As Report Shows Bybee's Torture Culpability, Conyers Says: 'We're Coming After These Guys'

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/21/as-report-shows-bybees-to_n_189815.html


Ryan Grim
As Report Shows Bybee's Torture Culpability, Conyers Says: 'We're Coming After These Guys'
04/21/09 10:55 PM


Bush administration attorney Jay Bybee, now a judge on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals serving a lifetime appointment, crafted legal justifications for torture after intelligence officials began to adapt techniques already deemed illegal by U.S. and international law, according to a report released Tuesday evening by the Senate Armed Services Committee.

The 232-page report leaves no doubt that the interrogation techniques were torture and were long known to be illegal. The Bush administration's program of torture was "reverse engineered," in the words of Richard Shiffrin, the general counsel for intelligence for the Department of Defense in 2002, from communist Chinese techniques designed to elicit false confessions. In that respect, the program worked well, as tortured detainees told officials whatever they could think of and sent CIA agents chasing bogus tips around the globe, according to press reports.

snip//

Simply deeming illegal acts to be legal does not, of course, make them legal. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), in arguing for Bybee's impeachment, says that the purpose of the memos was not to give an honest legal analysis, but to deem legal behavior that is clearly illegal in order to encourage that illegal activity. The charge, says Nadler, would be something along the lines of conspiracy to abet torture.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) announced Tuesday he would hold a hearing looking into the role Bush administration lawyers played in justifying torture. Some lawyers, Conyers told the Huffington Post, were engaged in honest analysis of the law. Others, he said, were simple law breakers.

"There are some who tried to do a get-out-of-jail-free card. Obviously, there are some that that's all they were thinking," said Conyers, declining to name specific names, citing his upcoming hearings.

But he has a few in mind. "We're coming after these guys," he said.

[pleah]

1. K&R

[Ian David]

2. Well, if Johnny Letter says we're coming after these guys, I'll believe it when I see it. n/t

[Windy]

3. Agreed. Conyers doesn't impress me frankly. nt

[TornadoTN]

6. It's a shame that we are at this point of "believing it when we see it"

But I think that the public distaste for the crimes committed during the Bush administration is too much for this to be swept away with a letter. Just as we believe this could destroy the GOP, it could very well destroy many Democrats either by their complicity in it or their inaction or inability to abide by the law.

Personally, I want to see the investigation go wherever it may lead. Anyone who promoted, approved, or was complicit in these high crimes need to be dealt with accordingly through the justice system whether they be a (D) or a (R). If we are to begin repairing this country, we have to be prepared to deal with the harsh reality that there are some on our side who may fall in the process.

[Ian David]

7. Looks like Harmon, Pelosi, and DiFi would go down with the Repukes. n/t

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

8. Oh, well. A few Democratic eggs go into the omelette.

How come they're all from California? What's up with that?

[Ian David]

24. That *is* strange, isn't it?

You'd think there would be more Dixiecrats on the Traitor list.

[Moochy]

10. Oh Noes!!

Sounds like a plan.

[robinlynne]

11. I have NO problem with that. good riddance.

[populistdriven]

12. no loss we have progressives ready to run - conyers better deliver for a change

[Ian David]

25. Agreed. n/t

[TornadoTN]

13. So be it. We need to acknowledge this and have suitable candidates to replace them

No Democrat should have been so eager to bow before the Bush administration, ESPECIALLY since these crimes are so serious and wide-ranging.

I'm sickened by it, but I also hope that we can weed out the problems within the party. Sure, they may do well from time to time on some issues, but I am not going to turn a blind eye or be forgiving about major issues like these just because they are Democrats.

[robinlynne]

18. We have one here to take Harman's position. I'm ready to campaign for her the minute hrman steps dow

down and an election is called for. Marcy Winograd, who ran against her in 2006 and received 40% of the votes with NO budget, only volunteers. She ran against thew Iraq war, and when Harman called her in to her office for a meeting after the election, Winograd said no, bring all your constituents into the meeting! She is one of my role models, a woman of extreme courage and integrity. I am thrilled that Harman has been clearly exposed. Would love to see the same thing happen to Feinstein. I am absolutley ashamed of these Dems. They do NOT represent their constituents.

[KharmaTrain]

4. I'm Really Hoping He Does...

I have the highest respect for Congressman Conyers. He's been witness to the finest and worst hours of that Judiciary committee over the past 40 years.

During the heavy calls to impeach booosh, he took a lot of heat cause his hands were tied in many ways to move forward. Critics (especially here) complained he had plenty of grounds to push for impeachment, but Conyers explained that he didn't have enough evidence to put forth a compelling case that would pass through his committee, yet the House and then to certain defeat in the Senate. My hopes are time has become the avenger.

A lot of the evidence necessary to investigate the backlog of crimes of the past 8 years were put into deep freeze by booooshie's abuse of "Executive Privilidge" that lasted til the last moment he was in power. The curtain is slowly lifting over these crimes and the revlations are damning. Conyers couldn't get those DOJ OLC memos, now he has them. He also has many others on his committee, especially Jerry Nadler, who won't let this matter die.

:hi:

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

5. How was he going to build a case if he wouldn't enforce supoenas? nt

[KharmaTrain]

16. Bingo!!!!

Call Conyers "old school", but he knows the law and the Constitution. He's the lone member who participated in both Nixon's impeachment and then in the Clinton inqusition. He saw Peter Rodino build his case against Nixon based on subpoenaed testimony of principals as well as using evidence gathered in ongoing criminal investigations. Conyers had none of that. Just speculation, not hard fact. Now the hard facts are coming forward.

You have to figure he is was as frustrated as anyone in seeing how flagrant the violations of the boooosh regime were yet unable to force their hand.

[Supersedeas]

9. relabeling and redefining and artfully crafting recrafting a criminal statute to suit one's purpose

-- how judicial.

[Mari333]

14. exclusive video of john conyers getting the job done

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-H8imq9sG_0&feature=related

[mikelgb]

15. lol

that turtle is actually moving forward though

[flyarm]

17. yeah yeah yeah..heard this crap before so has the OP..and we are jumping for joy?? not

just do a simple search on DU..it will tell you all you need to know about the bullshit here!!

How many ways can one say ..BLOWHARD??????????


Office Arrests: The Shame of John Conyers by Dave Lindorff
Wed Jul-25-07 11:50 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x296493
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/07/24/2720 /

excerpt:

If Rosa Parks had lived two years longer, what happened today in the halls of Congress might have killed her. It certainly would have broken her heart.

Rep. John Conyers, venerable member of Congress, finally chair of the House Judiciary Committee, a man who worked with Parks in Alabama and then hired her on his staff after he won election to Congress in Detroit, today had 48 impeachment activists, including Gold Star Families for Peace founder Cindy Sheehan, Iraq Veteran Against the War activist Lennox Yearwood and Intelligence Veterans for Sanity founder Ray McGovern, arrested for conducting a sit-in in his office in the Rayburn House Office Building.

The three, together with several hundred other impeachment activists who packed the fourth floor hallway outside Rep. Conyers’ office, had come to press Conyers to take action on impeachment, and specifically to start action on H.Res. 333, the bill submitted nearly three months ago by Rep. Dennis Kucinich calling for the impeachment of Vice President Dick Cheney.

After nearly an hour of talking with Conyers, a clearly angry Sheehan emerged together with Yearwood and McGovern, and announced to the waiting throng in the hall that Conyers had told them “impeachment isn’t going to happen because we don’t have the votes.” Sheehan said Conyers had insisted that the best thing was for Democrats to focus on “winning big in 2008.”

To a loud and angry chorus of boos and hisses, the three went back inside Conyers’ office suite, where they were joined by some 30 other supporters, and all were subsequently arrested, at Conyers’ request, by Capitol police, who cuffed them and walked them off for booking.

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John Conyers is no Martin Luther King by Ray McGovern
Tue Jul-24-07 01:55 PM

What do Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, chair of the House Committee on the Judiciary, and President George W. Bush have in common? They both think they can dis Cindy Sheehan and count on gossip columnists like the Washington Post’s Dana Milbank to trivialize a historic moment.

I’ll give this to President Bush. He makes no pretence when he disses. He would not meet with Sheehan to define for her the “noble cause” for which her son Casey died or tell her why he had said it was “worth it.”

Conyers, on the other hand, was dripping with pretence as he met with Sheehan, Rev. Lennox Yearwood and me Monday in his office in the Rayburn building. I have seldom been so disappointed with someone I had previously held in high esteem. And before leaving, I told him so.

Throwing salt in our wounds, he had us, and some 50 others in his anteroom arrested and taken out of action as the Capitol Police “processed” us for the next six hours.

As we began our discussion with Conyers, it was as though he thought we were “born yesterday,” as Harry Truman would put it. With feigned enthusiasm he began, Let’s hold a Town Hall meeting in Detroit so we can talk about impeachment. Get out my schedule; let’s see, we need to hear from everyone about this.

Been there, done that, I reminded the congressman.

more . . .
http://consortiumnews.com/2007/072407a.html

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1421593

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IMPEACH: CONYERS said: "WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR - LET'S TAKE THOSE 2 GUYS OUT"-Kpete live from S.D.

Fri Jul-20-07 05:27 PM
John Conyers gave me goosebumps. He arrived with "minor rock star status" -- (or better!) at a reception sponsored by the Progressive Democrats of America.

What a beautiful man - a wise and true gentleman, joined us just now in San Diego at the Holiday Inn for a reception. And there were goosebumps when he said on entering the standing room only crowd (filled with impeachment and other signs):


"What are we waiting for? Let's take these two guys out!"

(Huge cheers in the room!!)

Yes, he really said that - first thing as he came in the door here in San Diego and repeated it again later. He is mingling with us common people and will soon give a talk. I was so excited when I heard those words, I just had to share.

Also, Land Shark was here and talked to Conyers in the presence of others about the disastrous Holt bill as well as impeachment issues. Conyers stated that he would be going for inherent contempt - he declared that as his intent.

MORE LATER, kp


UPDATE:

Conyers Now Speaking

Iraq - after 6 yrs. no easy solutions
Clear NOW - Only thing we can do - GET OUT OF IRAQ AT EARLIEST MOMENT POSSIBLE!!!!
Thunderous applause

ALL ABOUT OIL


Enough is enough

SPEAKING ABOUT ALL AMERICAN CITIZENS, CONYERS SAID "WE NEED TO HOLD MORE PEOPLE ACCOUNTABLE FOR AIDING GEORGE BUSH & MR. CHENEY"


Having spoken up himself, Rep. Conyers asked all citizens to get involved in speaking up themselves, defending the Constitution, and defending democracy.

He spoke up today, we all need to support him, and ourselves.


A big cheer went up when Rep. Conyers said he would now address election reform. Privately, before the speech, he indicated to Land Shark that Holt's HR 811 was defeated, yet there still remains some ambiguity about that....

In the public speech quoting Mark Crispin Miller's elections book "Fooled Again" Conyers remarked that we got fooled in 2000 and again in 2004. He remarked that his committee in Judiciary has an important jurisdiction over the DOJ's Civil Rights Division relevant to elections.

Just shook Conyers hand

signing off, with goosebumps, kpete

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1390369


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John Conyers On Impeachment - San Diego (Also Transcript)
Wed Jul-25-07 09:22 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x43340
John Conyers speaks about impeachment in San Diego on Friday, July 20, 2007. Cellphone Video.

TRANSCRIPT:

CONYERS: Now, let me close with this one suggestion, is that I need some Members of Congress to come to me and say Mr Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, I heard you were out in San Diego, and they really put it to you, and you made commitments that we don't know if you were just saying, saying something to get out of that hotel alive or were you, or were you serious and here's what we need to do. We need to have three Members of Congress from anywhere come and say, "Congressman, if you... if you are willing to support an inquiry into a resolution of whether there had been acts of impeachability conducted by, the Vice President of, and the President of the United States, that could lead to High Crimes and Misdemeanors, then we will join you if you introduce such a resolution."

SPECTATOR: With House Resolution 333, you have that right now, do you not?

CONYERS: No, I, I, this is something that we are working on right now. We don't have it right now.

SPECTATOR: We do have House Resolution 333.

CONYERS: I'm talking about more. Look. And so let us, let us see how many people would be willing to back us up, in addition to the ones --

SPECTATOR: Maxine Waters.

CONYERS: Let, let us, let us stay in close communication. These are decisions that should not be taken lightly. We have, I want to examine and put forward as we move along a close, critical examination of all of the benefits and the costs involved in making this momentous decision. It's easy to say that this is an easy, this is a no brainer, the logic is all on one side, and I wish that were so. If it were so, you would be here congratulating me for doing what you had been asking me and others to do for so long.

So let's think soberly about it. There is no, let's say, now is the time and we don't have to worry about the future. I, with due respect, disagree with that. I have to think about the future. I have to weigh what this, the impact of this is going to be. And, by the way, you probably know, that there is such a thing as the retroactive impeachment process.

SPECTATORS: No, what's that? Tell us more.

CONYERS: If you introduced the resolution of impeachment after the person is gone.

SPECTATOR: Really? Wow!

CONYERS: When, I just, I just want you to know about all of the things. I am so glad that Bill Moyers did what he did. Those CDs and, we have to, print, and we want everybody to listen to them carefully and think seriously on this matter.

(from afterdowningstreet.org)


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More exciting John Conyers Impeachment News "Retroactive Impeachment"(Partial Transcript-SD Meeting)

Mon Jul-23-07 07:43 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1407000

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Conyers Now Says He's "on Edge" of Starting Impeachment
Fri Feb-08-08 03:47 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2835984

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Dem. Now! today: John Conyers and Ray McGovern on to talk about ...
Conyers won't Impeach because the Media would make Bush/Cheney Victims! .... Even give fiery speeches, as he did a couple of months ago in San Diego. ...
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2503816 - Similar pages
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Jeff Norman: Conyers Office Said Conyers Meant Three Reps Enlisted ...
So then I asked him if it had sounded to him as if Conyers meant that he needed each ... I heard you were out in San Diego, and they really put it to you, ...
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1434654 - Similar pages
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Please John Conyers: Impeach Bush NOW by Bob Fertik ACTION ...
But if I could, these are the arguments I would make for the immediate introduction of Articles of Impeachment .... Balboa Park Club Ballroom, San Diego, CA ...
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x573594 - Similar pages
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Kucinich impeachment resolution gets another co-sponsor -- Rep ...
Bree attended an event on Friday in San Diego at which Congressman Conyers spoke about impeachment. Her report was extremely interesting. ...
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2969864 - Similar pages
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Conyers: 3 More Congress Members and I'll Impeach - Democratic ...... on Friday in San Diego at which Congressman Conyers spoke about impeachment. ..... I also asked him if he would sign the letter that 70 reps sent bush ...
www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1397936 - Similar pages

[fooj]

21. Is it time to replace our avatars with Conyer's pic again?

:rofl:

[troubleinwinter]

23. I kick your post.

I worked my fingers bloody typing and FAXing Conyers for years, for all the good it's done. I'm worn out from false promises.

[flyarm]

19. "WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR - LET'S TAKE THOSE 2 GUYS OUT"-

"WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR - LET'S TAKE THOSE 2 GUYS OUT"-

goggle up what Conyers said when he went to San Diego to speak...go ahead i dare you!!

or read my post here..

most long time posters at DU know all about Conyers malarki....who is kidding who here???????

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5510459#5511162

Oh and don't forget that Kucinisch got way over the three people Conyers said he needed in congress to impeach ..

Bullshit is bullshit..ya know??????

Please no one hold thy breath for anything from Conyers..just ask those of us who have been here a long time that wrote letters and made calls and went to Dc to speak to this man directly..

blowhard is a very good word here.........

And if you even attempt to call him out..be worried of being arrested..ask Ray McGovern and Cindy Sheehan!!..and all the wonderful Americans that took time out of their busy lives and went to Congress trying to get this man to do his damn job!

Don't count on Conyers..and the OP is very aware of what I am saying..just google and see the many many posts here, just at Du and make sure to know who posted on those threads then!! I AM NOT TELLING ANYONE, ANYTHING NEW.

[fooj]

22. Will this happen before or after Rove testifies under oath?

:banghead:

[Vidar]

20. I'm sorry, but for five years we've gotten nothing but talk from Conyers.

Wen he actually does something, maybe I'll start to to believe him.

[DearAbby]

26. So many years of disappointment

forgive me if I dont hold my breath on this one...

[spanone]

27. who were these people running our government?

who the fuck were they?

[FreeJG]

28. Conyers Again? Keeper of the criminals??

I know a few who risked their lives to go to DC and speak to Conyers and the lead attorney for his judiciary staff. That guy was working in the "bowels" of the building.

It was a meeting on the electronic voting machines around the U.S. Proof was given. This meeting was in March of 2006, long after the 2004 hearing on election fraud in Ohio, and the theft of the Bush/Kerry race.

Does anyone here even remember what happened in there? Clint Curtis, the whistleblower programmer who created vote flipping software, testified. But Rep. John Conyers did not hear it, because when it was time for Clint Curtis to testify, Conyers left the room because he had to pee!!!!

He was in charge of the hearing and could have stopped the meeting. He did not. HE CHOSE NOT TO!!

Do you get it? According to Conyers, he did not "hear" the Curtis testimony. He did nothing. All that work.....and so many on DU. All the help, pain, and loss of so many great DUers.

Conyers is so old and won't retire. Why? He's the gatekeeper. No real prosecutions are allowed.

The OP needs to stop cheering this, they have been here a long time. They know the hisotry of the Conyers hearings/investigations. Can't believe this was posted here!

[flyarm]

29. Thank you for your post..so Conyers missed Clint Curtis because he had to pee?

had to pee??? I too know the risks Clint took ..and Conyers walked out of the testimony because he had to pee??????????

And there are really people here that still believe in Conyers..I bet they believe in Santa Claus and the Easter bunny too..or do they are are they now simply helping the "GATEKEEPER" as you call him..hmmm i just wonder...bet they will cover for Jane Harman too!!

[merh]

30. Will they come after them before or after they depose Rove, et al?

:shrug:

[Solly Mack]

31. hugs to Nadler

"Simply deeming illegal acts to be legal does not, of course, make them legal. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), in arguing for Bybee's impeachment, says that the purpose of the memos was not to give an honest legal analysis, but to deem legal behavior that is clearly illegal in order to encourage that illegal activity. The charge, says Nadler, would be something along the lines of conspiracy to abet torture."

[FreeJG]

32. kick and rec this!!!

:nuke:

[HooptieWagon]

33. Conyers is all talk, no action.

I'll believe it when I see it.

[Atman]

34. To paraphrase the words of Ms. Clinton...

Forgive me if I don't take seriously anything John Conyers has to say.

He's been telling us he's going to "do something" for years, and yet...he never does.

He speechifies. I want him follow through FOR ONCE.

.

[flyarm]

35. do not hold one's breath!!..he is a Gatekeeper for the criminals!! eom