GOP's Sessions: Torture Prosecutor Is Unnecessary
Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions said Sunday that he believes it is not necessary to appoint a special criminal prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's interrogation policies.
Though President Obama has spoken against such an investigation, Attorney General Eric Holder is reportedly seriously considering making the appointment.
"We've had probably in my committees, Judiciary and Armed Services, thirty or more hearings on this," Sessions told CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer on "Face the Nation". "The Intelligence Committee has had great numbers of hearings and written reports on it. The military has done a series of independent reports. And I believe that that's sufficient. I don't believe a special commission is necessary.
"We were facing some real challenges, and our people tried to do the best they could," explained Sessions. "And I don't think I see the evidence yet to justify any prosecutions."
Vermont's Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy told Schieffer that while he prefers a commission of inquiry, he is "not going to interfere with a special prosecutor."
He said such an inquiry, which he had long proposed in lieu of a special prosecutor, would "go into everything."
"Special prosecutors tend to be very narrowly focused," Leahy said. "Obviously Eric Holder is a superb attorney general, he's going to make up his mind what's the best thing to do. I just don't want to see an instance where if the higher-ups gave the order to break the law, that the ones who get punished are the people basically on the front line, the lower level troops."
Leahy noted that an inquiry would come with offers of immunity in order to better investigate the interrogation policies, and that "obviously we're not going to want to do that if there's criminal prosecutions being looked at.
"Maybe some of the people who are opposed to the commission of inquiry now, facing the possibility of a criminal prosecution, may find it a more acceptable idea," he said.
More from Face The Nation (7.12.09):
Leahy on Cheney: "No One Is Above the Law"
Sessions "Flabbergasted" by Sotomayor's Philosophy
Schieffer: A Little Context
Download the Complete Transcript (pdf)
To watch Senators Leahy and Sessions debate Sotomayor, Cheney and investigations, click on the video player below.
Click on the video player below to watch a roundtable discussion, featuring Kevin Merida of the Washington Post and syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, about a possible investigation into the Bush administration's use of torture tactics and its concealment of a CIA program from Congressional overseers.
Though President Obama has spoken against such an investigation, Attorney General Eric Holder is reportedly seriously considering making the appointment.
(CBS)
"We were facing some real challenges, and our people tried to do the best they could," explained Sessions. "And I don't think I see the evidence yet to justify any prosecutions."
Vermont's Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy told Schieffer that while he prefers a commission of inquiry, he is "not going to interfere with a special prosecutor."
He said such an inquiry, which he had long proposed in lieu of a special prosecutor, would "go into everything."
"Special prosecutors tend to be very narrowly focused," Leahy said. "Obviously Eric Holder is a superb attorney general, he's going to make up his mind what's the best thing to do. I just don't want to see an instance where if the higher-ups gave the order to break the law, that the ones who get punished are the people basically on the front line, the lower level troops."
Leahy noted that an inquiry would come with offers of immunity in order to better investigate the interrogation policies, and that "obviously we're not going to want to do that if there's criminal prosecutions being looked at.
"Maybe some of the people who are opposed to the commission of inquiry now, facing the possibility of a criminal prosecution, may find it a more acceptable idea," he said.
More from Face The Nation (7.12.09):
To watch Senators Leahy and Sessions debate Sotomayor, Cheney and investigations, click on the video player below.
Click on the video player below to watch a roundtable discussion, featuring Kevin Merida of the Washington Post and syndicated columnist Kathleen Parker, about a possible investigation into the Bush administration's use of torture tactics and its concealment of a CIA program from Congressional overseers.
Best-selling author Mitch Albom on his first nonfiction work since "Tuesdays with Morrie."
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See all 42 CommentsWhy should we care what opinions Sessions holds?
Alabama shames our nation yet again.
amazing what these cheney stories have knocked out of the news, like:
the stimulus, and 2nd stimulus; Pelosi's mouse and Murtha's airport; healthcare; cap and tax; the russian and G8 stillbirths; inaction on Iran and North Korea; the stock market decline; and -8 poll numbers.
The only thing they knocked out of the news was Michael Jackson, shutup and be grateful.
Oh, yes, Mr. Sessions, we should raise Cheney and Bu$h to sainthood...
There will be no peace, no justice, and no trust whatsoever in our government, until the entire Bush/Cheney crime syndicate is brought to justice for war crimes (wmd) and crimes against humanity!
Stop protecting these mass murderers!
Alabama: Shame of our nation.
Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "I don't think we are in a free country anymore, Toto."
after all, all of those committees and oversight agencies you listed have not yet picked up the edge of the carpet to see what dirt has been swept away from seeking eyes.
Why do anything that might actually reveal the truth -
and thereby dirty up your lily-white view of the world?
It is probably the worst country on earth to war on, but that's where the enemy is. That's where we fight.
However true, this has to be a bloody battle. The Al Quada and Taliban must be destroyed forever.
I feel for the Taliban though, they are so very faithful Muslims (called extreme from their own peoples), they don't know they are actually Jewish descendants from the lost tribes which of the 10, 9 have been identified.
despite my past support of the GOP, excluding both Bush-Cheney terms, i am deeply concerned about what other b.s. transpired besides torture and concealing critical counter-terrorism activities. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and CIA Director Hayden are increasingly complicit with this nonsense.
Perhaps he's crying from a secure location.
"The dems treat us all like a bunch of cows with no brains at all. But even cows learn something after many repeated lessons."
That's called conditioning. Cows can't 'learn', they can be 'conditioned' to react to certain stimuli.
Fox News is fair and balanced, Fox News is fair and balanced, Fox News is fair and balanced...
How's that working for you?
Yup...just like Pavlov's dog...btw, how's the violation of the geneva convention punishment working out for the opposition? Oh wait...they don't play by the rules either...(Daniel Pearl)just like North Korea
However, if when you were using the media (unless you ARE a principal in the matter)to get your information... you read a bit further, you realize that the program itself is what those involved have said should have been revealed.
And -- it really isn't about "blaming the other party". It just so happens that another party is currently in power. I would guess that even if the current administration was Republican these issues would be under consideration for at least, investigation. It that little "we the people" thing that dogs 'em every time.
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