of law and founding fathers principles of "all created equal" or they don't. If they feel the need for civil war, they may very well find themselves in a FEMA camp-hopefully relearning American history.
I'm with Karpinski. She said to the politicians in Washington, don't you DARE politicize this. This is not partisan. This is about the rule of law. And I think she wanted an INTERnational panel to sit in investigation (international grand jury?) since the war in Iraq is an international coalition. And by the way, what about the Iraqis themselves? I know it's always all about us... except it's not.
ReplyDeleteThere is a problem in my mind of being with Karpinski. She was in charge of all the prison in Iraq while the torture was going on. she is as guilty as Bush and the boys. I do agree with you that it is not only about us, but it is about prosecuting us for what we did to them and in my mind it is the only way for us to get our pride back. Hang the bastards that originated and carried out the torture. Every last one of them. Following orders is not an excuse, never has been and never will be.
ReplyDeleteSo, forget Karpinski, but think about what she said. International review, and to the politicians in DC: Don't you dare politicize this. The second point at least seems to match your own point of view.
ReplyDeleteI like international because I want us to get grounded in planet reality. We're such an echo chamber and no recognition at all about the monstrous shame and wrong we've caused. For God's sake, how many millions are dead, maimed, impoverished and/or displaced because of this fucking illegal war? And people still talk about winning it, as if you could win a lie? I like what Andrew Bacevich said, we need to get real and apologize and make a monument to our stupidity and put it on the National Mall: "What are we to make of these blunders? The temptation may be to avert our gaze, thereby preserving the reassuring tale of the American Century. We should avoid that temptation and take the opposite course, acknowledging openly, freely, and unabashedly where we have gone wrong. We should carve such acknowledgments into the face of a new monument smack in the middle of the Mall in Washington: We blew it. We screwed the pooch. We caught a case of the stupids. We got it ass-backwards." http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/175065
Damn, I love someone who can negotiate me into agreement. Being a retired Navy Chief who felt like I had been raped by my own government by violating every principle I served under can only be served by trying every one top to bottom involved in this National disgrace. Only following orders don't cut it in my book. If you did the crime you serve the time.
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