One great failure if the Democratic Party has been their unwillingness to hold Republican leaders responsible for torture. I understand their desire to move forward to meet American’s needs, rather than become involved in an all consuming fight over this, but that is no excuse. Our Constitution makes ratified treaties US law, and the UN Convention Against Torture requires us to investigate and prosecute torture. Instead, we have left our dirty laundry for Europe.
The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner has urged Lithuania, Poland and Romania to investigate their governments’ alleged roles in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s secret “rendition” program of detaining, transporting and interrogating terrorism suspects in foreign countries.
Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg says the CIA set up “black sites” in overseas locations, including some in Europe, as part of its secret counter-terrorism operations where detainees were allegedly tortured. He says Poland, Romania and Lithuania took extraordinary measures to keep the most damaging revelations out of the public domain.
Hammarberg urged disclosure on the part of those countries, despite possible diplomatic costs, with the aim of preventing governments in the future from resorting to the same abusive tactics. He said the interrogation techniques authorized by the U.S. government in many cases constituted torture and included waterboarding, or simulated drowning… [emphasis added]
Inserted from <Voice of America>
I fully support the council’s aims and hope that they bring to light details that our own DOJ should have brought out years ago. These crimes against humanity by Bush, Cheney and the Republican Party are a foul stain on the image of the United States. To regain the respect of the rest of the world would be much easier to do, if we obey our own law, clean up our own dirty laundry, and bring the war criminals responsible to justice.
25 Responses to “Our Dirty Laundry Left for Europe”
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The root word of Democracy is Democrat and seeing as we no longer live in a democracy then there is no reason to hold anyone or either party responsible for the prosecution of bush league demagogue dictators like Bush and Cheney. As a fear filled mass of people most Americans willingly gave up their right to hold leaders accountable. Including the current president who as far as i am concerned is just as culpable because he refused to bring them in GITMO here for trial under what used to be a greatly written constitution. The current administration has not only continued the abuse of human rights under the UN mandate which was ratified by a bipartisan congress but has strengthened the illegal unconstitutional law called the Patriot act. why do you suppose he has doe this? My guess is because he is one of them who should eventually be making an appearance in the Hague…oh wait I forgot we exempted ourselves from the jurisdiction of that court.
I agree. Where is the outrage that these acts ARE NOT who Americans are? Obama has been spineless on this, as with most everything else related to Republican abuses.
Mark, that’s incorrect. When he stated he was bringing them here for trials, Congress passed a law against it.
In what case can congress pass a law that can NOT be vetoed by the chief executive? We would have allowed them a trial here in Detroit which is home to the largest Arab community outside of the middle east and it would have been a fair trial and we have a prison still in the hands of the government (not private) that is empty and easily could have held them if convicted.
To not prosecute the Bush administration for its horrible crimes is to completely abandon our moral responsibility, and makes us no better than al Quada.
Amen, Pope Jack.
This is a dark stain on our country. I’m afraid it will never disappear.
That’s true unless we do the right thing.
Again, I have to blame Obama. One of the first things he said was, he was instructing his AG, to not look for prosecutions of the members of the Bush administration. Kinda like JF when he said our national nightmare is over, and then pardoned Nixon for all crimes against America, even though he did not know what crimes Nixon had committed. A failure to hold our top leaders responsible, by our top leader. I offer Mr. Cheney free plane tickets to an oversea destination.
I would offer Mr. Cheney a free ticket to Spain, since there is a certain prosecutor there who is more than willing to apply the law.
Tom, he was following the precedent set by Nancy Pelosi in 2006.
Cheney will most likely die before he comes before any earthly court–So him we will leave him to Heaven—
“To not prosecute the Bush administration for its horrible crimes is to completely abandon our moral responsibility, and makes us no better than al Quada.” ( jack jodell )
You’re probably right.
That’s why Jack is Politics Plus Pope. 😉
A recent report by Human Rights Watch on the subject may be of interest.
http://www.hrw.org/reports/2011/07/12/getting-away-torture-0
Thanks Ahab!
I’m so glad you placed this article in the blog! Torture was the turning point for me when I think of this country – I lost my respect for this damn land when we did that business and did it in my name and yours! This isn’t my country until the perpetrators and designers of totture are brought to justice. That includes cheney of course – but the 2 attorneys out in CA – baybee (sp?) and another whose name escapes me right now, if I recall ashcroft and rumsfeld were cheerleading water boarding! bush – puppet though he may have been is inexcusably linked to this proceedure – everybody in that administration was responsible – rice (almost forgot her) , and yes O has no excuse for the prisoners in gitmo to stay over there and not be brought to judgment here – I live in nyc – I’d go to the trials before I would “run from fear”! This is an unacceptable blemish that causes me to question my patriotism, mainly because in a “democracy” what is carried out (wars and torture and policies) are all done in our name – I take that very seriously – when I get angry and offensive it is with that in mind – my guilt!
You’re welcome, Lee. You have no personal guilt for a policy you opposed.
Cheney Manifesto:
Fear always prevails over reason. Violence always dominates over dialogue. And torture is always an American value.
Cheney and his sick cronies have crafted a hellish “logic” justifying their bloodlust: If no terrorist attacks occur, it means that torture worked. If there is a threat of a terrorist attack, it means we need to torture more. If there’s a successful terrorist attack, it means we didn’t torture enough.
Very Well said, Nameless.
Very Well said, Nameless.
I hope the rest of the world has the guts to do what the US will not. Prosecute, try, find guilty (foregone conclusion), and sentence to life imprisonment for crimes against humanity. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, name the names, and even Powell unless he make a HUGE apology for his complicity. He’s still waffling, the coward.
I agree on all but Powell, if he turns “states evidence”.
Phyllis — “Cheney will most likely die before he comes before any earthly court–So him we will leave him to Heaven”
I agree with your comment but I somehow think it won’t be Heaven. It’ll be somewhere a whole lot hotter — think HELL!
If Mr Obama won’t prosecute Baby Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld et al, can an American citizen, a private citizen approach the World Court at the Hague to ask for help in getting this started? I just don’t know. It would take money, but the first question is, can it be done?
Ahab, thanks for the link. There is very interesting content there and in related material from Democracy Now! In questioning by Matt Lauer, Bush is so evasive . . . or is it that he is just stupid? Maybe he needs his puppetmaster Cheney there to help him!
Agreed