Attorney General Considering Torture Probe

Holder May Appoint Criminal Prosecutor to Investigate Bush Administration's Interrogation Practices

(AP)  Attorney General Eric Holder is considering whether to appoint a criminal prosecutor to investigate the Bush administration's interrogation practices, a controversial move that would run counter to President Barack Obama's wishes to leave the issue in the past.

Holder plans to make a final decision within the next few weeks, a Justice Department official told The Associated Press on Saturday night. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on a pending matter.

Justice Department spokesman Matt Miller said Holder planned to "follow the facts and the law."

"We have made no decisions on investigations or prosecutions, including whether to appoint a prosecutor to conduct further inquiry," he said. "As the attorney general has made clear, it would be unfair to prosecute any official who acted in good faith based on legal guidance from the Justice Department."

A move to appoint a prosecutor is certain to stir partisan bickering that could create a distraction to Obama's efforts to push health care and energy reform. Obama has repeatedly expressed reluctance to having a probe, saying the nation should be "looking forward and not backwards" when it came to Bush-era abuses.

Newsweek magazine, which first reported the development on Saturday, said Holder was aware of the political implications of having a probe and preferred not to create unnecessary trouble for the White House. Still, the attorney general was troubled by what he learned in reports about the treatment of prisoners at the CIA's "black sites."

The probe would focus in part on whether CIA personnel tortured terrorism suspects after Sept. 11, 2001. Holder has said those who acted within the government's legal guidance will not be prosecuted, but has left open the possibility of pursuing those who went beyond the guidance and broke the law.

Holder has discussed with his staff the possibility of a prosecutor, saying he needed someone with "gravitas and grit," the magazine reported. In the end, the attorney general asked for a list of 10 candidates, five from within the Justice Department and five from outside.

"I hope that whatever decision I make would not have a negative impact on the president's agenda," Holder told Newsweek. "But that can't be a part of my decision."

[hermitdave]

Can't you just see the hearings. The committee calls George Bush, there is a sudden halt in the proceedings. The Atty. General announces the hearing will recess and convene in CLOSED hearings like the 9/11/01 hearings and George will get to hold hands with Uncle Dick Cheney and no transcript will be allowed. Then after weeks of hearings with Rummy and Pearl and Wolfie the Atty. General will announce that all high officials are innocent, but 2 janitors and a bus boy at the Pentagon are guilty and receive life in prison.

[egresor]

this is interesting

i wonder how much of this is political strategy? a bit machiavellian but wasn't he a politician too?

obama has some very big programs to push thru hostile hurting republicans who are licking their chops at something to tear him on, but without seeming to be negative and destructive to progress. Even if it isn't the direction they want to go.

cheney does what many guilty people do. when put on public trial - defends what he should have known could not be defended. his attempting to justify a policy of torture showed him guilty of it. (you should have kept quiet dick)

so now the prospects of torture investigations and who knew what and the possible prosecution of the cheney and bush looming (congress too).

reminds me of the anthrax mailings.

(wanna mess with us? here you go! have a little innocent envelope of government anthrax in your mail )

wanna torture investigation republicans?

hmmm...?

wanna fight our programs....hmmm?

[kbbpll]

the nation should be "looking forward and not backwards" - I'm sure the Nazis wished for the same after WWII.

[IrishWench01]

So we should just ignore any of the wrongs commited in the country and just move on? We don't allow everyday citizens to do that, why would we allow our own government to escape the consequences of their actions?

[hungry1968-16]

by darthcheney345 July 12, 2009 8:37 PM PDT
LOL! You guys pretend not to know.

You just can't face the REALITY

that Obama is continuing most of the Bush policies that you liberals decried as violations of the constitution.

That means now Obama has taken over the "constitution shredding" department, as he continues the warrantless wiretaps, indefinite detentions at Gitmo, free trade, and drones that kill civilians.

Remember, all that stuff that you hated when Bush did it?

Now your messiah the almighty infallible Obama is DOING THE SAME THINGS.

Ooh, you have to go back and re-write so much history when that happens...







Uh huh.

Nevermind the fact that the "warrantless wiretaps" are being conducted WITHIN the FISA laws (unlike under Bush), and the fact that Obama ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay, right?

But please, do tell us all how "free trade" is now considered "constitution shredding". As always, this post from you should be hilarious.

[thusspokezara]

Mr. Holder we are on our knees. We beg you. We implore you. Please appoint a special prosecutor. A good one. Make sure that it is someone who will not wilt from the political pressure. Please pick one ASAP. We need to get to the bottom of all this.

[erasmus111]

by darthcheney345 July 12, 2009 8:40 PM PDT
I don't want to have to pay for a new one like I did last time.

Where did you get yours from? Mr. Bean?

[erasmus111]

by cs4466 July 12, 2009 8:15 PM PDT
When it comes to appearing ignorant or not, I'm afraid darthcheney345 doesn't have much of a choice in the matter.


: )

[darthcheney345]

Try looking under you Hello Kitty backpack.

Maybe that's where you left your brain.

I don't want to have to pay for a new one like I did last time.

You better really look for it this time.

Understand? Now get moving. Turn off that TV and LOOK!

[thusspokezara]

Dear Mr. Holder please appoint a prosecutor. Please. Pretty please. I can't think of any reason why you would not. Please appoint a good one. We can't wait. These criminals must be brought to justice. Please appoint one ASAP. There are so many good candidates. Don't tarry. If you need any good recommendations, ask Vice President Biden.

[darthcheney345]

Yes, yes please start a partisan witch hunt.

Then when more and more Democrats get implicated (as Pelosi already is), the partisan hunters will become the hunted.

And we'll discover there were as many Democrats as Republicans involved.

Then watch the backpedalling begin... some major news story diverts attention... the investigation is quietly dropped and nobody asks about it again....

just like Hillarygate/Travelgate....

[hungry1968-16]

by darthcheney345 July 12, 2009 7:29 PM PDT
GovernmentControl, you're assuming there will BE a next president.

With Obungler at the helm, we are in greater danger than ever of having the president overthrown in a coup d'etat by the Pentagon.

We may well become a military police state by 2012.






No chance.

The republicans and their "constitution shredding" days are over.

[darthcheney345]

The republicans and their "constitution shredding" days are over.
------------------

That's why the Democrats are doing that now.

hungry, was that really the best you could come up with?

That was so sad and weak.

Like OBAMA!

OOOH! That took you by surprise. C'mon admit it, you didn't see that coming.

You know you didn't.

[hungry1968-16]

by darthcheney345 July 12, 2009 7:56 PM PDT

That's why the Democrats are doing that now.




Care to explain this nonsense, or would you prefer to just appear ignorant, rather than proving it to be a fact?

[GovernmentControl]

Holder will go to prison.

[darthcheney345]

I wonder if he's one of Madoff's 10 co-conspirators?