Prosecutions All Around!
Fair’s fair. US Rep Peter Hoekstra, R-Mich, ranking Repub on House Intel at WSJ:
Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair got it right last week when he noted how easy it is to condemn the enhanced interrogation program “on a bright sunny day in April 2009.”
…
It was not necessary to release details of the enhanced interrogation techniques, because members of Congress from both parties have been fully aware of them since the program began in 2002. We believed it was something that had to be done in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks to keep our nation safe. After many long and contentious debates, Congress repeatedly approved and funded this program on a bipartisan basis in both Republican and Democratic Congresses.
Last week, Mr. Obama argued that those who implemented this program should not be prosecuted — even though the release of the memos still places many individuals at other forms of unfair legal risk. It appeared that Mr. Obama understood it would be unfair to prosecute U.S. government employees for carrying out a policy that had been fully vetted and approved by the executive branch and Congress. The president explained this decision with these gracious words: “nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past.” I agreed.
Unfortunately, on April 21, Mr. Obama backtracked and opened the door to possible prosecution of Justice Department attorneys who provided legal advice with respect to the enhanced interrogations program. The president also signaled that he may support some kind of independent inquiry into the program. It seems that he has capitulated to left-wing groups and some in Congress who are demanding show trials over this program.
Members of Congress calling for an investigation of the enhanced interrogation program should remember that such an investigation can’t be a selective review of information, or solely focus on the lawyers who wrote the memos, or the low-level employees who carried out this program.
As the vengeful handwringing angels of the America-bashing left have always said about Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, you can’t just go for the foot soldiers. The fish rots at the head. In this sorry business of abusive interrogations, let’s start with that body that serves as the conscience of the nation … Congress. You remember, the concerned American deliberative body that was apprised at the highest levels of the CIA’s practices and asked if there weren’t tougher methods that could be used against the enemies of our nation. Verdict in the dark days of 2002? Waterboarding OK!
Hoekstra adds we should not limit ourselves to recriminations about the past. It’s time for precriminations.
An honest and thorough review of the enhanced interrogation program must also assess the likely damage done to U.S. national security by Mr. Obama’s decision to release the memos over the objections of Mr. Panetta and four of his predecessors. Such a review should assess what this decision communicated to our enemies, and also whether it will discourage intelligence professionals from offering their frank opinions in sensitive counterterrorist cases for fear that they will be prosecuted by a future administration.
The congressman is right. We can’t afford as a nation to remain focused on the past. As long as we’re plunging our nation into a divisive and destructive political circus, we have to address the serious national security problem that faces us now. It’s time for a special prosecutor, multi-million dollar investigation and possibly even impeachment and censure proceedings … for anyone and everyone whose actions are undermining the vital interests of the United States and providing aid and comfort to the enemy.
(The leftosphere remains strangely silent this morning on this troublesome issue of the involvement of now House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other ranking Dems in harsh-interrogation enablement. But HuffPo is savoring the moment as FOX babbler Shepard Smith gets indignant, “This is America. We do not effing torture!” No, though apparently we do dunk, smack around and turn up the lights and Barney tunes sometimes. It’s war and sometimes it gets ugly.)
Topics: Intel, Obama, al qaeda
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 7:41 am Comments (10) on Thursday, April 23, 2009
10 Responses to “Prosecutions All Around!”
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April 23rd, 2009 at 11:21 am
At this point, I am in complete favour of disbanding Congress, both houses, firing ALL of their staffs, and having a complete do-over. National elections all around in 2010. Considering the damage they have already done, I feel safe in asserting that nothing untoward will happen in the absence of that deliberative body, and that much good might instead be made available to the public through their removal.
The current level of bureaucracy should be more than sufficient to continue the machinations and day to day toiling of the government until the people can vest themselves, through elections, of a new body politic and set them to the task at hand, with the proper approbations regarding the excesses of their previous compatriots.
So i say, “Throw the bums out!” and find a better quality of Bums to represent us.
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:49 am
It’s just awful, and beyond parody.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:55 pm
If anyone is prosecuted for this, then not only should the Congressional “enablers” of the so-called torture be prosecuted, but so should members of the Obama administration, up to and including the President, who approved the release of the memos, thereby endangering our security. In fact, the release of the memos and consequences thereof is a far more serious offense than any possible “criminal” conduct of the lawyers who produced the memos, and in the event America is hit again by a terrorist attack that could arguably have been stopped through “enhanced interrogations,” then the legal and moral culpability of the persons who made these decisions will vastly outweigh that of the Bush administration counsel.
April 23rd, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Part of me applauds the harsh techniques that were used against the conscienceless brutes who sought to kill our nation. Part of me recoils against any possiblity that we might become like them. But a whole lot of me wishes we could empty out Congress and hang the lot of those mewling, vote-whoring invertebrates.
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
RebeccaH ,
I have to say, ma’am, that I really admire cut of your jib. :)
April 23rd, 2009 at 11:24 pm
I read the OLC memos in full and with an open mind. My conclusion regarding the OLC memos was that they present colorable legal arguments that the enhanced interrogation techniques fell short of the legal definition of “torture.” though reasonable people could disagree. That said, as of yet, I have heard not a single principled argument in disagreement. I emphasize that because quite literally everyone I have seen and heard on the topic has cited no opposing precedent to support their conclusory assertions that the interrogation techniques were unlawful torture. At any rate, what Obama, Soros and the far left want to do now is, as they indicated prior to the election, criminalize their disagreement. I could imagine no greater threat to the fabric of our nation. Even the attempt to do this is going to set off a maelstrom the likes of which we have never seen in this country since, well, 1861 I would have to say.
As I see it, if Obama and his far left base succeed in successfully prosecuting the attorneys over this, then President Obama will have abandoned his most sacred duty – to support and defend the Constitution. That is the day the far left crosses the Rubicon and we cease to be a free nation. The day any one of the OLC attorneys are marched into prison because of a political disagreement can and should be the day a true civil war – one that involves violence – starts in this country. Trust me when I say that up until three days ago, never did I think it the remotest possibility that those words would ever pass my lips.
I wonder if I am alone in thinking this.
April 24th, 2009 at 8:27 am
GW:
All that the enemy loving left have to accomplish is to achieve success with redefining the term “torture” to fit their agenda needs in the minds of enough of the public to allow the media to be used as a hostile propaganda weapon to demand prosecution.
That’s it. And, they’re winning at it. And they know it.
Every weak, piece of crap that starts referring to the “torture as necessary” is just another useful idiot. It wasn’t torture. Comes no where near actual torture. But, too many people are knuckling under and accepting that redefinition of the concept.
April 24th, 2009 at 10:22 am
GW,
I can assure you that you are not alone.
April 24th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
Grimmy has it! The argument is now being waged over a redefined term. I was ‘tortured’ twice because I went through the gas chamber in Navy boot camp in ‘64 and Marine Corps boot camp in ‘73. I suffered no harm but was sure uncomfortable, which I guess is the current definition of torture.
Everyone in the discussion is using the term as it has been defined by those who have an axe to grind with the US. Even McCain is abusing the term and lord knows that he was subjected to the real thing because the enemy doesn’t give a damn about our semantic distinctions. And they use it for confessions and not intelligence.
April 25th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
[...] Jules Crittenden believes Hoekstra is right: ‘It’s time for a special prosecutor, multi-million dollar investigation and possibly even impeachment and censure proceedings.’ Why wait? Let’s start now. [...]