MoveOn Torture Ad Highlights Cheney For Investigation

MoveOn.org is set to launch an aggressive new ad campaign calling on Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate the use of torture during the Bush administration and even raising the specter of targeting former Vice President Dick Cheney.

The ad, to premier on the web and blasted out to the group's five million members, is the strongest push yet from the progressive group on this front. Set to a dark voice, the narrator asks whether a double standard is in place in terms of who has been punished for the authorization and use of torture.

"If you torture an individual detainee, you might go to jail," the script reads, with footage of Lynndie England, the former United States Army reservist involved in the abuses at Abu Ghraib. "But if you authorize an entire secret torture program, you get off scot-free?"

The ad then switches to pictures of Cheney, John Yoo and Jay Bybee -- the latter two being top figures of the Bush administration legal team that rationalized these interrogation tactics.

"America is better than this," the video concludes. "Ask Attorney General Holder to appoint an independent special prosecutor to investigate these abuses."

MoveOn.org already has asked its members, in the form of an email petition, to call on Holder to appoint a special prosecutor. Its new video petition is based, in part, off a Senate report released Tuesday evening that shows interrogators used torture techniques to try and get detainees to admit to a link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein.

As the accompanying MoveOn.org email announcing the video reads: "The report calls the program 'a perfect storm of ignorance and enthusiasm,' and it confirms that officials at the highest levels, from Dick Cheney to John Aschcroft, were deeply involved. Calls for action are growing by the hour--and getting noticed... We're delivering your signatures and comments to Attorney General Holder tomorrow--but to make sure he hears our message loud and clear, we still need more people to join the campaign."

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Comments

[flossophy]

What a silly ad... who is their audience for this nonsense?

And the deep voice is like something out of a satire... lol

[berrycooda]

Congress okayed this stuff....

Let all these prisoners go because we treated them so terribly...

Then, run for the hills and hide somewhere because they aren't as
sympathetic and such whiny bleeding hearts as some people are who
probably never lifted a finger to be in the Military or do anything else for
the good of this country...

Except maybe run to Kmart for a flag the day after 9/11.
Wonder if those flags are still flying and if a lot of those bleeding hearts are
still going to church like they also did on 9/12...

[Chitown-John]

Hmm... I see both sides, but it cuts both ways, the CIA has used questionnable "interrogative" techniques during every adminstration for at least the last 30-40 years - from attempting to poison Castro (Kennedy) to Gitmo (bush). What's good for the goose (DEMS) is good for the gander (GOP) and may expose Clinton and Carter administrations as well.

Best to bury it, "move on" and discontinue the practice rather than open a potentially crippling (on all sides) investigation.

[Cunningham]

I strongly disagree. Root it out and prosecute all involved regardless of party affiliation.

We do NOT torture. Make that statement true.

[BelGazou]

Rout out all the poisons. Nixon got away unpunished, giving birth to the abuses by Bush. Whereas Bush & Co. succeeded in torturing all kinds of people, guilty and innocent, Kennedy failed at all attempts at poisoning, exploding cigar and the Bay of Pigs invasion aimed at Castro and Cuba. The people who were involved in the Kennedy era Castro "exploding cigar" thing and other failed attempts, are also probably all dead by now.

[flossophy]

Nixon didn't investigate Kennedy or LBJ for their less-than-desirable actions in the early stages of V|etnam...

They only do this type of thing in banana republics...

Banana republics also use the power of the state to issue 'security reports' which target their political opposition...

Ahh... yes... Change.

[Marcospinelli]

You believe that because you're ill-informed on what happened here.

The 4 short video clips you need to see to understand this:

Expert (Military Interrogator) to Rachel: "The Torture Program Was Designed To Extract FALSE Information":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_mD9GPk9FM

The Torture Program That The White House Designed Even Did It Wrong According To Torture Experts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DgCOudMMr0

The Purpose of the Torture Was To Find A Justification For The War in Iraq (& How The FBI's Effective & Legal Techniques for Getting Actionable Intelligence Was Shut Out):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSw-B5Iq8tE

How We Know That The Torture Came On Orders From The Very Top, And Not "A Few Bad Apples":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO_2jd78UUw

[Nancy84]

I was for a special prosecuter until I heard someone on MSNBC explaining that it's not the time yet. Once that happens, the whole thing gets buried and there is much more damaging information yet to come out. They said that's what Bush did with the CIA outing. The result was that Libby got a slap on the hand and the big guys were never exposed. Maybe our President and AG are smarter than even we give them credit for. Let's let this play out for a while and see what happens.

[Jazzman323]

I live in Los Angeles. THe CIA interrogators did what was necessary to prevent an attack on our city that would have been the equivalent of the 9/11 attacks. Thank God for them doing what was necessary. MoveOn.org doesn't give a s--- about me or my family's safety.

[madisonhack]

That story you are alluding to has NEVER been validated. For another take on this purported story, see this

http://www.propagandamatrix.com/articles/april2009/042209_cia_claims.htm

[arnray]

Didn't happen. But don't let reality get in the way of your opinion. The term "low information" was designed for people like you.

[BelGazou]

Wasn't the attack on your city foiled by a middle-aged, female boarder agent at the American/Canadian boarder who, on a hunch, opened the trunk of a car of a man trying to enter the U.S. from Canada and found a trunk full of explosives bound for use in L.A.? Maybe we would be better off hiring more detail-oriented, middle-aged female boarder agents instead of torturing people.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Our country has all kinds of economic and political problems.
Many people say this is distracting, political and too much for our government at this time.

I would happily agree to turn over the evidence, investigation, prosecution and outcome to the International Tribunal on War Crimes based in the Hague.

The same guys who tried Pinochet, Milosovec and other alleged war criminals.

Good enough for Pinochet, good enough for Bush.

[Oldchef]

Over and over here there are people defending this horrendous practice. It's torture damn it! We're supposed to be better than this. You people who are defending these actions should call a good psychiatrist or make an appointment with your pastor if you have one, because you need spiritual help.

[Scott1560]

What happened to MoveOn.org and their opposition to the war, to withdrawing the troops at any cost, to opposing all additional funding? Civilians & soldiers still die.......Their past ads emphasized those facts. What happened? Did human life get devalued after the election cycle? And why?

[stevi]

If torture is so fabulous then why don't the cowards who ordered it stand up and take credit for this wonderful thing that they required underlings to do, and go to prison for?

[Scott1560]

Hey, why are our federal prisons overloaded w/folks who evaded taxes to the tune of a few thou? Much bigger issue given the numbers and the fact that it incarcerates non-violent Americans. Why the free pass for those in power? Huh?

[stevi]

I don't know why our federal prisons are overloaded w/folks who evaded taxes, but I was talking about torture, not taxes.

[8journey8]

If the United States military took my fresh faced hopeful high school graduate, and taught him that it was required of him to abuse, to torture, to bring other sentient beings to the brink of despair.....I would despise not only the military, but possibly every sleazy right wing politician who ever drew breath. If my wonderful son were sent home to me damaged in this way, I would want to give up on hope for the future.

[stevi]

I am with you 100%.

[sdfalconer]

theres no way I could carry out those "techniques", they'd have to court-marshall me. I have a problem with anyone who carried out the tourture... what kind of human being could do that and not have it damage them permanently. Killing in the name of war is one thing but tourture is out of the question, how can we retain our "moral high ground" while doing what we condem.

[Scott1560]

Great, Soros continues his rant.......

So when do the tax evasion prosecutions begin? No one is above the law, the "rule of law."

[swift goat pet for truth]

There are dozens of LEGAL tax evasion techniques.

Cheney and Halliburton are masters of it.

So, where is your proof of ILLEGAL tax evasion by ANYONE?
Or is posting lies just so much easier?

[SweetBabu]

Check this out:

http://www.enotes.com/everyday-law-encyclopedia/tax-evasion

To prosecute for tax evasion, it has to be proven that the person WILLFULLY tried to deceive the IRS when filing his or her taxes. It's obvious that the tax problems you're talking about were mistakes or misinterpretations. But if you want to waste the taxpayers' $$ on trying to prosecute, knock yourself out.

[dax49]

they have set their minions on fox to full throttle in order to de-rail any investigastion- hannity and o'reilly are almost foaming at the mouth ranting about the injustice of an investigation

[Scott1560]

Well, let's be fair about it. As was pointed out this morning on FOX, you open this can of worms and what's to keep a future administration from prosecuting current administration members for tax evasion? The way this economy has gone it wouldn't surprise me that even a future Democrat would open that door depending on pubic outrage. I mean, where do you draw a line on what laws can be violated and the ones that can be ignored?

[stevi]

Why do you keep changing the subject to taxes?

[tomcat27834]

so two wrongs make a right ? so now we just "pick and chose" what parts of ILLEGAL activity we will condone. Regardless of party affiliation or if its "politically" correct - activity that is ILLEGAL cannot be sanctioned.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Faux News?

You need to prove tax evasion, with intent.
$30K difference of opinion after paying $2 mil of taxes does not impress the IRS.

But for someone who rants with no comprehesion, it would seem impressive.

[Nancy84]

There you go, quoting fox fake news again..... lost your credibility with me!

[JackieOC]

Scott1560 First of all I think you ought to get away from watching Fox . Those people are actors and would in a hot minute change to MSNBC if they were offered more money. They really aren't journalists!

Our leaders running scared over upholding the laws of this land out of fear of retribution can be a good thing. Let them all keep their noses clean. I could care less which party member goes to jail as long as justice is done. This knows no line in the sand, let them all be accountable. Torture is torture, defined by the Geneva Conventions. Let the law proceed and make sure this never happens again. And then we can get on to being proud examples to the world.

[ssg13565]

Article III Part 17 of the Geneva Convention states in part:

No physical or mental torture, nor any other form of coercion, may be inflicted on prisoners of war to secure from them information of any kind whatever. Prisoners of war who refuse to answer may not be threatened, insulted, or exposed to any unpleasant or disadvantageous treatment of any kind.

[westreal]

Even "cohersive techniques" violates this part.

[dentuso]

-Nuremburg - waterboarding was defined as torture - signed off by the United States.
-Geneva Conventions - waterboarding was defined as torture - signed off by the United States.
-Korean War Resolutions - waterboarding was defined as torture - signed off by the United States.
-Geneva Conv. - waterboarding was defined as torture - signed off by the United States.
-Red Cross - waterboarding was defined as torture - signed off by the United States.
-Human Rights Tribunal - waterboarding was defined as torture - signed off by the United States.
-Post WW2 Japanese Military Hearings - waterboarding was defined as torture - signed off by the United States.

This is for the @$$hats who want to continue with the "it wasn't torture! Waterboarding is just Enhanced Interrogation!

It HAS, in fact, been defined as torture over and over again.

By US

[destruct1]

oh...since you listed Geneva Conv. twice....it must be true....thanks...im a total convert now. What military are these folks with again? What flag do they wear on their uniform? Ooops...

[postman606]

Notice that the subject of "uniforms" aren't mentioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIHHZ59aWoA

[swift goat pet for truth]

So, prove it is not true.

[FredBrighton]

You can open a new window on your browser, Google "Geneva Conventions" and read them, all the while writing snotty comments in this forum. When you are done reading the Law that WE signed onto you will be able to understand that what Bush ordered was a war crime and we have signed treaties that we will prosecute war criminals. Even a Marine can read, yes? Even a vet from Viet Nam can read. My father knew about the Conventions and supported them. Do you have to be a vet in order to want to defend America? Well, I wasn't. I have a broken back, smashed vertebrae etc. But I tried, I went to the physical. They looked at the x-rays and told me to go home. Can I have an opinion about how my country acts? Jeez, fella, the Constitution says I can. It says my opinion is as valuable as anybody's. It says people in uniform, even people like YOU, have to respect my opinion and defend it with your life if needed. That is one of the ways America is better than Hitler's Germany. You want us to march goose step and salute the President. I'd rather salute the flag.

[RedDonnaAnn]

The 1st Amendment in action.