US contemplated war crimes

[struggle4progress]

The US Justice Department advised the White House in an August 2002 memo that torture during interrogations in the war against terrorism could be justified, The Washington Post said on Tuesday.
<snip>

Arguments centring on "necessity and self-defence could provide justifications that would eliminate any criminal liability" later, said the 50-page document signed by Assistant Attorney General Jay Bay bee that was obtained by The Washington Post.
<snip>

A Human Rights Watch official expressed dismay at the 2002 memo.
<snip>

"It appears that what they were contemplating was the commission of war crimes and looking for ways to avoid legal accountability. The effect is to throw out years of military doctrine and standards on interrogations," he added.

http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/327679.htm

[RC]

1. Can the indictments start now?

[struggle4progress]

2. We need a special prosecutor!

[RC]

4. No we don't.

We need a congress with a spine. Start frog marching the criminals to prison in less than two weeks.

[struggle4progress]

5. I don't see how backbone in Congress will move Ashcroft.

[RC]

6. Balance of Power

Congress has the power to remove Ashcroft with cause.

[struggle4progress]

7. Then threatening rumblings on the Hill might actually help.

[indepat]

8. The day that a Republican-controlled Congress ever acts in our country's

interest rather than in a wholly partisan manner inimical to the interests of this country will be the day we begin to have a government of, by, and for the people. Don't hold your breath.

[bloom]

3. There are more and more articles like this...

"Lawyers Decided Bans on Torture Didn't Bind Bush"

By NEIL A. LEWIS and ERIC SCHMITT

Published: June 8, 2004 the New York Times

______

Who the hell cares what the lawyers think? I sure don't.

[struggle4progress]

9. Well, may a thousand flowers bloom.

[Mechatanketra]

10. Appears? APPEARS??

"It appears that what they were contemplating was the commission of war crimes and looking for ways to avoid legal accountability."

Good Bob almighty -- we didn't need this memo to tell us that. Of COURSE the administration was contemplating war crimes -- why the hell do you think they've been working so hard to exempt their asses from prosecution by the International Criminal Court? Do the math, people: despite all the smoke they blow about the ICC being used as a "political tool", the most parsimonious motivation remains that they want to be immune to prosecution because they intend to commit crimes for which they could be prosecuted.

The fact that they're still actively pumping to expand that immunity is nauseatingly shameless -- and the fact that none of the countries who agreed will void that immunity in light of Abu Ghraib (which is to say, now that the jig is up and y'all KNOW you've been had) is just depressing.

[struggle4progress]

11. Credibility of NGOs like HRW depends on nuanced language

[Skittles]

12. makes ya proud to be American, huh

and they call themselves Christians? :puke: