Obama Open to Prosecution of Officials Who Cleared Interrogation Tactics

[briann]

THIS IS SOOOOO TREASONOUS!!!!


Obama Open to Prosecution of Officials Who Cleared Interrogation Tactics
President Obama says it is up to the attorney general whether to prosecute Bush administration lawyers who wrote the memos approving harsh interrogation tactics.


President Obama left open the door Tuesday for charges to be brought against Bush administration lawyers who justified harsh interrogation techniques, though he continued to argue that CIA agents who used those tactics should not be prosecuted.

The president showed wiggle room on the issue as he faces calls from Democratic lawmakers and organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union to support such charges. Asked about the possibility of prosecution related to the interrogation program, the president deferred to Attorney General Eric Holder.

"With respect to those who formulate those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the attorney general within the parameters of various laws," Obama said. "And I don't want to prejudge that. ... There are a host of very complicated issues involved there."

It was the first time Obama took a question on the matter since his administration released a string of previously classified memos detailing harsh interrogation tactics used against terror suspects. At the time, Obama said agents who followed Department of Justice advice would not be prosecuted.

He reiterated that point Tuesday. "For those who carried out some of these operations within the four corners of legal opinions or guidance that had been provided from the White House, I do not think it's appropriate for them to be prosecuted," he said.

But while he also repeated his view that investigations into Bush officials could get politicized, he indicated for the first time an openness to such a course provided it is carried out in a "bipartisan fashion."

Pressure was building before Obama addressed the issue Tuesday for his administration to leave the possibility of prosecution on the table, both for the lawyers who established the legal ground for such interrogations and those agents who acted outside those legal guidelines.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif, chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, wrote a letter to Obama Monday asking him to reserve comment on the issue while her panel completes its review of detainee interrogations. She estimated the study would be completed in six to eight months.

MoveOn is seeking 200,000 signatures for a petition to Holder urging him to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the interrogations.

A Newsweek article over the weekend reported that Holder had already discussed naming a special prosecutor to review whether interrogators operated outside the legal guidelines or Bush officials broke the law by drafting those guidelines.

[SavetheWest]

We have millionaire and billionaire communists and anti Americans who are pushing this.  The leftist street thugs are now in the legal system and large businesses.  Instead of being thankful that they got information out of only the worst of the worst, like Khalid Sheik Mohammed, they want to prosecute the people who didn't play nice with international terrorists.  I've also never heard of the ACLU wanting to actually prosecute government officials.  This is unprecedented as far as I know. 

When will the Republicans and main stream right wake up?  The left will not stop this until every person bows down to them.  Maybe they will subpoena the voters who voted for Bush and fine them for misconduct?  Maybe they will throw some Bush voters in jail.  Why should they stop here? 

[mord]

This is a clown posse shavrtza obama hands off this case to shavartza Holder what do you expect from shvartzas

[ChaimBenMordechai]

And you can bet self-haters like Emanuel support this...

[ag337]

This is treasonous.

Instead of dwelling on what was done by the prior Administration, Obama and his pathetic bunch of cronies should concentrate on what is currently taking place in the U.S.A..

Obama and his bunch need to get a grip by focusing on the here and now.