Time for a Special Counsel to Investigate Bush Administration Use of Torture

Last Saturday I sent a letter, along with Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Judiciary Subcommittee Chairman, Jerald Nadler and 53 other members of the House of Representatives to Attorney General Michael Mukasey asking him to "appoint a special counsel to investigate whether the Bush administration's policies regarding the interrogation of detainees have violated federal criminal laws." It goes on to say, "We believe that ...serious and significant revelations warrant an immediate investigation to determine whether the President, his Cabinet, and other Administration officials are in violation of the War Crimes Act (18 U.S.C. 2441), the Anti-Torture Act, (18 U.S.C. 2340-2340A), and other U.S. and international laws."

As hard as it is to pick the most egregious offenses of the Bush White House, officially sanctioning the use of torture is definitely on my top ten list. I sit on the House Intelligence Committee and know more than I really want to on the subject, but it's no secret that the president has admitted to and defended the use of water boarding, a practice recognized internationally as torture and one that our country has condemned when used by other nations. Refusing to call it torture, the administration named it and other demonic forms of treatment "enhanced interrogation techniques," or EITs. President Bush has also acknowledged that the use of such "techniques" was discussed at the highest level in meetings that took place in the White House. Anyone can read the declassified version of the "torture memos" written for Alberto Gonzales, then head of the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department, containing reassuring assertions from his staff like, "A defendant must specifically intend to cause prolonged mental harm for the defendant to have committed torture." Not to worry!

The United States of America has long viewed itself as a leader in the struggle for human rights and has many accomplishments to bolster that claim, and even though our actions have often fallen short of our goals, the rest of the world too has looked to our Constitution and laws as the ideal. But since 9/11, President Bush has used the terrible crime of that day and the ensuing "War on Terror" as a license to act in a manner that is in direct conflict with our Constitution, and with U.S. and international law. His response to a hideous act of inhumanity stands in stark contrast to the leadership role the United States took after World War II with its unspeakable atrocities in passing the Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations.

The irony, of course, is that there is plenty of evidence that mistreatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and undisclosed prisons or "black sites" has made our country less safe rather than more. Without question, the accounts and especially the photos of such abuse has served as an effective recruitment tool for Al Qaida and other enemies of the United States and has engendered hatred toward us in much of the Muslim world. Further, experts on torture agree that information obtained that way is notoriously unreliable.

Comments

[heal57]

Let's not vote for the incumbents in Congress who let the Bush/Cheney administration go unaccountable for all the atrocities that have occured. since 2002. We must demand that our Congress respect the will of its people and uphold the US Constitution. We must not allow these terrible acts of war and torture to continue. I would support a World Court at this point because our Congress continues to do nothing. I'm disgusted by the whole thing. We must bring change!!

Independent for Barack Obama

[Lemeritus]

"Last Saturday I sent a letter... to Attorney General Michael Mukasey asking him to 'appoint a special counsel to investigate whether the Bush administration's policies regarding the interrogation of detainees have violated federal criminal laws.'"

Windmill, meet Rep. Schakowsky. Ms. Schakowsky, windmill.

We were told that Mukasey was a good legal mind and a fair-minded judge, but he has acted no better than a consiglieri for the Bush Administration, going so far as to defend the author of the "torture memo." He is no Eliott Richardson and I hope you are prepared to be disappointed in his response to your letter. I can assure you the American people are prepared to be disappointed by yet another Congressional investigation that goes nowhere -- prepared and grimly inured.

While I applaud your efforts, may I also suggest you pay a visit to your colleague, Rep. Kucinich?

[magen]

Has Mukasey actually DONE ANYTHING since his confirmation?

[DXM]

Good luck but I doubt that Bush's AG will do anything about it. Hopefully a new AG appointed by a Democrat will have the cajones needed to bring these evil people to justice and help clear this country's good name in the eyes of the international community.

[NABNYC]

Congress will not impeach, which should get all of them thrown out of office. But the Democrats see the disasters of the Bush regime primarily as an opportunity for them to be first in line for the huge money hand-outs by the corrupt business, foreign countries, special interest groups in the U.S. In other words, Democrats are not so much offended that Bush has destroyed the country as they are instead delighted that it means now they will get the biggest bribes, and the Republicans will have to go to the back of the line.

If the Democrats wanted to end this corruption of politics and destruction of the U.S., they would immediately pass a series of laws making it illegal for any politician to accept anything of value other than their paycheck. I won't hold my breath.

In the meantime, Bush will pardon everyone, step down 5 minutes before his term ends, and Cheney will pardon Bush. Prosecution will be barred by the pardons. Therefore, we need Congress to set up a special committee of independent people -- lots of good people outside of politics -- to conduct truth commissions, with public televised hearings and subpoena power and the ability to throw people in jail if they refuse to testify. Getting the truth out is imperative. A special prosecutor will just cover-up at the bidding of the top people in the government.

[jcorrington]

You go Jan!! Better late than never. And if the US wont do it, how about the World Court?


ie7
del8300

[mystic]

I keep reading that 100,000 Iraqis have been killed so far, but according to the Articles of Impeachment being intruduced by Kucinich,

http://kucinich.house.gov/Issues/Issue/?IssueID=3750

there were 654,965 Iraqis killed by July 06. Extrapolating that to July 08, we have 982,000 Iraqis killed. Add 400,000 Americans killed so far = 1,382,000 murdered so far, and that's not counting the number of suicides or those maimed. Compare that to the 30 or so people for whom Sadam was hanged by his neck.
Pelosi is scared to impeach because Congress is implicated --it was briefed on many of the sessions which resulted in war crimes.
Another important reason why impeachment should be at least tried, is to correct the global disrespect and pariah status we have earned . If we fail to impeach for this atrocity and these series of warcrimes, not least of which is torture, the rest of the world will only say "We don't need the US anymore. It is persona non grata on the world stage. If they ever need us, we will not be an ally"

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Talk to your Speaker that spit on her oath to defend OUR Constitution - a week before the '06 election.

[outnow]

Bush/Pelosi '08

[Kalena]

So you're in full support of Dennis' articles of impeachment?
Come on, girl...make some headlines!!!

[edgarallenpoe]

Now there's a top ten list that I can get behind:
Top ten egregious offenses of the Bush administration.

[scooperss]

Rep. I suggest you and your colleagues read this

http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/yedwards;_ylt=Ak.oFl7c.iNjAYRmM3AXKhus0NUE

[Annoula]

Thank you, scoopers!
That piece should be REQUIRED reading for EVERY MEMBER of Congress, regardless of the number of years spent in office! (and a refresher course on the US Constitution should also be given to them periodically for all those members that suffer from ADD and/or selective amnesia!)

[joebaggadonuts]

Good Luck Jan.

[ahornick]

I fear that the issue will just die on the vine as so many other offenses (as you point out) by this Administration have due to Congressional inaction.

A suggestion - post a status of action or in-action EACH DAY, naming names, until there are hearings!

[ConstitutionFirst]

A sure way to get an investigation of the torture would be to move forward with Rep. Kucinich's impeachment legislation. Can we count on your support for that?

[RobinLandseadel]

It's probably a good idea to get a bit of historical background on waterboarding.

An alarm always goes off in my head whenever the subject comes up:

http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/12/swift-911/

http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/03/10/salem-witch-hunt-ultimate-water-boarding/

http://utt73.newsvine.com/_news/2008/02/25/1324697-waterboarding-torture-and-the-salem-witch-trials

http://www.soulcast.com/post/show/102158/Teddy-Roosevelt-considered-waterboarding-torture