AG Holder: US could cooperate with a foreign court's investigation of Bush administration officials

[sabra]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30477302/

<snip>

In speaking to reporters Wednesday, Holder also said it is possible the United States could cooperate with a foreign court's investigation of Bush administration officials.

Holder spoke before the announcement that a Spanish magistrate had opened an investigation of Bush officials on harsh interrogation methods. Holder didn't rule out cooperating in such a probe.

"Obviously, we would look at any request that would come from a court in any country and see how and whether we should comply with it," Holder said.

"This is an administration that is determined to conduct itself by the rule of law and to the extent that we receive lawful requests from an appropriately created court, we would obviously respond to it," he said.

[babylonsister]

1. Whoa. I hope the whole rotten cabal reads this. nt

[Xipe Totec]

2. It's not up to Holder, though, it's a State Department matter

It will be interesting to see how Mrs Clinton handles it.

[Supersedeas]

8. the SoS would be the go-between but the actual documents/evidence would come from Justice

[Xipe Totec]

9. Agreed. That's the point

SoS may decide to block those documents based on diplomatic considerations, and Holder cannot deliver them otherwise.

I'm not saying it won't happen, I'm just saying Holder's assurance exceeded his authority.

[JDPriestly]

3. That would be the best solution. It would remove the issue

of partisan politics and insure that an objective tribunal reviewed all the evidence. The Bush administration will, of course, scream state secrets to the high heavens. But, they should have thought about protecting state secrets before they authorized torture because inquiries into violations of international law are not going to be limited by the privileges established by American law. The rules are different.

I don't think on the other hand that we should become complacent. We must pressure the international public opinion to make sure the torture is thoroughly investigated, that the relevant evidence is made public and that appropriate charges are brought and sentences issued. The same should apply to any other government or group that tortures whether it is Al Qaeda or Syria or Egypt or whatever.

[spanone]

4. kick and nominate

[lunatica]

5. Spanish Judge has decided to investigate another Guantanamo torture claim...

This is in today's news. It's the same judge who ordered the arrest of Pinochet in 1998. This case is unrelated to the one they just agreed not to proceed with. Since 2005 Spain has assumed the principle of universal jurisdiction in alleged cases of crimes against humanity, genocide, and terrorism. But it can only proceed if the alleged crimes are not already subject to a legal procedure in the country involved.

Here's another thread with this topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5562234

[OneGrassRoot]

6. K&R n/t

[pleah]

7. K&R