Obama may prosecute over torture

Obama may prosecute over torture

www.theage.com.au

IN A surprise about-turn, US President Barack Obama says members of the Bush administration who approved the use of waterboarding and other harsh interrogation measures could face prosecution.

Mr Obama said his Attorney-General, Eric Holder, was conducting an investigation and the final decision rested with him. Mr Obama referred to four Bush administration memos he released last week detailing CIA interrogation measures, saying they "reflected, in my view, us losing our moral bearings".

Mr Obama also lifted his opposition to a separate congressional inquiry. Last night, White House pr

(visit the link for the full news article)

Well, this is certainly good news for all of us who believe all forms of torture should be banned and cases prosecuted. I even agree with what he has said about who should be prosecuted: Basically those that gave the orders should be looked at, not those following orders like good little lackeys.

"For those who carried out some of these operations within the four corners of legal opinions or guidance that had been provided from the White House, I do not think it's appropriate for them to be prosecuted," Mr Obama said. "With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the Attorney-General, within the parameters of various laws, and I don't want to prejudge that."

Obama has left it up to the Attorney-General Eric Holder to decide, based on evidence, whether anyone should be punished, and what for. Personally I think this is a bit of a cop-out but at least something is being done.

Of course those at risk of being prosecuted are crying foul, I didn't really expect anything else from them really:

Republicans reacted angrily. "What happened to him talking about not looking backward, about looking forward?" said Republican senator John Ensign of Nevada. "I think it's a huge mistake," said Republican senator Lindsey Graham. "If we start criminalising legal advice given to a past president, advice you may disagree with, that's on the margins of legal thought, in your opinion, you've really harmed the presidency."

www.theage.com.au
(visit the link for the full news article)

Those who authorised any knd of torture should be prosecuted as well as those who carried it out, being a 'lackey' or 'following orders' shouldn't be an excuse to leave your consience at the door when you know what your going to do is morally wrong or even if its probably not going to work.

[edit on 24/4/09 by DataWraith]

If he actually goes ahead and pushes for prosecution, then he's back in my good books.

This is what I wanted in the new president... someone who has the guts to uphold the law, even at the federal levels.

Up until now, that possibility looked incredibly bleak.



... it's OK Bush lovers...
... we misunderestimated his managementship abilities too.

More than likely because the EU stated unequivocally that they would pursue Obama if he refused to prosecute them, he has an obligation and knows it - the EU legal threats were pretty much solid - they stated this position prior to his election and restated it based on his recent statements regarding immunity.

His flip flops are Kerry-esqu. He ran on the notion that he'd go after people in the Bush administration. Then when he gets in and is briefed (so he actually knows what he's talking about), he backs off and says that he won't. But then with a little pressure from foreigners and the far left, he now says he's entertaining the notion again.

Flip flop flip fop. John Kerry would be proud.

reply to post by Kryties
Any person that "did it because he/she was told to" is just as guilty as the person who ordered it.

You are justifying a person not having the courage and human decency to stand up and refuse doing something any sane intellegent civilized person knows is wrong.

Torture is wrong, bad, not nice and anyone that participated or stood by and knew about it without trying to stop it is just as G.U.I.L.T.Y.


The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. Albert Einstein


"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." Albert Einstein

"The healthy man does not torture others - generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers” Carl Gustav Jung

There is no telling to what extremes of cruelty and ruthlessness a man will go when he is freed from the fears, hesitations, doubts and the vague stirrings of decency that go with individual judgement. When we lose our individual independence in the corporateness of a mass movement, we find a new freedom- freedom to hate, bully, lie, torture, murder and betray without shame and remorse. Herein undoubtedly lies part of the attractiveness of a mass movement. - Eric Hoffer


[edit on 24-4-2009 by ofhumandescent]