Obama Promises to Defend Interrogators, But No Promise on the Bush Lawyers Who Signed Off

[ProSense]

Obama Promises to Defend Interrogators, But No Promise on the Bush Lawyers Who Signed Off

More:

Obama Hints At Torture Investigation: ‘We Are Moving A Process Forward’

Obama on releasing/redacting memos: We have been through a dark and painful chapter in our history

Reaction to Release of Bush Era OLC Interrogation Memos

Edited to add snip about the Spanish invesigation:

The prosecutors will inform the investigating judge, Baltasar Garzon, of their decision, and the judge would then have to decide whether to proceed or shelve the case, Noya said.

Former Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and five other ex-Bush administration officials are accused in the human rights group complaint of allegedly sanctioning torture at the Guantanamo Bay detention center.

The complaint alleges the six former officials were the legal architects of a system that allowed torture of prisoners at Guantanamo, in violation of international law.

The case might still go forward at the court, despite the prosecution opposition, said Gonzalo Boye, a lawyer who filed the complaint for the human rights group.

Boye told CNN that prosecutors earlier opposed the court's human rights investigations of ex-Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet and, separately, the former military regime in Guatemala, but that those cases went ahead anyway.

"It's up to the resolution of a court as it has always been," Boye told CNN. "Garzon has to decide. This is a jurisdiction decision for a judge, not for the prosecution."

(emphasis added)

Updated to add:

Senator Leahy's statement

[DS1]

1. NOOOO IT'S GOTTA BE DONE NOW NOW NOW NOW NOW

/VerDUca Salt

[aquart]

2. Well, at least before the mid-term elections.

[Hissyspit]

6. There's plenty of precedent of DUers being patient waiting for Dems to do the right thing and then

it never getting done.

But I do appreciate ProSense's informative links.

[ben_jenne]

3. Keep setting those sights lower,

eventually we'll get to the bottom.

[ProSense]

5. Yeah, we went from

Obama is never going to release the memos

to Obama is Bush

to Obama is protecting Bush

to Obama releasing the memos means nothing

That isn't lower and lower, that's called shifting the bar.

[Qutzupalotl]

7. good one!

:thumbsup:

[Uzybone]

4. I think there will be investigations and prosecutions

without a doubt. I'm mixed on not prosecuting the actual torturers because i can see the wisdom of both sides. I'll be satisfied if the crooks who approved these crimes are prosecution though. Can Congress step up?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. He's promising to defend monsters under the "Just following orders" rubric.

It's pathetic.

[DS1]

10. First it was "It's pathetic that they're going after Lyndee England because she's just a peon and

they should go after the butchers at the top"


Now it's "They're letting off the peons, this is an outrage!"


Sometimes this place can fuck itself. :)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

11. Yep. As if the little goons are any better than the big goons.

Just following orders, donchya know.

[Canuckistanian]

9. Issue warrants for Yoo and Bybee NOW

They should officially be suspects with the release of the memos.

[Political Heretic]

12. QUOTE: "nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past."

[ProSense]

15. Obama says that often.

People used to think that meant he was never going to release the memos. They were wrong.

[Political Heretic]

16. I never thought that, I don't know anyone who thought that.

It has always been, and continues to be his response to prosecution / investigation.

[Supersedeas]

13. wonder if the Federal Bench will hold one of their own (Bybee) accountable

[Metta]

14. Small consolation. How's trusting the intelligence community to do the right thing been going, O?

You's made things worse by keeping the door open for future administrations to torture and run more of a police state. Happy karma.