Time to Restore Accountability

There are three important stories in the news about the Bush administration. The New York Times is reporting the FBI, State Department and the Red Cross all wanted to look into an alleged 2001 mass killing of Taliban prisoners by the militia of an American backed warlord. Warlord General Abdul Rashid Dostum was on the payroll of the CIA at the time of the killings. US-based Physicians for Human Rights called for a probe last Friday. This group claims it has documents that show up to 2000 Taliban fighters were suffocated in container trucks by Dostum’s forces and buried the the Dasht-e-Leili desert in November of 2001.

Democratic senators have called for an investigation into reports that Dick Cheney ordered the Central Intelligence Agency not to tell Congress about a secret “counter-terrorism” program. Dianne Feinstein, chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, told Fox News on Sunday that Congress “should have been told” about the CIA program and that the vice-president should not be above the law. There are many speculating about this so-called “counter-terrorism” program. Was Former Vice President Dick Cheney developing a list with over 8 million names on a watch list with plans around that or was the CIA hiding Cheney’s “Executive Assassination Ring”? The New Yorker’s Seymour Hersh, after earlier reporting from the New York Times, mentioned the possibility that a ring existed in a March 2009 discussion sponsored by the University of Minnesota. Are either of these the secret program?

FInally, a Justice Department official has said that even in the in the face of opposition from the White House Attorney General Eric Holder may move forward with an investigation of the harsh interrogation practices applied to suspected terrorists. Holder will decide in the next few weeks whether to appoint a prosecutor.

I for one, and many citizens of this country, find it difficult to move on to the future without dealing with the 8 years of hell this country was put through by the Bush administration. Over-reaching secrecy, torture, the loss of privacy, a war of choice, and an economic meltdown only rivaled by the 1929 depression: this country needs accountability in order to move forward.

Gerald Ford’s pardon of Richard Nixon set a terrible precedent of ignoring presidential crimes. That precedent was repeated by Bill Clinton when he stopped all investigations and prosecutions for Iran/Contra. Together, these decisions have created an atmosphere of kingly power around the presidency – exactly what the Founders wanted to prevent.

President Obama has an opportunity now to shatter these terrible precedents by holding his predecessor accountable for this and his cronies crimes. And if he fails to, Congress must. Never again should the citizens of this nation fear lawlessness from the holders of the highest office in the land.

5 Responses to “Time to Restore Accountability”

David Em July 13th, 2009, 9:20 am

Accountability not just in the political realm but in the corporate world as well although the two are now interchangeable as in the 1996 telecommunications act which forbids questioning the placement of a cell tower for “health” reasons. Two cities, Portland Or, and Los Angeles have recently adopted resolutions to challenge the FCC on that clause in the act. Meanwhile Clear is setting up shop in Oregon as a test market that will make all of Portland a HOT spot that will irradiate all of us with Wi Fi “on steroids” whether we are subscribers or not. Thousands of studies worldwide confirm that RFRadiation causes cancer, blood brain barrier problems and a host of other health problems that put all of our immune systems at risk. There is a class action law suit underway against Clear and we need support and moral support. I would like to hear any discussion of this “worst of all environmental pollution” threats we are facing. http://www.wirelesswatchblog.com
ray reynolds July 13th, 2009, 12:04 pm

Why aren’t AIG, the Bush adm cronies and others in jail now. How many prisoners(some innocent) were killed or beaten to death in foreign prisons, some by us?

We don’t see Al Jazeers feeds here. We are in the dark on these things.
brian a. hayes July 15th, 2009, 9:53 am

if we do not hold the bush administration accountable nothing will change in this nation. the rule of law must be upheld to everyone in society. this time in our history is very critical that we hold them accountable. if we truly want to create a peace world we must have the courage to face are mistakes.
berninus July 15th, 2009, 6:38 pm

Didn’t take long for the agent of change to become a cronnie… If you followed Ralph Nadar during the election (and please stop being bitter twoards Ralph, he really doesn’t deserve it), you would have seen how Obama waffles on big issue positions: single payor health care, going after the telecoms for wire tapping, the Palestinian issue, the escalation of war in Afganistan, and getting though on corporate favoritsm (how maracoulous all banks suddenly have record profits with a relaxation of FASB rules). I certainly like what Obama has to say, but I don’t like what he does. What else is he going to waffle on.
Dan in Boston July 18th, 2009, 3:15 am

At the heart of many of our poor/criminal policies of the last thirty years are two key figures, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney. From the Nixon days to Reagan’s, these thugs have harmed this country in ways we may never recover from. Our Congress is a joke. Karl Rove still hasn’t testified and never will. Are we just going to continue to take it? Or do something about it?