Kristol Calls On Bush To Pardon Torturers And Wiretappers

Think Progress:

In his new Weekly Standard column, right-wing pundit Bill Kristol lays out a to-do list for President Bush before he leaves office. He urges Bush to deliver speeches "reminding Americans of our successes fighting the war on terror." Kristol dreams, "Over time, Bush might even get deserved credit for effective conduct of the war on terror."

After urging Bush to fight the incoming administration's desire to close Guantanamo, Kristol concludes with this:

One last thing: Bush should consider pardoning-and should at least be vociferously praising-everyone who served in good faith in the war on terror, but whose deeds may now be susceptible to demagogic or politically inspired prosecution by some seeking to score political points. The lawyers can work out if such general or specific preemptive pardons are possible; it may be that the best Bush can or should do is to warn publicly against any such harassment or prosecution. But the idea is this: The CIA agents who waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and the NSA officials who listened in on phone calls from Pakistan, should not have to worry about legal bills or public defamation. In fact, Bush might want to give some of these public servants the Medal of Freedom at the same time he bestows the honor on Generals Petraeus and Odierno. They deserve it.

Read the whole story: Think Progress

Comments

[LDS50]

It's well known by the CIA that torture only succeeds in gaining false confessions - prisoners say what their captors want to hear. Torture tactics were originally practiced by the US intelligence to train operatives to withstand torture if they were caught, because our enemies used it to extrapolate false confessions from our guys. The Bush guys got hold of the training tape and viola! What a great idea! We'll look tough to the American public! That, along with teaching creationism and no stem cell research keeps his crowd happy.,

[ArmyCentrist]

What's wrong with that man's face already? He is despicable, and utterly irrelevant.

[Krackonis]

If you were involved in torture, rot in hell. That's the word there.

If you Americans don't do that, Rest assured when you travel we will be telling it to your face that you still support war and torture.

If you condone torture, I hope you get tortured someday.

[Nickesq]

Nick calls on God to pardon William Kristol. He refuses.

[Stilts9]

WIlliam Kristol is a trust-fund kid who has neither earned nor created a single thing in his entire privileged, preppy life. Why the MSM still entertains us with his vapid, amateurish opinions tells you all you need to know about the MSM.

[LDS50]

Because they make $$$?? It's well known by the CIA that torture only succeeds in gaining false confessions - prisoners say what their captors want to hear. Torture tactics were originally practiced by the US intelligence to train operatives to withstand torture if they were caught, because our enemies used it to extrapolate false confessions from our guys. The Bush guys got hold of the training tape and viola! What a great idea! We'll look tough to the American public! That, along with teaching creationism and no stem cell research keeps his crowd happy.,

[SoD1]

Hmm.. sweet!
Reading all the comments here I would say the New York Times is losing Money as
well as clients by the Minutes, Every Day Bill Kristol remains with them.

[ajax2]

Kristol Calls On Bush To Pardon Torturers And Wiretappers And All His Friends And Relatives

[truesteam]

Whada d o u c h e!

[stevi]

Sooo, torture and wiretapping are illegal? Why would government officials, at the highest levels, do illegal things and then admit it by doing the pardon thing?

[Mannock]

Would this include the Abu Ghraib gang? Kristol, you are true scum.

[TheIndependenceParty]

Amazing how they get this trained roach to speak on camera.

I wonder what the historical defense will be for crimes they claim they never committed and were legal under the "Unitary Executive". How can you deny their illegality, and pardon those who committed the crimes?

It would also seem to me that any crimes ordered and authorized by the President, The Vice President, their appointees and their staff, automatically exempt them from pardons of any kind.

Lastly, I urge President to be Obama to reject out of hand any blanket pardons for these criminals out of hand as Ford did for Nixon when he resigned. That is only one event that brought us to this pathetic situation.

[peterg76]

Kristol wrong again. Not exactly news.

[daddysboy]

Damage control and cash generation from one of the most soul-less americans around; can't we send him to be tortured and let everyone else go? That publication does not generate a profit. Mr. kristol is being PAID by rupert murdoch and the news corporation to create these horribly outrageous editorials that no one actually believes in; they just generate a hell of a news-cycle for murdoch's various tabloids.

[keepemhonest]

NEIL BUSH was a master-mind in the 1980's Savings & Loan melt down that cost the taxpayers BILLIONS to bail those criminals out.

George Bush has pardoned several of Neil Bush's criminal S&L conspirators....

[kwazimota]

the ignorance of the last 16 years has to be addressed these puppets have used the white house to destroy america they were at the beck and call of some dark power pray obama has the balls and moral grounding the conviction to expose these people for what they are i want a perp walk parade from d.c to wall st.

[oxford]

Him, again!!!!