Andrew Sullivan: Bush Administration Officials Will Be 'Indicted For War Crimes'

Media coverage of the disclosure of the "torture memo" authored by Bush Justice Department official John C. Yoo has been mostly a deafening silence. But on this morning's Chris Matthews' show, someone finally fired a shot. As we mentioned in this morning's liveblog, credit goes to The Atlantic's Andrew Sullivan, for taking the opportunity to ensure that this matter got out into the televised discourse somehow.

SULLIVAN: The latest revelations on the torture front show the memo from John Yoo...means that Don Rumsfeld, David Addington and John Yoo should not leave the United States any time soon. They will be, at some point, indicted for war crimes.

[WATCH.]

The moment came during a segment on Matthews' show where the panel is invited to "tell him something he doesn't know," though this might be more accurately termed, "something he doesn't know he should talk about." Matthews is hardly alone. Via Sullivan, we are directed to the blog of Glenn Greenwald:

Here are the number of times, according to NEXIS, that various topics have been mentioned in the media over the past thirty days:

"Yoo and torture" - 102

"Mukasey and 9/11" -- 73

"Yoo and Fourth Amendment" -- 16

"Obama and bowling" -- 1,043

Story continues below

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"Obama and Wright" -- More than 3,000 (too many to be counted)

"Obama and patriotism" - 1,607

"Clinton and Lewinsky" -- 1,079

I'd also like to quote Greenwald at length here:

Every day, it becomes more difficult to blame George Bush, Dick Cheney and comrades for their seven years (and counting) of crimes, corruption and destruction of our political values. Think about it this way: if you were a high government official and watched as -- all in a couple of weeks time -- it is revealed, right out in the open, that you suspended the Fourth Amendment, authorized torture, proclaimed yourself empowered to break the law, and sent the nation's top law enforcement officer to lie blatantly about how and why the 9/11 attacks happened so that you could acquire still more unchecked spying power and get rid of lawsuits that would expose what you did, and the political press in this country basically ignored all of that and blathered on about Obama's bowling score and how he eats chocolate, wouldn't you also conclude that you could do anything you want, without limits, and know there will be no consequences? What would be the incentive to stop doing all of that?

He couldn't be more right, I'm afraid.

Comments

[richardgordon]

Dream on. It won't happen. (George Bush, Dick Cheney and comrades won't get indited for war crimes) America is a "Industrial Military Complex." The military contractors will not allow it to happen. There is just too much money to be made in the business of war.

[sufi66]

Right. Never in a thousand years.

That's why failing to impeach is a huge historical blunder. Bush will go on to make lots of money and he will be the most obnoxious ex-president in history. He will forever speak loudly and stupidly.

[The 13 Colonies]

Impeachment was the answer, but now it's too late.Histo­ry will judge the American people for their failure to act in a timely manner....­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­..........­.....

[lelaji]

That's why failing to impeach is a huge historical blunder. Bush will go on to make lots of money and he will be the most obnoxious ex-president in history. He will forever speak loudly and stupidly.

it is not to late to impeach- support Shirley Golub -who is so
bravely challenging Nancy Pelosi for the Democratic party nomination or Cindy Sheehan also challenging Nancy Pelosi so that impeachment can be ON THE TABLE! Even if they don't beat her it might wake Nancy up to how much ahead of the Congress the people are on this issue. They don't want to lose their cushy seats. Remember the power lies with the people - but the people have to rise up - it won't be given. This is a constant that the people always have to continue to fight for their rights. just because it is in the constitution doesn't mean that we can sit back and expect it - it is a continuous fight. the founding fathers new that - it was never easy. Americans are distracted, overwhelmed and have gotten lazy. Many also refuse to believe their government could do anything wrong -although this is changing.

[Dolphyn]

I think Sullivan is saying they would be indicted if they go outside of the country.

[racetoinfinity]

You nailed it. Money rules over all. Pink Floyd was right in 1974. It's so low-level and sad and sick!

[revtj]

AT WHAT POINT CAN Andrew Sullivan be charged with intelligence crimes? The rest of us knew this administration lied 4 years ago --while Andrew Sullivan was hawking Bush's policies everywhere on tv. Sullivan has absolutely NO CREDIBILITY as a journalist, and if he weren't gay they wouldn't even patronize him at Fox News. Enough of him already. File him with Britney Spears from now on, please. The British accent can't cover up the fact that he's too little too late.

[AProudAZLiberal]

I find it highly disingenuous of Andrew Sullivan to be saying anything of this sort. Does he now admit to being wrong when appearing on the Bill Maher show when Noam Chomsky was on the show as well and saying calling Bush a war criminal was utterly absurd? Or was this just a case of defending his own support for the invasion? Does he admit supporting and voting for Bush in 2004 was an error?

[skahimself]

As a matter of fact, he has appeared on the Bill Maher show a few times since and has been completely critical of Bush, Iraq, and his own support for the two back in 2004 and before.

So there :P

[tbone99]

One question - how many hours is he logging in at Walter Reed?

[AProudAZLiberal]

Second question:
Did he ever apologize directly to Chomsky?

[melann830]

But still he supported him at one time and unfortunately his development of a conscience come too little too late. What's done is done. And he can't fool us anymore. So it is best that he should bow out of criticizing a presidency and administration he supported from its inception. At least democrats in congress can claim they did not support the administration, but cast a vote . Sullivan defended the administration. That is worse.

[Nancita]

This is not about whether Andrew Sullivan got hung on the top of the fence. This is about whether or not the patriarchy has the capacity to be accountable for it's COLLECTIVE actions once the citizens become aware of the subterfuge. As a female I am convinced that patriarchal gender loyalty will turn this criminal behavior into nothing more substantial than more content for all the blah blah talking heads (majority male by the way) who will do the group the favor of sucking all the oxygen away and putting the fire out. The citizens no longer have the leverage necessary to bring important, wealthy white men to the bar of accountability. The citizens are too busy not being buried by the backwash of the privileged patriarchy. The idea that there are people too important to punish is the way the patriarchy absolves criminality on a grand scale. Perhaps the citizens have become too unimportant to demand any more than what we are getting. Shame on us for being so pitiful in our collusion.

[racetoinfinity]

Patriarchy, schmatriarcahy! It's the PLUTOCRACRY male and female. Condi is up to her mascara in it.

[melann830]

Wait one minute. I'm a moderate, but I side with AProudAZLiberal. Andrew spent much of the time he was on Maher and other programs supporting Bush's presidency. Now in the last year or so, he has backed off. While, I don't condemn him, if you are all going to blame Hillary Clinton for her vote for the Iraq War, you shouldn't exonerate him either as a writer just because of his maleness. I am not saying that you specifically blame her, but many who post on the HuffPo make claims as to her culpability and it really isn't fair. I do not feel Senator Clinton or any other congressmember should be held accountable for this war. This war was going to happen no matter what because those were the plans of our government. Lets be realistic and see the picture for what it really is. For us to blame congress is a waste of our time and quite frankly, they have been shamed and do feel the sting from the deception as well. But I do agree with you about our "pitiful in our collusion.­" Although, I never voted for Bush either time, there were those Democrats who forsook Al Gore in 2000 and this is the aftermath we had to face.

[Tommygun264]

At the very least these three will be indicted, most likely as a "diplomatic" compromise whereby Bush and Cheney can avoid indictment themselves. Then all but Rumsfeld will be allowed to go on trial while the former Secretary of Defense will play political cat-and-mouse with a wink and a nod by our government and our most loyal lapdogs, I mean allies, to avoid being taken into custody in hopes that the Hague will be satisfied with the two underlings, at least long enough for Rumsfeld to die a free man, in much the same way Pinochet did in his final years. Congress and perhaps even subsequent Presidents will make a lot of noisy speeches about how no man is above the law, but in the end will do nothing, thereby grudgingly proving Bush and Cheney correct in their assertions that they are indeed too important to face prosecution. The recent $29,000,00­0,000.00 Bear Sterns bail-out is a perfect example of the prevailing theory inside the Beltway that "some people are too important to be held responsible". The Republicans will continue to put their fingers in their ears, stamp their feet and insist that the Bush Administration are heroes, just as they continue to do with the perpetrators of the Iran-Contra debacle, and the Democrats who have the power to press forward will argue that they cannot, lest they place our national unity in peril.

[skahimself]

Some people are too important to be held responsible. Thats not wrong, evil, corrupt, or immoral. That's just the way it is.

You can argue that this line of thinking somehow destroys the fabric of morality or the rule of law or whatever you want to argue that its destroying. But the fact of the matter is, morality and law and ethics have always been subjective and arbitrairy. They are not carved in stone. The are not immortal. They are ideas and thoughts and feelings sketched out by man to try and add some reason and sense to a "senseless" world. But their very nature makes them pointless.

But as long as people believe ...

Furthermore, do you (or does anyone) really believe it is our country's best interest to drag our commander in cheif, his vp, and his entire cabinet into the Hague to be prosecuted for war crimes? Does anyone think thats wise? You think we are a joke now? Wait until our COD is interrogated like a homeless bum who jacked a pack of gum from a local Quicky Mart.

Some people are too important to be held responsible ...

Life's a bitch, ain't it?

[Pigliacci]

Oh, please!

The sky wouldn't fall if Bush, Cheney, et al. were tried for war crimes in the Hague or any other venue. In fact, such trials might be the only remaining avenue by which to vouchsafe our country's commitment to its own highest standards, and restore some measure of the world's hitherto high regard for our country .

America's persistent, if flawed, allegiance to the Constitution, the shining Eremite to which we all may uncynically aspire, is all that sets us apart from the long history of tragic empires come and gone. So, as Bush himself might say, "Bring it on! The United States of America and our Constitution will be the stronger for it!"

[pizzmoe]

Furthermore, do you (or does anyone) really believe it is our country's best interest to drag our commander in cheif, his vp, and his entire cabinet into the Hague to be prosecuted for war crimes?

Yes, it is vital that they be held responsible. If we are going to claim to be a great country that cares about the rule of law, let's prove it.

[lvdragonlady]

But will they be convicted?? I will believe this statement when I see it and not before.
shrubie and cheney should be included.

[ElkoJohn]

`
not unless we elect Jesse V. as prez
.

[mengwise36]

Jesse V. is one person who is NOT above the law.

[Artos]

I would find it hard to believe that they would be prosecuted. Too much emphasis is placed on protecting the prestige of the U.S. Presidency. So in order to protect it we let a criminal and his henchmen go. Who will make it happen? We have to gutless Democratic Congressional leaders. Our Supreme Court is still riddled with hardcore Conservatives who should also be impeached. We have an Attorney General installed by Republicans who protects them by first pretending that he is against torture and yet still can't see fit to call it a crime. We have Republican Congressmen who will protect their own because they have no honor and we have American citizens on the side of Blind Nationalism who side with the methods used by their leadership. So who will do it. We are on the downhill slope and the snowball is growing. The same symptoms that have torn Iraq apart are tearing us apart. They because of religious differences and we because of political differences.

[Jaybot]

It's my understanding that these matters are handled by the International Criminal Court, the same entity the Bush Administration has bullied other countries to repudiate. That sort of explains allot now, doesn't it.

[Liberal2]

OTOH, Paraguay signed the Rome Statute which I think covers the subject. If a charge is filed in the Haque, and George Bush is chopping brush on daddy's Paraguayan Hacienda..­..Paraguay would be obligated to putting him on a plane to Switzerland. There is some business about jurisdiction, but there is a way past that--the UN Security Council makes the charge before the court.

I'm not a lawyer but...look­s like there's hope.

Bet George, Dick, and the rest of the idiots never leave the US again.

[samguy]

Persaonlly, I'm counting on the World Court in the Hague to go after these guys.

[Melodyl]

If Bush should be indicted on war crimes, then why was LBJ not tried,he was a true wor criminal the likes of Stalin, Hittler, and Mao

[BlueStateMan]

No, he wasn't.

[Artos]

Melodyl,

L.B.J. should have been, but had you done that you would also have had to try Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy and Nixon (Who should have been tried anyway). All of these men were in som e way responsible fo

[leatherneck]

Yes, these men are without a doubt war criminals, but sadly, war criminals are rarely if ever indicted, convicted unless their homeland is defeated, or they by some stupid move go abroad too a country that has a active warrant for their arrest, indictment, my guess is like most evil men including Hitler whom these men sit in company with, will meet their real justice before God and will all enjoy that lake of fire for all eternity, how ironic all their power, wealth, money, political connections on earth will do them no good before Gods justice and Jesus will not know them when they meet him, but then that is the beauty of Gods punishment it is without a doubt fair, balanced, and sure as the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening, its coming too them, and I cannot imagine any of these arrogant, evil men ever seeing anything wrong in their actions, since bible tells us "blind biblical goats" will even on the judgment day ask Jesus when did I see you in these conditions and do these things unto you..., he will so justly tell them when you did this too the least of these you did it unto me!

[shrinkrap]

I have a problem with you wishing ill upon some people. Did your Christian values teach that you should hope for pain for your enemy? How christian is that? Isn't vengeance the sole province of God?
As hard as it is to understand, given the atrocities the men in question have heaped on the world, they need forgiveness. Forgiveness allows us to move forward and without it, the bitterness destroys us from within. If we can forgive them and help them to understand how lost they really are in this world, maybe then they can come to grips with their deeds.
As crazy and out of control the Bush administration has been, no other President needs our prayers more.

[revtj]

Mercy does not negate justice in any of the major religions of the book. If you kill women & children you can surely be forgiven by God but are likely to face the justice of humanitarian law. There must be a standard or there would be anarchy.

[OilWarsDotCom]

bush is neither crazy or out of control - he is smart and IN CONTROL - it is we the sheeple who have lost control. We have lost control of a once great nation with a workable Constitution. We have attacked another nation and murdered it's people for resources and territory. bush is no better than hitler. he is the embodiement of evil. Forgive them? Your pusillaminous statements contribute to the death of this nation.

[Mojane]

Christian values. What an oxymoron, unless you think of Christian values as in the Spanish Inquisition, the Catholic church turning a blind eye to the horrors of Nazi Germany, even complicit in the evil, and the Rev. Haggy, the Rev. Pat, and others preaching hateful venomous sermons, oh it goes on.

I have no problem fantasizing about Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Condi, Rove, Feith, et all being dropped in the middle of Baghdad, blindfolded. Or put in a Humvee on one of the death trap roads in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Juxtaposed with the reality of what they have wrought, the death and destruction, the anhillation of an entire country, the displacement of 2 to 4 million Iraqis, up to 600,000 dead Iraqis, most of them innocent or simply defending their country from the occupiers, us, to say nothing of the vulnerability of the entire region.... the above fantasy of mine is actually too merciful.

You can pray for my soul if you like, but I won't pray for theirs as I question they have one.

[JFWilliam]

Fool them into going to Vermont then ;)
VERMONT TOWNS BACK INDICTMENT OF BUSH & CHENEY / In Vermont, voters in the towns of Brattleboro and Marlboro approved measures Tuesday calling for the indictment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney for crimes against the Constitution. The symbolic votes instruct the police department in each town to arrest Bush and Cheney or to extradite them for prosecution elsewhere if they ever step foot in the towns.

The whole executive branch should be jailed for Plamegate alone...

DYING REGIME 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNuefnjwbJ0

“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we've been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We're no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It is simply too painful to acknowledge -- even to ourselves -- that we've been so credulous“ - Carl Sagan

[KeysDan]

While not a fan of Andrew Sullivan's political ideology, save for his rather recent awakening on the evils of the Bush administration and the mistake that is the Iraq war, Mr. Sullivan's allowing of the question of war crimes to be publicly raised serves a useful purpose. Surely, it creates chills for some of these thugs as they envision themselves avoiding arrest warrants by fleeing through the kitchen exits of European hotels--an real experience that can be related by their senior colleague, Henry Kissinger. It would be a great start just to get one of these guys (name a guy, any guy maybe starting down the food chain a bit, with Wolfie or Feith) hauled before an aggressive and courageous justice, such as the one that caused Pinochet his well-earned grief.

[tbone99]

With a hand picked Supreme Court , and Dept of Justice it becomes somewhat difficult to enact the laws that are on the books, meant to regulate gov'nt.Inc­lude widespread survellience , which enables Bush to cripple any Dem who gets a little too uppity the way Spritzer was and you end up with a very agreeable Congress as well. A media that assists the criminal acts by regurgitating lies fed them by manipulative officials and an election cycle based on identity politics and it's a fait acccompli.

Wishful thinking and nice way to try and pass the buck.

Is your usual rationale for conspiring to commit a crime , that the law will protect you from your own pecadillos ?

Sorry , Andrew- you broke it - take responsibility.

[Diane237]

Can you just imagine how happy the McCain camp is to run against Obama. The stuff they will pull out of the hat will be incredible including the SCARY , ha ha , to some people the book of revelations quote. There is no way mcCain will beat Hillary but Obama will be a piece of cake. Hillary would be a 100% better choice for this country but sadly the media is afraid of Hllary and will make sure she doesn't will...fre­e country my A--, and you guys reading this know what i mean , unless of course you are a lemming. Can't pray at home gotta be in public and on your sleeve...i­n other words a follower , NOT a free thinker.

[netgecko99]

Maybe if that argument were more convincing, Hillary wouldn't have lost the nomination. As it stands, most Democrats disagree with you.

[TruthResearcher]

What exactly is it that you think will be found in the proverbial hat? What "stuff" could be pulled out to use against Obama? Have you noticed Diane237, how many people across the country disagree with you?

[greymen]

You mean the stuff they pull outta their asses.

[JerDogNebr]

I guess "bitter" doesn't just refer to coffee any more, . . .

[django707]

Andrew Sullivan is a pandering opportunist who will say anything to keep up his media profile. He banged the drum for war, like the craven sycophant he is, and now that his original opinions are being exposed, he suddenly smartens up and joins the good guys.

Hang this propagandist in the public square with the rest of the quislings! And bury him between Joseph Goebbels and Colin Powell!

[Brubeard]

Andrew Sullivan has publicly apologized, on his website, for his endorsement of the war. Too bad you don't read him regularly. Many people have been misled into this war, out of wanting to give this administration the benefit of the doubt. (Just for the record...I­'m not one of them.)

People should be allowed to be wrong, especially if they realize that and make amends.

In this regard, Mr. Sullivan has for more integrity than Hannity, Coulter, Limbaugh, anybody in the Bush administration--or even Sen. Clinton.

[Querent]

There's a difference between being wrong and falling in with evil plans because you want to be a member of a clique of inveterate liars, thieves, and traitors. Sullivan did the latter. His apology was a good thing, but it does not obviate his share of the responsibility, nor does it obscure his essential failing: in a career based on purveying the truth to the public, his judgment and values were so faulty as to make him repeat the lies, and swear they were true. Sullivan may be a better person for his apology, but his credibility is gone forever.

[lechatnoir]

those of us who actually read what was out there YEARS before the war KNEW it was a load of bull. I don't care who Sullivan is, there is just NO EXCUSE for anybody with basic reading skills to have backed this, let alone a pundit that gets paid to know.

An apology won't bring back the dead, not to mention the trillions of $$.

[MysticMichael]

"Every day, it becomes more difficult to blame George Bush, Dick Cheney and comrades for their seven years (and counting) of crimes, corruption and destruction of our political values."

Except that as a high-ranking government official, one is expected to be sufficiently self-disciplined and mature so as to obey the law and to respect the Constitution - without having to be babysat or reigned in by any external influence - be it the news media, the general public, or anyone else. This is one crucial aspect of what leadership is supposed to be all about - having developed a finely-tuned moral compass, and actually applying the values thereof in a wise and responsible manner. Is that really too much to ask?

[DeJaVu57]

Putting the entire Bu$hCo crime cabal on trial for their War Crimes would be the best thing for America right now. It would send a message to a troubled and worried World that maybe, just maybe, The Geneva Conventions, accountability, the rule of law, real Democracy.­...are still alive and well here in the U.S. Unfortunately, after seven disastrous years under Bu$hCo, I'm not sure if they really are.

Sadly, in Nov. 06 a Rethuglican"rubber stamp" Congress of criminal accomplices was only replaced by a "rubber spine" Democratic majority cowardly one when it comes to holding this Bu$hCo crime cabal accountable for all their law breaking (both International and Domestic.) Re-set the Impeachment table House Speaker Pelosi. Impeach and remove their so called Executive protections. Then ship the entire Team Bu$hCo to the Hague for the judgement and guilty verdict they deserve. Two thirds of America and nearly all of the World would celebrate the justice served on these guilty Bastards. Jeff Morris-Saugerties, N.Y.- DeJaVu57

[Querent]

It isn't too much to ask, but it is too much to expect where Repigs are involved. Repigs are people who have deliberately blunted their own consciences in order to allow themselves to benefit from perfidy. Many of them use the time-tested "the Bible doesn't say you can't" rationale. How can people who think you can look morality up in a book possibly be moral? Repigs and morality simply don't go together.