The Obama Administration will launch criminal investigations into brutal Bush-era terror interrogations, after a report last night revealed that operatives threatened to kill the children of a key September 11 suspect and told another that his mother would be sexually assaulted in front of him.
The report, which also said that detainees suffered mock executions and death threats, convinced Eric Holder, President Obama’s Attorney-General, to appoint the veteran federal prosecutor John Durham to investigate CIA abuse of terror suspects.
The 2004 report, which has been suppressed for five years but was released after a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), lays out in detail the abuse of suspects between 2002 and 2004 at secret CIA “black site” prisons.
…”convinced Eric Holder, President Obama’s Attorney-General, to appoint…”
If you believe that this is the real motivation, I have a nice bridge to sell you. 😉
Well, this is another selective release of classified information, designed to deflect attention away from President Obama’s dismal handling of affairs both positive and negative.
Earlier, the President had resisted calls to go out and criminalize the prior administration, but if he can create a poticial smokescreen, now that his popularity is coming back down to earth and his programs, especially health-care “reform” have proven to be unpopular, he needs the diversion.
Now, as to the allegations themselves, they appear to be repulsive on their face and may very well be factual, however, since the Obama administrations has only allowed selective intelligence released we don’t know the whole story and therefore, we should demand a complete release of interrogation memos to see the entire picture.
Frankly, NONE of this should have been released… an internal investigation with those who have sufficient clearance should have been conducted, and parties going beyond established protocol should have been punished. I am unaware of any past President allowing release of black op’s while such programs are still going on.
Releases like this, while creating short term political diversion, and allowing a “pound of flesh” to the leftists that make up the Obama core, have the potential to place American operatives, some in deep cover, at risk- and not just those who are involved in a public abuse investigation.
I am not an “ends justifies the means” type of person, and would expect representatives of our government to behave within established guidlines, protocols and laws. I just believe issues such as these should be handled privately with established oversight.
Meanwhile, the Black Panther thugs that threatened voters in the last election had their case dropped by Holder just as the Justice Dept was about to go to trial. Many have protested this action, including groups supportive of Pres. Obama, and the administration has yet to offer an explanation. One of the Black Panthers has been reinstated as a Democratic Party poll watcher! But nothing political here, no sirree.
Boy, this sure would put a crimp in Jack Bauer’s style.
Seriously, I wonder if the Attorney General’s response would have been different if this behavior had been shown towards right-wing, domestic terrorists like the Aryan Nation or Tim McVeigh? Personally, I think that worse than this was done at Ruby Ridge, and nobody was prosecuted for any of that, or Waco, IIRC.
Do I think this is politically motivated? Only if it will take some of the pressure off of Obamacare and throw some red meat for the far left to chew on so they will leave the President alone for a bit.
I think this is a loser for Obama even if the far left loves it. He is still campaigning against Bush. This plus GITMO does not play well with independent voters.
The repercussions and unintended consequences of this decision are so far reaching that it is hard to underestimate how important this is. As a starter, our security system will be weakened immeasurably, as will our status in the world. But more importantly, our system of government is now and always will be in the future weakened. What DOJ attorney or White House attorney is going provide any research memo on any controversial issue in the future? What CIA, FBI, NSA, Secret Service, ATF, Treasury, DEA or any other Federal (or possibly state) agent is going to want to do anything on the edge or even close to the edge to prevent major catastrophes in the future. Who will want to join any of these agencies in the future, when any of these agencies can be used for political fodder by the next administration that is voted in. This is no different than a banana republic dictator putting his political rivals in jail when he takes over, and then when he is overthrown his successor does the same thing. This administration has within 200 days turned our government in to a quasi-Facist state, and I know what I’m saying and I don’t back down from this statement. This is the scariest time I’ve ever seen for our republic.
Sorry, #7, Watergate was a time of political intrigue by one party against the other, but the government and the political class was not nearly so embedded in private and business life as it is at present, nor was it attempting to run business and the private sector as this ruling political class is attempting to do through intimidation, massive deficit spending programs, government monetary policy, and, now, threats of prosecution for deeds of the prior ruling class of the previous 8 years. (And during Watergate, you would have been 13 – I watched it and lived through that era in my late 20s and much of it as an Air Force officer. This time is much scarier.) If you want more evidence, look at all the “czars” that have been put in place to deal with different sectors of the economy and society – none of whom have been vetted or overseen by Congress, but all of whom have as much power as many cabinet positions, and some even more. And look at the vast sums of money these “czars” have been given to oversee and decide how and where to spend. If things continue like they are going for 4 more years, the “quasi” may no longer apply.
I agree. And I agree with your analysis and hope you are correct.
Isn’t this what Obama’s doing to the Hondurans?