The State Department has issued a document that endorses the findings of the Senate report on the CIA’s interrogation and detention practices after the 9/11 attacks. The document notably avoids references to “torture” but discussed now the CIA brutalized suspects and misled Congress. Putting aside such word substitutions of “brutalizing” for “torture” and “misleading” for “lying,” there remains one glaring omission: not a single CIA official was disciplined, let alone criminally charged. One official even publicly admitted to destroying evidence to avoid its use in court in a torture prosecution. He was allowed to retire with honors and accolades. The Bush and Obama Administration steadfastly refused to prosecute such officials. Indeed, soon after coming to power, Obama went to the CIA to assure officials that they would never face prosecution.
The document states to its credit that “This report tells a story of which no American is proud.” However, it then adds: “But it is also part of another story of which we can be proud. America’s democratic system worked just as it was designed to work in bringing an end to actions inconsistent with our democratic values.” Is this really how the system “was designed to work”? We are bound by treaty and federal law to investigate torture — a standard that we have applied to other nations. However, Obama kept his pledge to the CIA and moreover leaks have shown how the U.S. government threatened both Spain and England not to investigate American torture.
Now we have a celebration over the fact that we are willing to admit that the CIA committed such violations, including lying to Congress, while ignoring that no one was punished for these acts. Indeed, as we saw with the false statements given Congress over surveillance by James Clapper, there remains a pattern of protection for intelligence officials committing what many allege to be criminal acts like perjury.
I am impressed by the openness of the State Department under John Kerry on such issues. However, the disconnect with the absence of any accountability continues to erode the credibility of the country on human rights and civil liberties.
Notably, the State Department affirms again that no life-saving intelligence was actually produced from our torture of suspects. It still however refuses to call it by its proper and legal name: “[The Senate report] leaves no doubt that the methods used to extract information from some terrorist suspects caused profound pain, suffering and humiliation. It also leaves no doubt that the harm caused by the use of these techniques outweighed any potential benefit.”
The report does acknowledge obvious questions that continue to lack any real answer from the Administration:
“Doesn’t the report make clear that at least some who authorized or participated in the RDI program committed crimes?”
“Will the Justice Department revisit its decision not to prosecute anyone?”
“Until now the (U.S. government) has avoided conceding that the techniques used in the RDI program constituted torture. Now that the report is released is the White House prepared to concede that people were tortured?”
“Isn’t it clear that the CIA engaged in torture as defined in the Torture Convention?”
The mere fact that these questions even appeared in such a report is a triumph for Kerry and a positive development. It also admits that some ambassadors who were informed of the use of torture at black sites were instructed not to tell their superiors at the State Department.
I do believe that the State Department and John Kerry deserve credit for this frank discussion. It is the type of action that will help to restore our position in the world. However, we will never regain our position as the world’s leader on human rights and civil liberties if we continue to shield our own officials for accountability for such actions.
Source: Fox
Annie
BINGO!
Paul – but he probably thought so.
Jill – I’m sure my poor daughter thought she was drowning, just as the terrorists who were water-boarded thought they were drowning.
If it came down to a choice between doing whatever I had to do to save my child and respecting the “rule of law” or “Geneva convention” or whatever, I would choose the former without regret.
There is no equivalency between people who will strap bombs on themselves and walk into a restaurant filled with people and kill themselves and everyone else in the room, and the people who try to stop them by whatever means are necessary.
Carol – I have a cousin whose son was terrified of the noise of the vacuum cleaner. She still had to clean the house, but I am sure her son suffered as she did it. Was she torturing him? I really don’t think so.
@annie
I don ‘t think we should torture people, but our pool of potential leaders includes a lot of people who do, at least to the extent of water boarding. Plus, we are maybe better off if our enemies don ‘t know exactly how wacked we are, or are not. Right now the world knows that when we go to war, we kill a lot of people. That is a good thing.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
But….. TORTURE?! Squeeky, really?
@annie
Well, your link seems to be to people who never met a war they didn ‘t hate. Thank goodness Hillary has a mean streak. You sure wouldn’t want no Sunday School president, would you???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
http://whateverittakeshillary.blogspot.com/
Hilary Clinton’s record of support for war and other depravities.
http://empireslayer.blogspot.com/2013/11/hilary-clinton-pro-war-and-imperialism.
Hmmm, not so good Squeeky, oops.
How is Hillary on torture Squeeky? Do you think when she is Prez she will persue the torturers?
Hmmm. Seems to me that I hear a lot of but Bush. . .but Bush. . .but Bush. Maybe there is some new kind of bird out in the yard???
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Slohrrs,
I think she is, but I do wonder at times though.
Seems to me that Jill is pretty even-handed when she applies the stranglehold on politicians.
No Jill, no distraction, but I won’t give her or Republicans a pass either, which you seem to be indicating you approve of time after time in these discussions. Why do you always seem to get upset when someone points put BOTH sides are in the wrong. Am I wrong, are you in favor of holding ALL tortures to account. ALL, get it? ALL.
We know this whole torture thing is just another step in the road of government depravity. We also know that there was plenty of information before 911 that may have stopped it. So they used that to create a whole new part of government. We have been discussing the lying liars in the intelligence community on the other thread. What possible credibility could these people have when they defend torturing people–especially when they said “we don’t torture people” then they say, “yeah… we tortured people, but it was OK…” ? The intelligence community is ramming down our throats Dracula reached into the sky and pulled down an airliner, and the people–hearing that we are governed by lying liars, lose the ability to think rationally, adopt the herd mentality, and jump right on board.
Annie, we already no what is happening w/Dick and George. Nancy Pelosi took impeachment off the table and Obama took their prosecution off the table. Likewise, with our current torture president, Boehner has taken impeachment off the table.
I feel that you would like to distract from the current reality by hearkening back to the Democratic propagandist halcyon days of Sarah Palin. No one can doubt she is odious. Had she become president, it is extremely likely that she would have ordered torture. Other than her being odious and willing to commit torture if given the chance, what is there to say about her? Palin isn’t president.
The actual situation we face is we have a Democratic president who engages in torture and who keeps Republican former presidents from facing the music. No amount of trying to distract Democrats with Palin can take away from present reality, except for the highly suggestible partisans. They will buy the propaganda, hook line and sinker. They will bask in the righteousness that they are not Republicans. Shame of them. They will never admit their own president tortures and protects past torturers. People who love this kind of propaganda are fools and hold all of us back from stopping torture and creating a state of justice.
Jill – two words protect Barack Obama from either assassination or impeachment: Joe Biden.
No Max, I have no hope that any President, Dem or Repub. will persue prosecution. Both sides wil protect the other. Both sides have immunity, no?
Annie – heads of state have a certain blanket immunity. It would take someone who really knows the area, and that is no one on here, to explain exactly what the limits are. But, generally, they cannot be tried for acts which fall under their executive powers.
Annie
I agree.
“it’s wrong under ANY President”
However, do we really think the next GOP/DEM elect will be any different?
Which flag will they carry into Office? One of ethics? Now I’m ROFLMAO!
Weasel words still… TORTURE is TORTURE, regardless of who commits TORTURE!
Americans have been bamboozled with weasel words.
http://youtu.be/A7vdAlzh-jo
Jill it’s wrong under ANY President and should be prosecuted. Think the Republicans will persue it? I doubt it as they would expose their own Torturers in Chief, Bush Cheney. Neither side will give up their immunity, will they?
Why does this Administration cover for the crimes of the prior Administration?
… At which point is it a cover up campaign?