Amid the delicate waltz of policy and politics and the law, there's this
from Newsweek:
[Attorney General Eric] Holder, 58, may be on the verge of asserting his independence in a profound way. Four knowledgeable sources tell NEWSWEEK that he is now leaning toward appointing a prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices, something the president has been reluctant to do. While no final decision has been made, an announcement could come in a matter of weeks, say these sources, who decline to be identified discussing a sensitive law-enforcement matter.
Whatever happens there was torture and torture is against the law and the law demands an investigation. Let's see if something comes of this.
I know we're all a little gob smacked at this point. The first few months of the Obama administration, while under extreme duress, perhaps haven't played out like we all would have wished...
ReplyDeleteSo it's important to look at things like this and realize; it takes time! It's not like we're in some "post political" world. All the normal crap is still at play and doing anything within the "system" can be a long, hard slog.
If Holder is planning to do something he is probably going slow and making sure his ducks are in a row. And my guess is that he has the complete backing of the WH....
Yes this sounds to me more like a "trial balloon" than an assertion of independence ... plus, if Obama's support is flagging a little and healthcare seems to be on the brink, raising the specter of his predecessor may actually be just the thing to remind people of how they ought to feel.
ReplyDeletePlus, yes, torture, law, gotcha.
So, Clyde.. that "Hopey, Changey" thingy isn't what you anticipated? Hope you still have a job. (Seriously. I'm not being a smarta**.)
ReplyDeleteAs for the phrase "investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices"...
I do not accept the premise the interrrogation policies were brutal. That's someone else's assertion/premise. What is brutal? If I slap you, is that brutal? Was the treatment of Daniel Pearl brutal? (You betcha. Wink.) Was the author present? Is the author an insider? A CIA agent?
We shouldn't be playing tiddly winks with terrorists or subjecting them to the "comfy chair". We're dealing with animals that want to kill US citizens as they have done to other innocent peoples around the World.
I suppose the left subscribes to the Rodney King "Can't we all just get along?" theory. Am I right? (You betcha. Wink.)
Hell, Holder won't even go after clear Black Panther voter intimidation.. why would he condone actions going after Mooslim terrorists?
"We're dealing with animals that want to kill US citizens..."
ReplyDeleteSometimes. Sometimes not. In the slightest.
Of course, after detaining them for seven years and subjecting them to not tiddly winks, now they and their families and their entire villages will understandably be swearing vengeance upon the US for many future generations, so I guess you could say it all amounts to the same thing. If you want to break an omelet / nation.
And I suppose you wouldn't be interested in acknowledging any of the data demonstrating that folks who are enhancerifficly interrogated simply tell their captors whatever it is they think they want to hear. Which in our case was fairy tales about Saddam-owned WMD, in order to justify our invasion of Iraq for all sorts of fantastical reasons instead of what would have been a more justifiable campaign in Pakistan.
i'm with you bram.
ReplyDeleteThe amazing thing, CM, is how stupid you think the rest of the world is. How Amero-centric you were in your comment. How you just assume the “liberal” media is wrong. The terrorist detainees we have in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo, how many have gone before military tribunals or whatever the totally unjust mechanism was for dealing with them? I honestly don’t know myself. I guess a few were released because I hear the repeated Republican complaint that some fraction of those released have shown up on the battlefield fighting against us. What a surprise, after being “detained” for years, and not tortured but subjected to “softening-up” techniques such as humiliation, sleep deprivation in the form of loud rock music all day and night, bright lights and being moved from cell to cell, being bound, forced to stand or squat in painful positions for long periods of time, being struck and threatened and of course water boarding. After that, we expect them to say thank you when released.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of the world knew that we had defeated Saddam Hussein in 1991, that we had removed poison gas and whatever supplies he had for making nuclear weapons then, that the UN had stayed and looked for WMD stuff for seven years, that we had Hussein under sanctions since the end of the first gulf war, that he was, by 2003, a paper tiger and that he had nothing to do with 9/11. Yet we invaded Iraq, claiming that Saddam had aided the terrorists, that he had WMD’s all ready to get into the US and that making Iraq a democracy would cause all the other countries in the middle east to become democracies (when the Palestinians had elections, we got pissed off at the result). Then we started torturing “detainees” and the rest of the world saw us for the hypocrites we are, telling other countries they have to stop committing human rights abuses while we torture prisoners and find excuses to justify it (not the least of which is to act as though other religions are just silly things by intentionally using a funny spelling: “mooslims”).
The fact that you keep referencing Palin does not benefit your comment. What is it about Republicans that they run people like Agnew, Quayle, the most recent Bush and Palin, people who are obviously not qualified for their respective jobs. If you want to convince us that Republicans are anti-intellectuals who don’t care how the rest of the world sees America, be my guest. But don’t complain the rest of the world doesn’t respect us.
Con Mountain -
ReplyDeleteWell, I tell you what. I do wish more had happened, but perhaps that's just pent up frustration after eight hellish years...
My job is none of your business. But get this straight; The economy was taken down by a combination of rapacious free market bastards, banks, insurance companies and crazed fringers, like hedge fund managers, most all of whom vote your way, that is, to do everything they can to line their pockets. If you're ever sat amongst the super-rich corporate types (I have) you'd know just how pathetic they think the "little people" really are.
We are gnats which they brush away without a thought....
And terror suspects? I guess we could ask the same question of you? Are you an insider? Do you have some special knowledge that we don't?
Besides, your assertion is just flat out wrong, and is, to my way of thinking, an attempt to make yourself seem more macho. Good luck with that.
Most liberal people I know believe that terrorism should be dealt with strongly and forcefully. But we also believe that the rule of law is what separates this nation from so many other, lessor, ones.