The Associated Press writes:
"Two Obama advisers said there's little—if any—chance that the incoming president's Justice Department will go after anyone involved in authorizing or carrying out interrogations that provoked worldwide outrage."
And when Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy was asked if Bush officials could face war crimes, he responded:
"In the United States, no. These things are not going to happen."This is not entirely surprising, given that Democratic congress members Nancy Pelosi, Jane Harman and John D. Rockefeller were secretly briefed on torture many, many years ago, and yet did nothing to stop those unlawful programs. Indeed, they egged the torturers on (for example, the above-linked Washington Post article says "no objections were raised. Instead, at least two lawmakers in the room asked the CIA to push harder").
Remember, those who authorize or cover up war crimes are themselves guilty of war crimes. The Democratic leadership thus has every incentive to cover up war crimes.
The fix is already in. Only massive pressure on the government can force war crimes trials.
A massive pressure that would force such an action would have to come from the entrenched corporate lobbyist claque and obviously that isn't going to happen. The Congress pays no attention to the American people or the Constitution.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct about the infinitesimal chance of any sort of investigation, and therefore there is the same chance that any faith in our justice system or our government will be restored any time soon. Prosecuting GWB and the other war criminals is a change I could believe in if I still had the audacity to hope.
We can demand nothing less than criminal charges to be brought against corrupt officials. To accept less will allow the criminal system to flourish unchecked. We will see more wars and more suffering.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it's difficult, we must always aim to see justice, and the the rule of law, prevail.
This is a tough one to tell my coloured friend ... he will not listen. It's heart breaking.
ReplyDeleteLike Bush or not he did what most presidents would do. What he had to do ! I can't wait to hear the critics of Bush react to seeing Obama doing many of the same things. It's a rough world. Time to grow up.
ReplyDeleteS. Monkey