Justice Department Announces Investigation Into Waterboarding, Torture Memo

Politico:

The Justice Department announced it has launched an investigation into who authorized the use of waterboarding at the department, following a request from Democratic Sens. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.

After the two sent the DOJ a letter asking who authorized the use of the controversial interrogation technique, H. Marshall Jarrett, the head of DOJ's Office of Professional Responsibility, wrote the senators that this issue is "included in a pending OPR investigation into the circumstances surrounding the drafting" of a 2002 Office of Legal Counsel memo on interrogation standards.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[gcallaghan]

Hang the nazis who authorized waterboarding directly alonsgside those who carried it out.

[wm1066]

They will find that there was no torture, Durbin will say "Yes sir I agree".
Then during the next Democrat administration it will be brought up again and they'll say we have already found that 'it wasn't torture and why are we wasting time' and Durbin will agree.
Thus insuring it gets swept under the rug.

[truthyguy]

Could I buff that dome up for you, sir?

[CarryOn]

We have become what we condem...

Let's mail every a citizen a copy of the Bill of Rights and George Orwell's Animal Farm!

[scooperss]

This is a joke on the whole world.

[Tankan]

Torture is not the American way!

Anyone who advocates the use of torture is anti American, the enemy within!

When an administration behaves like ruthless terrorists it ceases to represent civilized society, the moral high ground lost forever!

[Cunningham]

Anybody think this will go anywhere?

Me neither.

[johnnyjust]

Amazing that libs are still so anxious to defend to their deaths (literally) the rights of terrorists to not get water up their noses.

Why do you defend the killers of the innocent?

I know, I know...we'­re the terrorists, though Al Qaeda struck first...bu­t, really, honestly..­.why do you defend the murderers?

[Tankan]

Any "true" civilized society protects the human rights of all, not just those deemed to be worthy. Lots of innocent people have died, not all at the hands of Al Qaeda, why are those killers being defended and protected?
Uncivilized sadistic thugs running the show!

[TakeSake]

If waterboarding isn't torture, then what makes it effective? Is it effective at all? Are there other methods that are more effective? Would you advocate using the most effective method or the most uncomfortable one? If it isn't torture then should police be allowed to use it? The tax collector? The school principal?

[ElkoJohn]

as a Vietnam vet with 21-months of combat killing commies for christ, i can tell you that the best combat leaders lead by example in battle, not from the desk at HQ. Therefore when Lt. Wm. Calley allowed his troops to kill innocent children, women & old men because they were not american citizens, he was wrong. The LOH pilot who stopped the massacre by threatening to shot any soldiers who did not stop killing the Vietnamese citizens was right. So i guess johnnyjust, you are no expert. I suggest you volunteer to go to Iraq or Afghanistan, kill some civilians & then decide if non-US citizens should be accorded the same rights we claim from our Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.­"

[Bushgirlsgonewild]

.

I often post sarcastic or humorous entries here (I hope), but seriously, I urge all my fellow liberals to support either Obama (my preference) or Hillary (who's is one of the good 'guys') this November.

In the past 30 years Democrats have (except on 2 occasions) had larger turnouts IN THE PRIMARIES than republicans in every presidential election -- our record turnout was in 1988 ( Democrats voted in the primaries at a ratio of 2:1 to republicans) but we all know what happened that November.

WE MUST TURNOUT THIS FALL! DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE AT THE MOMENT! GET YOUR FRIENDS REGISTERED AND MAKE SURE THEY VOTE DEMOCRATIC!


AND, as a personal favor, I would appreciate it if you would all visit the following ASSHOLE'S blog and post the truth there:

http://www.violenceworker.com

or, if that doesn't work, try:

http://www.violenceworker.com/my_weblog/2008/02/obama-followers.html?cid=103933088#comment-103933088

Thank you

.

[Ramirez]

I followed your link and read the guy's blog. He seemed like a decent enough fellow; has opinions, has a family, etc. According to him you email him and post foul-mouthed comments on his blog and get banned a lot.

Now you have spammed up this same comment in every thread on HuffPo. Apparently you want other posters to join your obsession and spend their lives in the same manner as you spend yours.

Good luck with that.

[iPolitics]

8th Amendment: Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Do we get to keep any of the Bill of Rights?

[johnnyjust]

Gee, I'm no expert, but I believe the Bill of Rights applies only to U.S. citizens, not terrorists killing innocent people.

Could be wrong. No expert, we.

[ElkoJohn]

as a Vietnam vet with 21-months of combat killing commies for christ, i can tell you that the best combat leaders lead by example in battle, not from the desk at HQ. Therefore when Lt. Wm. Calley allowed his troops to kill innocent children, women & old men because they were not american citizens, he was wrong. The LOH pilot who stopped the massacre by threatening to shot any soldiers who did not stop killing the Vietnamese citizens was right. So i guess johnnyjust, you are no expert. I suggest you volunteer to go to Iraq or Afghanistan, kill some civilians & then decide if non-US citizens should be accorded the same rights we claim from our Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.­"

[ElkoJohn]

`
more high crimes & misdemeanors. . .
will Nancy P. give emperor George
another pass on impeachment?
stay tuned sports fans. . .

`

[realitytrumpsbull]

Yeah, ok, Himmler...­would it be torture if it happened to YOU?

[bigdaddyvike]

DOJ="inves­tigation"=­useless

[helonias]

So what christians torture other human beings regardless of what they are called or what they have done or may have done.

Any takers?

[acudoctor]

catholic priests?

[helonias]

I am humbled by your response but not will bend over for it.

[helonias]

But are they really christian?

[lungfish]

Well, well, well.... lets just see who put the idea of waterboarding, etc into the conversation to begin with.
I bet we end up with everyone in the Administration pointing fingers at anyone but themselves and then when it is proven that they came up with it they will declare Executive Priviledge and refuse to answer to subpoenas or Congressional oversight.­.. Cheney will declare himself part of the legislative branch and Rove will start working for NPR and Hallmark..­..