Torture Investigations Are Coming. Are We Ready to Face the Heinous Crimes that Could Be Revealed?

Cross-posted at The Stimulist

Yesterday shored up any lingering doubts I had: I am now convinced we'll see an investigation into the Bush administration's use of torture. America's just not going to let this one go. The politicians who fired shots across the bow minutes into yesterday's hearings aren't going to let it go. The media certainly isn't letting up--it makes for really good ratings. Already this week, I've seen several explosions on set here at 30 Rock. The public has a dog in this, too. We want the truth.

The question is whether investigators will push hard enough to get it. Some may hear the word "investigation" and rejoice, firm in the belief that wrongdoing will be cleanly exposed. Cynics who have been around long enough to remember Frank Serpico and the pseudo-investigations into corrupt police departments in the '60s and '70s assume that this will end the same way: with so many guilty parties there's nobody left to do the punishing.

Me? I'm interested in what else may be uncovered. When investigators truly snoop around, they almost always find something unexpected. Who would have thought Whitewater would lead to impeachment hearings over oral sex? That Watergate would end up with a resignation? Investigators will have the opportunity to scrutinize far more than torture policy. The entire Bush administration will be open for review. There's a world of shade we haven't even entered yet: unaccounted-for millions spent in Iraq, detainees who may have died in custody, the names of the people not only who did the torturing, but those who were photographing them doing it. What if waterboarding was the gentlest thing we did?

This is not unlike the latest credit default swap scandals; people knew what was happening in these detention centers, just like people knew about the AIG bonuses five months before the story broke. Forget the pictures of the torture. The pictures I'm imagining are the cell phone pics of politicians looking at those images, and not doing a damn thing. Let's be honest. Democrats may not want to pus on this because some of the blood may be on their hands.

The question is: how much do we, as the public, really want to know? There are only a few moments when we've really pushed for the truth on our most heinous crimes: the Church commission in the mid-70s, the My Lai massacre. My strong sense is that we should have a national conversation about what we've done--pretending it doesn't exist doesn't solve anything, and we're too far gone to forget.But that conversation needs to be whole. We need to know what happened and who knew it was happening, but we also need to genuinely question whether life-saving intelligence came from torture, and whether we as a public are willing to accept that trade-off.

For now, a question for you: was Obama's announcement yesterday that he would move to block the images of detainee abuse a step away from transparency, or an earnest attempt at protecting the well-being of American troops?

Carlos Watson is the founder & publisher of The Stimulist, where he blogs daily. You can also find him on Twitter, @carloswatson.

Comments

[markmac]

You have to be kidding. To a small extent Democrats are complicit. They knew this stuff was going on and they hid their heads in the sand because they did not want to look weak on the war on terror. President Obama has already said plainly that he reserves the right to detain people indefinitely without trial. Sorry guys. There may be investigations, but do not hold your breath for actual trials. Demorats do not have the stomach for this fight.

[glades]

You could just look it up. The perpe-traitors are bold enough to have web sites. See to your firewalls when looking up FIU, for instance. They hire to stay ahead of the curve in technology.
When summer comes rolling around, you'll be lucky to get out of town.

[MIVOTE]

Let the games begin. We are mature, intelligent and can handle the truth.

[Meah]

Our country is morally bankrupt, intellectually bankrupt, and psychologically bankrupt. It is all about money, guns, racism, hatred, greed, and lies. Religion has become perverse, and people do not think for themselves. The only thing that can redeem this country is to face the truth. All of us.

[ivyj]

For such a smart guy, I don't understand Obama's rationale for hiding the photos. The best protection for our troops would be the prosecution of those who participated in the torture. The truth is already partially out anyway - and I wonder how many thousands of otherwise peaceful muslims were radicalized by the photos of Abu Ghrahib. We MUST prosecute to show that region of the world (as well as everyone else) that our government has truly changed.

[valletta]

If I've learned anything in watching him for the last 100+ days it's this:
he is one skilled poker player.

After stating that he consulted with the generals, reversed his opinion about releasing the photos he now has both sides clamoring like small children for a Truth Commission (or Special Prosecutor) all the while knowing he has no say so about either. One choice is Congress' and the other is Holder's.
He comes off like Solomon and he knows the TRUTH will come out.

Amazing. He has gotten to Cheney. He allowed Vice to get his approval numbers even lower than the 13% when he left office, while having the GOP cringe and squirm in the background.

Talk about coming to a knife fight with a gun. Obama is a strategist of the first order.

Oh, and Notre Dame's speech today was a slow played pair of aces...

[RobertHenryEller]

Interesting.

[MacQ]

Mr. Watson:
You asked whether Mr. Obama backing away from this is an honest attempt to protect the well being of American troops.
That begs the question: if that were a concern for him, why did he start this in the first place?
Did he just realize that he himself may rely on the troops and the intel community?
Are they just collateral damage--he was firing at Mr. Bush.

Why didn't he realize this would harm them, put them in danger, and ruin their morale? Was it a dumb mistake, or did he not care? Or did he think he could make his political points and back away in time to make it look like he cares about them?

[MacQ]

No truthful investigations will ensue. The administration has made its political points, and knows that your imaginations will do the rest (and come up with far greater atrocities than were ever thought of).
You're doing it already right here in posts--someone posted that she cried and vomited at the same time when viewing the pictures (I guess she didn't know they hadn't been released). And someone else has alleged that our soldiers violated children. Your liberal imaginations are being counted on!

The administration will back away from this faster than you can imagine, while chanting that they want to 'look forward' (and they will be counting on you all to do your part and chime in lauding Mr. Obama for being such a benevolent person (forgetting that he's the one who started it all).

These folks play dirty, which is why they need such an iconic guy to stand out in front and get you all to drink the koolaid. Mr. Obama is the perfect one. Drink up.

[CtheB]

If you're not ready , GET READY !
Investigate and PROSECUTE to the fullest extent of the law.

If you can't handle the truth , LEAVE THE COUNTRY !

[CharmiO]

What's that I hear? Sounds familiar. Oh yes, the Ollie North records-munching boogaloo now coming to today's D.C. Eventually there undoubtedly will come an investigation of whatever shards of information on torture / waterboarding, if any, have lasted into the present administration. I'm not - er - holding my breath. By the way, I hope the investigations cover such abhorrent practices as the common use of white phosphorus and the brutal killings of very many innocent persons.

[Spud777]

Dumb question: Are we ready to face .... It is called the rule of law, and it is required, not optional, like Obama seems to think. I want an independent prosecutor NOW.

[aprilfresh]

Not to make light of the heinous nature of these crimes, but I wonder where we'd be if we had the heads of major financial institutions (and auto manufacturers) waterboarded to answer the question, "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH THE MONEY?!"

[Spud777]

Torture does not work aprilfresh, we would get no useful information, only false confessions, which is what Bush/Cheney wanted to "justify" their illegal war in Iraq.

[LadyXoc]

You know, it would be an interesting experiment. Let's try it and see!

[BoshSpong]

Although the CIA has in the past, utilized and trained other countries’ intelligence agencies in the use of torture (Google “Daniel A. Mitrione” a CIA operative killed in Uruguay back in the 70’s). The difference between those “cold war” episodes and today’s Government approved torture, is that in the past the US denied its use; with Bush/Cheney torture became permitted & encouraged.

As any agent who has worked in intelligence gathering knows, the most effective method of obtaining intelligence is through rapport. A person will bare his soul to a “true friend” but will withhold all from his enemy.

Torture, like terror, is used to shock and punish. It is used to get the tortured to say or declare anything the torturer wants. This is why Mr. McCain made anti-American propaganda "confession" during his incarceration in Viet Nam.

This mess will not fade away; it cannot be allowed to fester under our nation’s skin by the skillful use of political cosmetics. The untreated boil will fester and grow until it bursts into the national scene, its tawdry pus oozing and infecting the surrounding area. Obama is ill advised to believe that the American people will allow this matter to fade away – if there is anything that may be learned of the Watergate mess and the 24/7 Lewinsky affair – it is that these situations should be met head on and vetted thoroughly to avoid being caught in a “cover up” investigation that dwarfs the original malfeasance.

[Rhetticent]

I'm ready, as long as there's a cell for Pelosi.

[rgblue]

Who did she torture, or demand to be tortured??­??????????­??????

UN F*INGBELIEVABLE.

[Spud777]

Rhetticent is a repug troll.

[OgreDaddy]

When or IF... the truth does come out, there will be no way to avoid criminal prosecutions.

Before some people are faced with going to prison, we will learn even more about the real
motivation behind the Bush Administration's hell bent effort to take us to war.

We must not forget that nearly a TRILLION dollars has been funneled to certain industry interest groups over the last 8 years. Talk about a motive.

Just imagine what we may learn when Mr. Addington and Mr. Yoo are faced with being
disbarred or facing criminal charges.

If they are stripped of all immunity,

How far will they go to protect Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, and Wolfowitz?

How far will members of Congress go to protect themselves from criminal jeopardy?

[madisonhack]

"we also need to genuinely question whether life-saving intelligence came from torture, and whether we as a public are willing to accept that trade-off. "

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We have already written laws through our Representatives in Congress and ratified in the Senate that make these things crimes. Our diplomats have negotiated and signed treaties with other nations which make these things crimes. We executed people for committing these same crimes. And now we have a former Vice President who has admitted that he was instrumental and is non-repentant in the commission of these things that we call war crimes. What more is there to talk about? Arrest this man.