Well, I guess if the Congress of the United States doesn’t have the sense of purpose to honor the rule of law, we can always depend on… Spain?
Spain’s national newspapers, El País and Público reported that the Spanish national security court has opened a criminal probe focusing on Bush Administration lawyers who pioneered the descent into torture at the prison in Guantánamo. The criminal complaint can be examined here. Público identifies the targets as University of California law professor John Yoo, former Department of Defense general counsel William J. Haynes II (now a lawyer working for Chevron), former vice presidential chief-of-staff David Addington, former attorney general and White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, former Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee, now a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, and former Undersecretary of Defense Doug Feith.
Majority leader Reid and Speaker Pelosi should really be ashamed that certain nations are applying their own laws, a sort of bank shot off of international jurisdiction, to hold the Bush Administration accountable. For a very long time I’ve been contending that Congress has become a generally spineless group on these sorts of issues, all of them more wedded to political party than doing what’s right or letting U.S. law be their guide. The Gerald Ford litmus test has never served us, so ignoring what happened during Bush-Cheney won’t either. The international community seems intent on proving my case, taking the lead as Congress yawns. It’s a horrible stain on one of the most venerable institutions in this country; a body that has a commission fetish instead of doing their jobs.
Spain follows a move by Britain that targets the C.I.A.
The attorney general, Lady Scotland, announced the unprecedented move in light of damning evidence that Britain’s security and intelligence agencies colluded with the CIA in Mohamed’s inhuman treatment and secret rendition.
She said the police inquiry would look into “possible criminal wrongdoing” in what the high court described as Mohamed’s unlawful questioning. [...]
Not being a lawyer I tend not to cover these things very often, so if you are of a legal mind it would be helpful that you weigh in.
It also seems to me that President Obama would do well to encourage A.G. Holder to pursue the truth and let that be his guide. The President does not have to get embroiled at all, but cleansing this country of what the Bush Administration let run amok would be the moral road to take.
Congress is obviously not interested.
How is it “holding the Bush administration accountable” – if Bush and Cheney are not on the list ?
It would appear that Congress is following what the President has clearly indicated he wanted.
I don’t mind that they don’t hang ‘em; but by damn there crimes and misdemeanors should be shown the national cleansing effect of the light of day.
Bush & Cheney were appointed to the Presidency and Vice Presidency by Scalia et al. The consequences of that appointment needs to be made clear to the citizens of this country.
“For a very long time I’ve been contending that Congress has become a generally spineless group on these sorts of issues, all of them more wedded to political party than doing what’s right or letting U.S. law be their guide.”
Agree. The questioned should be asked if Pelosi and Reid themselves have “clean hands” when it comes to this issue.
Clean Hands Doctrine
Its purpose is to protect the integrity of the court. It does not disapprove only of illegal acts but will deny relief for bad conduct that, as a matter of public policy, ought to be discouraged.
It is possible that the wrongful conduct is not an act but a failure to act. For example, someone who hires an agent to represent him or her and then sits silently while the agent misleads another party in negotiations is as much responsible for the false statements as if he himself or she herself had made them.
Or if one party “gains or profits” from the illegal activity of the other party. That party does not have “clean hands.”
Someone could make the argument that by not doing anything (especially after 2006 when Democrats got the majorities in the House and Senate) Pelosi and Reid gained or profited in 2008.
They’re calling it the ‘Limbaugh Effect”
Big Blobs Change View of Evolution
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090328/sc_livescience/bigblobschangeviewofevolution
GeoT I don’t get it? The only thing the grape sized single celled critters have cganged is the thoughts on old fossil trackways and how they were formed.
NOW…as for the thread. HUUUUUUUUZAH!! AT LAST!! SOMEBODY is starting the ball rolling on holding these murdering, lawless, warcriminal bastards accountable!!!
And yes, America must hang our collective heads in SHAME that it took the international community to start the process.
As for why start with these small time bastards? You start small and build your case.
I actually WOULD like to see the guilty parties(after a fair trial and all that, but is there ANY doubt of their guilt? I mean REALLY) HUNG. Or at least confined in, oh I don’t know, GITMO or Spandue prision, maybe in the cell next to where R. Hess used to live.
But I will settle for them to be labeled officially parriahs in the international communities eyes and be under the threat, the obligation of other governments apprehending and turning them over to the World Court if they ever set foot outside of the United States again.
For shame Congress. For shame.
It reminds me of how CA decided to tackle the Anna Nicole Smith story.
Usually, it’s just about distraction.