Just a few months ago, the Administration admitted to lying to federal courts about the existence of classified material and also destroying material evidence in federal cases. Now, Lt. Commander William Kueber has disclosed that interrogators were told to destroy their notes from interrogations for legal reasons.
The controversial instructions were contained in a Pentagon operations manual and were designed to prevent him from challenging the confessions of his client, Canadian Omar Khadr.
He would use the document to seek a dismissal of the charges, he said.
This is a continuation of a pattern of destruction and obstruction by this Administration. It is clear that Bush officials knew and expected to be faced with allegations of criminal acts. They openly discussed the need to destroy evidence in anticipation of legal proceeding, click here.
Once again, the question is the complete passivity of the Democrats in the investigation of such criminal conduct. From torture to evidence destruction, the record is ample on knowing criminal conduct. Yet, the Democrats (who control both houses) have failed to take meaningful action. The question remains why.
For the full story, click here.
Badger,
What world do you live in? Time to bone up on your WWII history.
I would categorize this as “So F’n sad it’s funny.”
Yes Badger,
the internment of Japanese-Americans and other civil rights violations during WW II were wrong and unnecessary. There probably were some war crimes committed by our side as well. However, the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor and committed heinous acts against every population they conquered. The Germans not only perpetrated the holocaust, but also were ruthless in their treatment of the people they conquered. On their worst days Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill and Eisenhower were far better human beings than Hitler and Tojo.
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.
Yes Badger,
the internment of Japanese-Americans and other civil rights violations during WW II were wrong and unnecessary. There probably were some war crimes committed by our side as well. However, the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor and committed heinous acts against every population they conquered. The Germans not only perpetrated the holocaust, but also were ruthless in their treatment of the people they conquered. On their worst days Roosevelt, Truman, Churchill and Eisenhower were far better human beings than Hitler and Tojo.
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.
Lucky WW2 is over with and we won or there would be talk of war crimes, impeachment, & violation of privacy accusations leveled at Truman, Eisenhower, etc. etc. etc…..!!!!
Impeachment anyone? Bush, Cheney, et. al. should pay for their crimes against the Constitution and the rule of law by more than removal from office. They have killed and maimed thousands of our soldiers and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi’s in an illegal war that has made us less safe in this world.
These actions and the torture that proceeded them must end. We still don’t know what is happening at Bagram or worse, the really black sites run by/for this administration.
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.
Badger,
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.
I’m confident there are many documents to crimes that have been ordered destroyed by this administration, including the very orders that required destruction of records in the first place. Why revise history when you can erase it?
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”
Mespo,
I think it was a guy from Texas or his VP who gave the order to destroy the notes. They learned one thing from Watergate and that is to destroy all records.
Well this certainly reminds me of the mob. Here’s little excerpt on the Sicilian Cosa Nostra from trial transcripts:
“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.
Badger,
The defense counsel in this case is a military lawyer who makes the claim based on the government’s own documents. The entire military commission process is a sham. When the defendant cannot meet with an attorney for years and is not allowed to see all of the evidence against him, how can that be justice? Prior to George W. Bush’s appointment to the Presidency, American justice was something to behold. Under Mr. Bush it is something to be politicized and controlled and in the military commission situation, something to be abused and fixed.
more proof no intelligence was gained from these interrogations.
Of course the magic word in this BBC report is alleged. Attorney(s) for the defense are alleging all this. You can allege anything you want all day long and it gets you no place without evidence. What is really strange is believing a word from the BBC.
uh, the Democrats are passive about the destruction because a lot of them, including Senator’s Rockefeller & Feinstein for starters, were fully informed, briefed, and had input to the actions.