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Justice Dept. Report Advises Pursuing C.I.A. Abuse Cases

RightinNYC

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http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/us/politics/24detain.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

The Justice Department’s ethics office has recommended reversing the Bush administration and reopening nearly a dozen prisoner-abuse cases, potentially exposing Central Intelligence Agency employees and contractors to prosecution for brutal treatment of terrorism suspects, according to a person officially briefed on the matter.

...

With the release of the details on Monday and the formal advice that at least some cases be reopened, it now seems all but certain that the appointment of a prosecutor or other concrete steps will follow, posing significant new problems for the C.I.A. It is politically awkward, too, for Mr. Holder because President Obama has said that he would rather move forward than get bogged down in the issue at the expense of his own agenda.

The advice from the Office of Professional Responsibility strengthens Mr. Holder’s hand.

The recommendation to review the closed cases, in effect renewing the inquiries, centers mainly on allegations of detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Justice Department report is to be made public after classified information is deleted from it.

...

The cases do not center on allegations of abuse by C.I.A. officers who conducted the forceful interrogations of high-level Qaeda suspects at secret sites, although it is not out of the question that a new investigation would also examine their conduct.


That could mean a look at the case in which C.I.A. officers threatened one prisoner with a handgun and a power drill if he did not cooperate. The detainee, Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, was suspected as the master plotter behind the 2000 bombing of the Navy destroyer Cole.

It's important for both sides to recognize what this is - this is not a criminal investigation into the waterboarding incidents, nor is it an investigation into any of the higher-ups in the Bush administration. It's an investigation focusing on the actions of individual interrogators at the CIA who allegedly went past the limits set forth in US law as to what they could do.

This is one of those cases where it appears that the investigation is a good idea, though neither political side will be particularly happy with it.
 
And an op-ed arguing that this is a bad idea, written by a General Counsel of the CIA under Clinton.

washingtonpost.com
 
I think heinous crimes should always be investigated & prosecuted as high up the chain of decision maker as can be done.
Lindy English was not the brains of this group!:lol:
 
The duty of the interegators was to gain information to protect American citizens, if they used hot coal up the nostril tactics that would fine by me.
 
The duty of the interegators was to gain information to protect American citizens, if they used hot coal up the nostril tactics that would fine by me.

Couldn't that exact same line be used about the Gestapo in 1939 Germany by just exchanging the word "German" for "American" in that sentence?
 
Go ahead and investigate, clear these folks of any wrong doing and drop it.
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/us/politics/24detain.html?hp=&pagewanted=print

It's important for both sides to recognize what this is - this is not a criminal investigation into the waterboarding incidents, nor is it an investigation into any of the higher-ups in the Bush administration. It's an investigation focusing on the actions of individual interrogators at the CIA who allegedly went past the limits set forth in US law as to what they could do.

This is one of those cases where it appears that the investigation is a good idea, though neither political side will be particularly happy with it.

But it is an investigation that could lead to the prosecution of CIA employees. It will weaken our CIA and it will lead to more exposure to criticisms of our attempts to protect Americans which will only continue to weaken the resolve to bring terrorists to justice.

potentially exposing Central Intelligence Agency employees and contractors to prosecution for brutal treatment of terrorism suspects, according to a person officially briefed on the matter

There is nothing "good" that can be obtained from such efforts. The publicity of this issue is enough to make it another attempt to impugn the previous administration in the court of public opinion and will basically accomplish the same thing all the other committee hearings and investigations have accomplished since Democrats took control of Congress: NOTHING.

:2wave:
 
Gotta feel bad for the CIA folks, now they gotta fear that the next administration will decide what they were doing was "illegal" and come after them.
 
Gotta feel bad for the CIA folks, now they gotta fear that the next administration will decide what they were doing was "illegal" and come after them.

I vas just following orders has not been a successful defense since Nuremberg.
 
I vas just following orders has not been a successful defense since Nuremberg.

This isn't Nuremburg. We're talking about our people who were serving the same country that now wants to put them in jail.

This will do more damage to CIA than the Church hearings did. Nothing good will come out of this.

There's a huge difference between gassing 6 million people and smacking a terrorist around a little bit.

But, hey, go for it. This will just put one more nail in PBO's political coffin.
 
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This is really quite simple. They either broke the law or they did not. The end. So investigate.
 
This isn't Nuremburg. We're talking about our people who were serving the same country that now wants to put them in jail.

This will do more damage to CIA than the Church hearings did. Nothing good will come out of this.

There's a huge difference between gassing 6 million people and smacking a terrorist around a little bit.

But, hey, go for it. This will just put one more nail in PBO's political coffin.

I'm not a believer in my country right or wrong.
Americans don't torture..Americans don't use drills on prisoners....Americans don't do mock executions.......Nazi's Do!

If we hired Blackwater mercenaries to commit war crimes in our name, then they are war criminals & should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law & as high up as the orders were issued. (does anyone think General/President Eisenhower would have done those things?....HELL NO!!
 
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The duty of the interegators was to gain information to protect American citizens, if they used hot coal up the nostril tactics that would fine by me.

That's because you're an Authoritarian masquerading as a Conservative.

The law only applies to the "bad guys". The "good guys" can break the law for the right reasons.

You don't give a damn about the Rule of Law or the Constitution...the foundation of what was is good about this Country.

Why do you hate this Country so much?
 
So now the CIA Employees are Nazi's killing millions, got it.

Tell me....What is an acceptable number of potentially innocent people we can torture & kill?
(is 100 OK?....How about 1000?......How about your brother/sister?)
 
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This isn't Nuremburg. We're talking about our people who were serving the same country that now wants to put them in jail.

This will do more damage to CIA than the Church hearings did. Nothing good will come out of this.

There's a huge difference between gassing 6 million people and smacking a terrorist around a little bit.

But, hey, go for it. This will just put one more nail in PBO's political coffin.

You here the same line from every lawless thug supporter all over the World making excuses for torture. You're all the same.
 
Go ahead and investigate, clear these folks of any wrong doing and drop it.

I agree. If they are innocent of wrong doing, clear their names & drop it.........But....... If they are guilty of war crimes, then what?

If they are guilty of war crimes, should we not also investigate who gave the orders?...Whoever that may have been?
 
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That's because you're an Authoritarian masquerading as a Conservative.

What do you base this on? Please elaborate instead of accusing with generalities.

The law only applies to the "bad guys". The "good guys" can break the law for the right reasons.

Strawmen, you are creating an argument which I never put forward and now will go ahead and attack :3oops:.

You don't give a damn about the Rule of Law or the Constitution...the foundation of what was is good about this Country.

Thank you for that opinion.

Why do you hate this Country so much?

:lol::lol: Wow what a troll you are.
 
Oh who me? You say!....LOL

You only wrote this

The duty of the interegators was to gain information to protect American citizens, if they used hot coal up the nostril tactics that would fine by me.

The duty of any Government worker/member of the military is to uphold the Rule of Law in the pursuit of critical information from "suspected" terrorists.. You also advocate torture which is against the law.

You are an Authoritarian....plain and simple.

Oh you'll jump up and down when "those" other people break the law but you ignore the law and even encourage breaking the law when your "side" is doing it.
 
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Should torture be prosecuted, is that not, the central question?
 
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