Comments on: Justice Dept. Probes Torture Memo Legality

Investigation Focuses On Agency Lawyers Who May Have Advised Military Leaders That Torture Was Okay

[starleo146]

Pg6
After he went to work for Justice, Goldsmith began standing up to the torture cabal at the White House -- to his enduring discomfort. In one incident, recounted in his book and in a September profile by Jeffrey Rosen of the New York Times Magazine, he knocked heads with *** Cheney''s advisor (now his chief of staff) David Addington. Goldsmith delivered the bad news that terror suspects were, in fact, covered by the Fourth Geneva Convention against torture of civilians: "''The president has already decided that terrorists do not receive Geneva Convention protections,''" Addington replied angrily, according to Goldsmith. ''You cannot question his decision.''"

Goldsmith also criticized the torture memos for their "extremely broad and unnecessary analysis of the President''s Commander-in-Chief power" and for their extremely loose definition of torture as limited to causing a level of pain akin to organ failure.

[starleo146]

p5
Such techniques, as long as their sole purpose wasn''t sadism, were acceptable, Yoo wrote. Being a *** was presumably necessary but not sufficient qualification for employment in the Bush White House.

In his new book The Terror Presidency, Yoo''s colleague Jack Goldsmith writes about his evolution from friend and supporter of the officials who brought us to this pass to a conscientious objector to their illegal and morally corrupt practices.

Back when he worked for Rumsfeld at the Pentagon, Goldsmith wrote a memo warning that Bush Administration officials could be indicted by the International Criminal Court for their actions in the war on terror.

[starleo146]

pg4
Remember when the nation was brought to a virtual standstill over Bill Clinton''s affair with a White House intern?

We now have confirmation that the President of the United States gave the OK for his national security team to violate international law and plot the sordid details of torture. The Democrats in Congress should be raising the roof.

House Judiciary Committee Chair John Conyers, to his credit, has suggested subpoenaing the members of the Principals Committee, calling their actions "a stain on our democracy."

Conyers also threatened last week to subpoena John Yoo, the former Justice Department lawyer whose recently declassified 2003 torture memos attempted to give legal cover to practices such as waterboarding.

[jjp735i]

As with anything being looked into that concerns the Bush White House, nothing will come of it. No one will be found to have done anything wrong and no one will be responsible for actions taken. Much like when Congress looks into things.

[starleo146]

pg3
If John McCain is seriously considering Condoleezza Rice as a running mate, the former POW should keep in mind that Rice not only condoned torture, but chaired the National Security Council''s "Principals Committee" meetings to plan the details of torture of prisoners in U.S. custody.

Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft was so troubled by the meetings, he was moved to object: "Why are we discussing this in the White House?" he asked, according to ABC. "History will not judge this kindly."

On Friday, ABC added this blockbuster: Bush himself was aware of the meetings. Unlike Ashcroft, he had no compunctions. There was nothing "startling" about the revelations that his top advisers were directing the waterboarding of individual prisoners, Bush told ABC''s Martha Raddatz. "And yes, I''m aware our national security team met on this issue and I approved," Bush said.

Why is this not bigger news?

[starleo146]

pg2
The biggest news of the last week went virtually uncovered by the mainstream, print media. ABC News first reported last Wednesday that top Bush Administration officials, including *** Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, John Ashcroft, and George Tenet, Colin Powell, and Donald Rumsfeld met to discuss which particular torture techniques should be used against Al Qaeda suspects in U.S. custody.

The group signed off on specific techniques, including sleep deprivation, slapping, pushing, and waterboarding, and gave instruction "so detailed %u2026 some of the interrogation sessions were almost choreographed, down to the number of times CIA agents could use a specific tactic."

[starleo146]

Torturers in the White House: Why Is This Story Being Ignored?

By Ruth Conniff, The Progressive. Posted April 17, 2008.

We now have confirmation that the President of the United States gave the OK to torture. Where is the media? Where are the Democrats?
T

[melcarnahan]

"The abject failure of legal scholarship in the Office of Legal Counsel''s analysis of torture suggests that what mattered was not that the reasoning was sound, or that the research was comprehensive, but that it delivered what the Bush administration wanted," Whitehouse said.

What was the goal of this lawbreaking? Mel Carnahan can tell us if they merely wanted to kill their opponents or if the people who were chosen to fill those vacuums were given plausible deniability.

According to a top official, one lawyer asked aloud after one meeting: `Why are we talking about this in the White House? History will not judge this kindly.''

One eyewitness who was subjected to life-threatening torture writes here: These crimes had nothing to do with terrorism or catching Osama bin Laden. That is just a ruse. These crimes were conducted against America as part of a string of political and economic crimes including the largest intellectual property crime in American history. Sophisticated and well-financed crimes were conducted to obstruct justice.

[melcarnahan]

Some readers wrote: What they wouldn''t give for a bunch of Southern Nazis facing the penalty, which they have well earned. This scum has harmed the status of this nation so much you have to wonder if we can ever recover. The entire world looks at us today as a bunch of dead from the neck up red necks who have no ability to deal with people other than these kinds of actions. Just have to wonder how many more will die before January of next year.

Bush''s attitude toward the law and the Constitution is an attitude worthy of a despot. His action have been that of an aspiring tyrant, not of a President. Clearly he feels inconvenienced by a Constitutional framework for which he has no respect and no understanding.

[jimbo554]

Let''s see now, the Bush Justice department investigating the Bush administration. Wonder how that will turn out.....

[mcvet]

What I wouldn''t give for a bunch of Southern Nazi''s running around wanting to kick a President, a REAL President, out of office because of a stain on a blue dress! This Administration has harmed the status of this nation world wide so much you have to wonder if we can ever recover. The ENTIRE world looks at us today as a bunch of dead from the neck up red necks who have no ability to deal with people other than these kinds of actions. THIS is where we are now from a position of being the LEADER against OTHER nations using these VERY same tactics. Wow! Just have to wonder how low we can sink before January of next year. Sieg Heil Bush

[excoachken]

An overdue examination of the evil doings of a few old dudes, but never too late to re-invigorate what made this country great, so I can''t wait.

[samrensho]

Since the JD lawyers serve at the pleasure of Bushie they know what to decide regarding this issue. Rubber stamp it as with all the other illegal acts committed by this regime.

[rebelscout]

They found Himmler''s descendants. To say torture is okay is like saying that the Spanish Inquisition was was
good for Christianity! I guess that the Crusades were okay too.

[edward1975-2009]

I see we are back on the poor little detainees tonight. Waterboarding, let''s see, have any died from this exercise, not that I have heard. Is it unpleasant, absolutely. Now let''s see the other side of the coin, you know when they capture one of ours. Oh yeah, we find them butchered, mutilated, and very much dead. Geez I can see why your so worried for the detainees.

[stick130]

Man can''t punnish President Bush harsh enough for his actions making the USA the most hated Country in the World. The "Devil" will love welcoming his kind to the Hellhole thats in store for him.

[kansas1946]

"The abject failure of legal scholarship in the Office of Legal Counsel''s analysis of torture suggests that what mattered was not that the reasoning was sound, or that the research was comprehensive, but that it delivered what the Bush administration wanted," Whitehouse said.
***************************************

The Bush adminstration is evil. Obviously Bush gets off on the idea of people being tortured. Worst president in the history of the United States.

[nor-one]

What ever happened to the CIA/FBI wonder drugs? Have they been lying to us all these years? You mean all the modern methods, drugs, mind control and brain washing are just more bull *****? They had to go back to mediveal torture to get results? Are we that stupid or are they just that big a bunch of liars??