ABA Elites Demand Full Disclosure of Bush Admin Torture Memos

[Nambe]

WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 U.S. Newswire (Title edited for length)

An unprecedented, bipartisan group of prestigious lawyers including 12 former judges, seven American Bar Association presidents and many elected officials released a statement today criticizing the Bush Administration's preparation of memos related to torture.

These lawyers have called upon the administration to release all memoranda and documents related to the treatment of prisoners and detainees and for an appropriate inquiry of how and why the memoranda were prepared and by whom they were approved.

"Americans have always looked to lawyers to protect their rights and liberties," said Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron. "It is especially dismaying that a group of administration lawyers betrayed the trust Americans reposed in them and their professional responsibility in order to support policies and practices that violate our Constitution."

This charter group of signatories released their statement on the eve of the American Bar Association's Convention in Atlanta, Georgia, a time when the nation's lawyers come together to discuss critical issues affecting the rule of law and justice here and abroad. ...

Ride Don’t Drive It’s Global Cool

[bobbieinok]

1. bushco motto 'first let's kill all the lawyers........except ours'

[Stew225]

2. They say the neon lights are bright on

"mainstream", media that is. Let's hope that enough pressure is exerted by whomever to force the mainstream press not to conveniently ignore this huge story.

[DeepModem Mom]

3. One of these signatories is godfather to one of my children....

Tears come to my eyes when I realize how many good people are working, in individual ways, to try to save our country from destruction by the Bush cabal. Thank you so much for posting this; now I'll email our friend with our very deep gratitude for his courage.

[Southpaw Bookworm]

4. Congrats

On having such a courageous individual helping guide your child.

Efforts like this are just a tiny little beacon of hope that keeps me thinking that this country's ails might just get better.

[Edmond Dantes]

7. One of them is MY lawyer!

And I promise you: he knows EXACTLY how DOJ's OLC operates.

Heh, heh ....


:bounce:

[tom_paine]

5. Imperial to Judges, others "Who Cares What You Think?"

Which coincidentally, is EXACTLY what Stalin and Hitler and Ferdinand Marcos would have said.

[David Zephyr]

6. Watch How This Story Sinks Like a Stone With the National Gestapo Press.

But let Teresa H. Kerry utter "shove it" and it pre-empts the latest incarnation of Gary Condit ("The Mark Hacking Story").

[HuckleB]

8. Awesome! Too bad the press will ignore it as usual.

What if Edwards and/or Kerry jumped on this? Would that help? Would they be willing to do that within the context of the campaign?

[wishlist]

9. Kerry/Edwards' many attorney supporters would be interested in this info

Good timing of this in light of the Guantanamo Bay info coming out this week. Surely Kerry and Edwards are being notified about this.

[struggle4progress]

10. Excerpts from statement:

... The memoranda ...

> Claim a power for the President to ... ignore laws ...
> Advise the President ... he has the authority to approve the infliction of extreme physical and mental distress ...
...
> Advise the President ... the US is exempt from ... the Geneva Convention ...
...

These memoranda ... seek to circumvent long established principles of law and common decency ...

http://www.afj.org/spotlight/0804statement.pdf
(5 pp pdf file / last three pp are signatories)