Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, International, Military, Politics, Society

Bush Administration Seeks to Hold Iraqis in Violation of Prior United Nations Agreement

225px-george-w-bushThe Bush Administration appears intent to go out on a low note. The United States has asked for as many as 15,000 Iraqi prisoners to be held without charge in Iraq even though the authority to hold the prisoners expired at the beginning of the New Year. I discussed the plan as well as the investigation of war crimes on Rachel Maddow in this segment.

The United States has been holding prisoners without charge under the authority of a U.N. Security Council resolution which expired on December 31. Under an international agreement taking effect on January 1st, the Bush Administration had agreed that all of its prisoners would be transfered to Iraqi custody for criminal charges or or freed “in a safe and orderly manner.”

U.S. military spokesman Major Neal Fisher now says that the Bush Administration wants the prisoners held without charge in violation of both the pact and Iraqi law. It appears that the Administration is seeking to shape its Iraqi government in its own image — asserting absolute
authority to disregard both international and domestic laws.

For the full story, click here.

46 thoughts on “Bush Administration Seeks to Hold Iraqis in Violation of Prior United Nations Agreement”

  1. I don’t understand why we can’t keep Gitmo open for the outgoing administration.

  3. CCD,

    Thank you. The Salon article is excellent and I never thought I would find such a well-written and comprehensive online account of Mr. Bush’s destruction. I think ‘W. and the damage done’ should be required reading for all of Congress, those in Obama’s Administration, and the Supreme Court to serve as a solemn reminder of what happens when the U.S. Constitution and rule of law are subjected to political ideologies based on theocratic irrationalities.

  4. I believe the following has attracted trolls in the Det. post: Below is a quote from JT on the bio page.

    “The war crime of torture applies to anyone. Otherwise, nations could torture civilians and claim to be exempt. If Bush ordered torture, it is a war crime. If it is a war crime, he is a war criminal.

    …Let us have the trial. After the court instruct{s} the jury that as a legal matter waterboarding is torture, the jury will be asked if Bush ordered waterboarding. I am perfectly happy to leave that question up to a jury.

  5. >The only audience Rachael Maddow has is GLBT, and THEY aren’t >watching her to get informed.

    Hyberole much?

    mesmerize

    My being neither G, nor L, nor B nor T makes you simply wrong.

  6. Wow! I go away for a day for work issues and visiting my grandson and I see that we have some new trolls. Or least tgrolls with new names. Prof. Turley’s appearance on Rachel Maddow’s show was fantastic. This issue of the Bush Torture program is very disturbing and very scary. If people can ignore that our leaders ordered and authorized torture of people, who in most cases, have never been charged with a crime, what else can they ignore? If our new leaders can ignore criminal wrongdoing by the previous administration, what can we expect from them?
    Finally, Mesmerize, do the facts confuse or scare you? Here is a link from a Newsweek article that informs people who actually read,that Maddow has done very well in the ratings. I know your mentor, Rush Limbaugh, doesn’t rely on facts or reality, but the rest of the world does. http://www.newsweek.com/id/170385

  7. FFLEO

    Thanks for the insightful link. Dubbya and the damage done
    http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/01/08/damage/print.html

    Having read it again this morning it’s a chilling and comprehensive assessment of what we’ve experienced. Please permit me to continue prescribing it to people who drop in suffering from low awareness, closed mind and heart syndrome. Fundamentally the eye for an eye, bomb for a bomb types. It acts just like a dope slap to the back of the head. The suffering soul must have the courage to ingest said tonic in its entirety. Then process it. Known side effects are to numerous to list here. Clinical trials show results on the order of a 3-5 degree course correction in attitude and immediate heightened awareness. It’s that powerful.

    I’m grateful too for the dynamic equilibrium you display.

  9. The only audience Rachael Maddow has is GLBT, and THEY aren’t watching her to get informed.

  10. mesmerize
    1, January 10, 2009 at 8:27 am
    Rachel Maddow? Never heard of her.

    Well, now, I guess that’s THE definitive statement on the subject. Such a pithy and so original a comment, too. Now we can all stop watching Rachel Maddow, ’cause mesmerize never heard of her. Whew! I’m sure glad that’s cleared up.

  11. JT,

    That was an impassioned and powerful presentation last night. I was impressed with your willingness to speak so forcefully. I want to post a link to an interview of Mr. Sands mentioned by FFLEO above. I put it in a prior post but it is worth listening to. Although he differs from JT about cheneybush, if you listen to the very end you will hear him agree exactly with JT’s writings in Legal Times. 1. make certain the new AG will state waterboarding is a crime and 2.appoint a prosecutor and follow the evidence wherever it leads.

    Terry Gross’ interview is with Mr. Sands who has participated in war crimes tribunals. It’s the first time I’ve heard that level of specificity both about the crimes and proceedures for accountability, both political and legal.

    http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99061358

  14. JT

    Very powerful presentation on Rachel Maddow’s show last night. I found Burn’s comment that no one watches Rachel Maddow’s show—except everyone whose opinion I respect.

  15. I’ve known for sometime that I am a nobody… guess this proves it. I really like Maddows show. Thanks for helping her out Jonathan.

  16. mespo,

    I never saw Professor Turley give a more impassioned argument.

    How great would it be to have Professor Turley and Professor Philippe Sands of the Centre for International Courts and Tribunals lead a consortium of international legal scholars in the quest to *investigate* the Bush Administration’s possible war crimes.

  17. BTW I really thought JT was fully engaged on the Maddow show tonight. Besides the legal analysis which was spot on per usual, he was passionate in his advocacy of investigating the current Administration for possible (likely?) war crimes. He is the lone voice on this topic in the MSM with the credibility and expertise to make it stick. We should all be on this bandwagon.

  18. FFLeo:

    I find that the only persons who make no errors are those that attempt nothing of importance.

  19. Interesting segment on the Rachel Maddow Show.

    It is sadly beginning to look more and more as though the criminal conduct of the upper levels of the Bush Administration will be swept under the rug in the interest of “not dwelling on the past”.

    It’s especially grotesque in light of the former Liberian official who was just sentenced in a US court to many, many years in prison for torturing people.

Comments are closed.