Speaker Pelosi, 9/11 and Torture

As the extremely unpopular Dick Cheney continues his torture apologist tour, the reactionary (they are now beyond conservative) opinion media tries to shift attention to Speaker Pelosi and to distract President Obama from the urgent business of repairing our nation.

What are we to do? Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi gave us the answer immediately following the tragic attack upon our country by Osama Ben Laden and Al Qaeda. The answer is Independent Commission.

During testimony at the "first public hearing in Washington of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States,
House Democratic Leader Pelosi stated:

From the outset, I believed that a review of the events leading up to the attacks, including the government's response, and the larger issue of our nation's preparedness for terrorist attacks, needed to be comprehensive and conducted independently by individuals who could bring fresh thinking to the issues at hand.

Congressional investigations, no matter how thorough, would likely be restricted primarily to the jurisdiction of the committee or committees involved.

Because the government would conduct such investigations, they would be unlikely to achieve the same degree of public acceptance as an independent inquiry.

I regret that such an inquiry did not begin sooner. Within weeks of the attacks, I offered legislation to establish an independent review to be conducted by people who would challenge conventional wisdom and who had wide perspective and broad experience in dealing with complex problems...

Nancy Pelosi was right then and her same advice is right now. President Obama did not want the issue rising at this time but it is too late for that course of action. National security is at risk. The very integrity of our legal system and constitution are at stake. No one is above the law. The president is first among equals but not above our lowest citizen. While vile rumors tarnish our soldiers' and country's reputation abroad and stir hate and physical attacks toward us, here at home, violence increases in our society. The world and we need to know exactly what deeds were done in our name, why and the outcome.

My own personal opinion is that while the disaster of 9/11 called for a level of greatness and resolve found in all the core events of our history from Valley Forge to the Great Depression, the Bush regime rather sacrificed principle and courage for weakness and cowardice. While our people cried to participate and our military sacrificed, the panicked Bush regime dishonored our nation and squandered our resources. I say this because you should know where I am coming from.

The reason Dick Cheney is speaking out is not patriotism but the hot breath of exposure and justice breathing down on him. While the failed vice president rationalizes and dissembles nationally, the United States Government cannot ignore the apparent crimes and failures of the past nearly eight years. For national security reasons, we must perform an accounting of what worked and what failed and why.

The nation conveniently forgets "Slam Dunk!" George Tenet. Bush's approach was unlawful interrogations and opposing a 9/11 commission. Speaker Pelosi stood tall and called for an independent commission then; she calls for an independent commission now. Republicans, evidently afraid of the truth, oppose any independent commission.

If we are to accept and condone torture of anyone, it will infect our own society. Already, the integrity of the military appears to be eroding as witnessed by the Tillman case and the cover up of troop electrocutions. Soon, if not already, we will see police abusing prisoners. I am a graduate of SERE school. This is the school that exposes select troops to the dangers of captivity and torture. I am proud to say that the instructors there are the very people who led interrogations while exposing and opposing them.

Let's call for an independent commission to review the whole depraved issue of prisoner handling and treatment since 9/11. After if criminal charges are necessary, we should let the law take its course. This way Congress and President Obama can get on with the business of governing. As far fetched as it sounds, it may not be long before waterboarding and other forms of torture come to a police station near you. Why stop at criminal terrorists? Drug users and dealers cause far more American deaths and I know some of you racists out there can't wait to get your hands on illegal immigrants.

Comments

[Marcospinelli]

The way the Bush Administration used the appropriations committees to bypass oversight by the intelligence committees in Congress (and get away with torture):

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/05/19/torture-appropriations/#more-4166

[Vinca]

Two of the biggest contributors to our financial crisis, was this unnecessary Iraq war, and the failure to monitor those wall st crooks, stealing taxpayers blind. I am afraid some of Obama's cabinet members, are clinging to Bush policy's, and leading Obama astray. How can we EVER get out of debt, if there's not much revenue coming to gov?

[GraceNeeded]

When Civil Rights Laws were passed in the 1960's, it was like a giant burden on our collective conscience was over. The shame and guilt from generations allowed us to feel some semblance of relief. The same will be true in this case, even though it hasn't gone on as long. We've lost our moral authority and reputation for liberty and justice for all! When any society lives under a cloud such as these human rights abuses, it will affect them more and more until it is resolved and absolved. I am looking forward to having these issues behind us and those responsible held accountable, so the world can see we are a nation of laws and we mean what we say.

[Vinca]

George finally agreed to investigate 9/11, under much pressure.

[LEOvet]

The Republican hit machine just keeps on coming. They drove the country off a cliff, now, they try to rebuild their standing with the American people. If the media and country buys into this it will be a real shame. Cheney should go away. Why wasn't he out on the campaign trail for John McCain saying these things???? Because they would have lost more seats and the White House in a bigger way.

[Hal Donahue]

They are clinging to attack the messenger tactics that served them so well before. They are completely ignorant that the world left them behind..

[catuskoti]

What are the costs of not accounting for what this government did during the dark, Bush / Cheney years? You said it - the social protections that thousands have sacrificed for since 1776.

Do not go gently into that good night.