Obama: No prosecutions for waterboarding. Time to "move on"

[Bluebear]

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama absolved the CIA from prosecution for harsh, painful interrogation of terror suspects Thursday, even as his administration released Bush-era memos graphically detailing — and authorizing — such grim tactics as slamming detainees against walls, waterboarding them and keeping them naked and cold for long periods.

Human rights groups and many Obama officials have condemned such methods as torture. Bush officials have vigorously disagreed.

In releasing the documents, the most comprehensive accounting yet of interrogation methods that were among the Bush administrations most closely guarded secrets, Obama said he wanted to move beyond "a dark and painful chapter in our history."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090416/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/torture_memos

[maddezmom]

1. But there is also this: No Promises to Bush Lawyers Who Signed Off on Interrogation Tactics"

No Promises to Bush Lawyers Who Signed Off on Interrogation Tactics" (ProPublica News)
Obama Promises to Defend Interrogators, But No Promise on the Bush Lawyers Who Signed Off
by Chisun Lee, ProPublica - April 16, 2009 4:54 pm EDT


Early press reports <2> are focusing on the administration’s promise not to prosecute any CIA employee who reasonably relied on the memos to carry out interrogations. The government has also said it will defend <3> employees in U.S. or foreign courts and before Congress.

But the administration was silent on its allegiance – or lack thereof – to the former administration lawyers, from the Office of Legal Counsel, who authored or signed off on the memos. It’s the lawyers who may face prosecution before a Spanish court <4> and who’ve long been the subject of calls from U.S. civil liberties advocates for further investigation.

In two parting memos, outgoing Bush OLC supervisor Steven Bradbury repudiated <5> a slew of counterterrorism-related legal opinions while defending the professional conduct of their authors.

We asked about the administration’s stance on the conduct of those who wrote today’s released memos. Justice Department spokesperson Tracy Schmaler said that, because an internal Office of Professional Responsibility investigation is ongoing, "We can’t comment."

Today’s memos help flesh out the remarkable legal story behind the previous administration’s so-called war on terror – a story you can follow by exploring our chart of more than 50 related memos <6>, listed by date, author and topic. Our continuing coverage of the battle to win release <7> of some 30 still-secret memos can be found here <8>.

~snip~
http://www.propublica.org/article/obama-promises-to-defend-interrogators-but-no-promise-on-bush-0416

[spanone]

2. i fear if we do not learn how & why this was allowed to happen, it will happen again

i hope congress will do what the administration seems unwilling to take on. beyond that it's the world courts and since we're the baddest mofo's on earth, i doubt that will happen.

[madeline_con]

4. There was some sort of trade off.

Even Obama has a price.

[Autumn]

3. I want the ones who ordered it

punished. They are the ones responsible.