Administration officials are reporting that the CIA not only destroyed the tapes of the two suspects at the center of torture scandal, but they also did not allow transcripts to be made. This a very irregular practice given the importance of the suspects and further evidence to support a conspiracy to avoid or destroy evidence of torture. Continue reading “CIA Does Not Have Transcripts of the Interrogations from the Destroyed Tapes”
Category: Congress
A federal district court has ruled against the auto industry’s attempt to stop California from requiring cleaner cars. The ruling of U.S. District Court Judge Anthony Ishii now puts pressure on the Bush Administration to either allow the important environmental measure to take effect or, once again, block an effort to combat greenhouse gases. Continue reading “Federal Court Rules Against Car Manufacturers; Pressure Now on Bush Administration”
Across the country, men are challenging specials for women at bars,athletic clubs, and other establishments as discrimination based on gender. They have a point and feminists may now be in a tough position: choosing between supporting popularspecials and opposing gender discrimination. Nevertheless, these cases pose some very novel questions. Continue reading “Ladies Nights and Specials Being Challenged Across Country as Gender Discrimination”
In an extraordinary interview, former CIA officer John Kiriakou has come forward to publicly admit that he led the raid, which captured the al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah, and witnesses the waterboarding of the suspect. He further admits that waterboarding is torture — a fact already established by U.S. courts. Continue reading “CIA Interrogator Admits Publicly that Torture was Used on Suspects”
Below is today’s column in Roll Call on the potential basis for criminal prosecution in the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes. Continue reading “CIA Interrogation Tapes: “Bad” is Hardly the Word — Call it Criminal”
ABC News is reporting a shocking story of an woman who claims to have been ganged raped and then held in a container box by Halliburton/KBR in Iraq. The story of Jamie Leigh Jones is shocking and demands a congressional investigation into whether this contractor and the Justice Department covered up a heinous criminal act. Continue reading “Halliburton/KBR Accused of Cover-Up in Gang Rape”
The Washington Post has disclosed sources saying that Democratic leadership, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, were told of waterboarding in secret briefings in September 2002. While some have already denied any recollection of the discussion of waterboarding, the Post is reporting that such briefings occurred in 2002 and the only objection heard from members of Congress was whether the torture technique was harsh enough. Continue reading “Wash. Post: Democrats, including Pelosi, Told of Waterboarding in 2002”
In the immediate aftermath, one of the most curious responses of the Democrats has been the almost uniform call for an investigation of the destruction of the CIA tapes by the Bush Administration itself. Now, at least Sen. Joe Biden is calling for a special counsel. Continue reading “Bravo: Biden Calls for Special Counsel”
On a Saturday, the Justice Department and the CIA announced that they would conduct internal investigations of the destruction of the CIA interrogation tapes. The announcements are clearly designed to forestall an effort to have an independent counsel or independent investigation, which is clearly called for in this instance. Continue reading “Justice and CIA Launch Investigations into Destroyed Tapes”
While the President insists that he has “no recollection” of being told about the plan to destroy CIA interrogation tapes, the White House admitted late Friday that former White House Counsel Harriet Miers knew. Continue reading “White House Knew of Plan to Destroy CIA Interrogation Tapes”
Two leading Democrats, Jane Harman and Jay Rockefeller admitted that they knew that the CIA intended to destroy the tapes of interrogations of a leading al-Qaida figure, but never knew for sure that the destruction was carried out. The startling news raises serious questions of acts of malfeasance by the Bush Administration and nonfeasance by Democratic members. Continue reading “Democrats Admit Knowledge of the CIA’s Plan to Destroy Tapes”
As the Supreme Court deliberates on the most recent Guantanamo Bay cases and whether detainees can be denied of access to a real court, the Washington Post is reporting that American officials held a teenager for years despite their knowledge that he was innocent. Indeed, only months area the U.S. seized Murat Kurnaz in Pakistan, it concluded that he was not guilty. However, he sat for four more years in Cuba. Continue reading “U.S. Held on to Teenager at Guantanamo for Years After U.S. Concluded that He Was Innocent”
Given my testimony today in the House Judiciary Committee on prison reform and older prisoners, I thought this previous column may be of interest. Continue reading “Older Prisoners and Overcrowding”
Pittsburgh criminal defense attorney Todd Hollis is suing the popular website Dontdatehimgirl.com for defamatory entries made by women who claim that he is unfaithful and carried sexually transmitted diseases. Continue reading “Lawyer Sues DontDateHimGirl.com for Allegations of Unfaithfulness and Loathsome Diseases”
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) has put a criminal contempt vote on the schedule for Thursday in a move that could ultimately call for the prosecution of White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten, former White House political director Sara M. Taylor, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and White House Deputy Political Director J. Scott Jennings in their failure to appear or turn over material on the U.S. attorney firings. Continue reading “Senate Judiciary Vote on Criminal Contempt for Rove and Others Set for This Week”