I assume you’re smart enough not to draw a parallel between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, because there is none. Iraq didn’t attack us and had nothing to do with attacking us. Bush and Cheney, bad as they are are not in Hitler’s league, although they might equate to Tojo and the Japanese Military Oligarchy. Attacking a country that didn’t attack (nor intend to attack) us by using phony intelligence certainly violates their constitutional oaths. The deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi’s in the service of gaining control of their oil resources certainly rises to the level of a war crime. The indiscriminate use of torture and illegal internment also seems like
a war crime to me.

I assume you’re smart enough not to draw a parallel between 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, because there is none. Iraq didn’t attack us and had nothing to do with attacking us. Bush and Cheney, bad as they are are not in Hitler’s league, although they might equate to Tojo and the Japanese Military Oligarchy. Attacking a country that didn’t attack (nor intend to attack) us by using phony intelligence certainly violates their constitutional oaths. The deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi’s in the service of gaining control of their oil resources certainly rises to the level of a war crime. The indiscriminate use of torture and illegal internment also seems like
seems like a war crime to me.

Torture is the best mechanism ever for extracting “freely given” confessions. We can be so proud that this govt. tortured a 15 year old to get his admission of guilt. I believe puzzling is correct that these actions will haunt some of the people who did them and they will speak out.

The JAG corp has many people with a strong belief in justice. They are coming out stongly to support the rule of law and I’m grateful for those people.

Your post is to reality as Tori Spelling is to acting.

Complicity is the art of incumbency.

Iraq is a war crime.

Who is the real “evil doer” here.

Is it possible that some of the participants in these interrogations may reconsider the correctness of their role in history and willingly testify to what occurred?

I’m thinking of the documentary about military interrogators in Afghanistan entitled Taxi to the Dark Side, in which those ordered to do the interrogating were far more likely to see the inhumanity and futility than those in the administration and OLC who initiated and enabled policies of torture.

This documentary is available online to those who want to consider this angle further. Google video search for “Taxi to the Dark Side #1″

“The orientation ritual in most families happens when a man becomes an associate, and then, a soldier. As described by Tommaso Buscetta to judge Giovanni Falcone, the neophyte is brought together with at least three “men of honor” of the family and the oldest member present warns him that “this House” is meant to protect the weak against the abuse of the powerful; he then pricks the finger of the initiate and spills his blood onto a sacred image, usually of a saint. The image is placed in the hand of the initiate and lit on fire. The neophyte must withstand the pain of the burning, passing the image from hand to hand, until the image has been consumed, while swearing to keep faith with the principles of “Cosa Nostra,” solemnly swearing “may my flesh burn like this saint if I fail to keep my oath.” Joseph Valachi was the first person to mention that in court.
The Sicilians also have a law of silence, called omertà; it forbids the common man, woman or child to cooperate at all with the police or the government, upon pain of death.”

Sounds very neo-conish. Wonder if a big guy with cotton balls in his mouth and brass on his lapel made the call to tell ‘em to destroy the notes. How’s that for an offer you can’t refuse.