The Bush Administration Committed War Crimes When it Tortured Terrorist Suspects...
By louisehartmann
But, the only person going to jail for these crimes is the guy who blew the whistle on all of it. On Tuesday, former CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou plead guilty to revealing the identity of a CIA agent when he turned over classified secrets to the New York Times exposing the Bush administration’s torture program back in 2007. Kiriakou told the story of Al Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah who was captured and waterboarded more than 80 times. Kiriakou was originally charged under the Espionage Act, to which he pled not guilty.
Tuesday’s decision to plead guilty to a lesser charge allows Kiriakou to get out of prison within two and a half years. Whistleblower advocate Jesselyn Raddack with the Government Accountability Project said of Tuesday’s events, "The only person to be criminal prosecuted, and now likely jailed, as a result of the Bush-era torture regime is John Kiriakou, who refused to participate in torture, helped expose the program, and said on national television that torture was wrong."
President Obama said it’s time for the nation to look forward and not prosecute the crimes of the past. Unfortunately, that same standard isn’t applied to whistleblowers. And until we DO actually hold Bush and his team accountable for war crimes, this gaping moral wound in America won’t heal.
Comments
#2
Now that's someone that should get a Presidential pardon.
#3
Yes Thom:
Those members of the Bush Administration (Including George and Dick) should be treated as war
criminals, for knowly breaking International Law.
The Bankers, who caused the crash of OUR economy, and stole all the wealth of the middle class,
need to be "PERP" walked and tried in federal court. Obama is totally wrong here and there can
no justice for any till ALL wrongdo'ers are treated equally under the Law.
#4
Not to mention all those who outed Valerie Plame/Brewster Jennings still around around scot free. Isnt there a law about beign an "acessory after the fact of a crime"?
Oh well, who pays attention to the law anymore?
No wonder somebody like Mourlock can get up and say that women who are raped and get pregnant by it should just shut up and be cognizant that they have been "blessed by GAWD". Heck, even the dem Donnolly sez he's anti-choice.
This must be the "October Surprise" It sure trumped Trump trying to get Obummer's trascripts while Rmoney's taxes remain vieled from view: "That's all you peopel are goign to get!" A. Rmoney
It's all moving faster now
#5
Obama needs to pardon John Kiriakou not prosecute him. This shows Obama is not fit to be president.
#6
I believe the credibility of the truth movement will survive to the next century when the real investigation results and the real story will be told to our geat and great X children. The real truth about Custer never came out immediately. Movies, History books, etc upheld Custer as an Amercian Folk hero until recent times. Seems the truth always gets delayed a couple hundred years no matter how blatant and obvious the crimes are, We love our criminals in America. It is star spangeled reality of nationalistic pride.
#7
I'm still voting for Obama, because on several other issues he leans toward being a democrat. Which is a hell of a lot better than the alternative. Although I'm considering voting my conscience (green), because Romney will probably win by a landslide in GA..
#8
Meanwhile: Patriot-hero Bradley Manning returns to court on October 29th for a motion hearing to dismiss all charges for lack of a speedy trial as he nears his 900th day behind bars. Justice? -- I think not. His detention included treatment that should be investigated as "torture."
It is increasingly clear that the fraternity of political (-professionals?) cohort-scoundrels, will never hold each other accountable, except for tactical advantage. Unfortunately we must wait for Historians to judge.
I am disgusted. These injustices are on an increasingly long list of "Things To Do."
#9
If they actually arrested everyone who has committed a crime against the American people there would be no one to run Washington, Wall ST. or the multi-national corporations. If Obama, whom I will not vote for, actually arrested everyone who actually has committed a crime against Humanity, he would have to arrest several presidents and vice-presidents including him. Big money runs this country we call home and there are too many vested interests to allow anyone in the big-boys club to get charged with the crimes they have committed. Think about it and name one person that has been arrested that is in the club. You can't because they are all still walking around running Wall St., the Military Industrial Complex, Multi-National Corporations and Washington....I am voting for Dr. Stein for president even though she has not a chance in hell of winning against all the money that has flooded into the Dem. and Repub. candidates. I will follow my conscious on this one and vote for the only person who has not committed crimes against Humanity that is actually on the ballot here in California.
Also, the people of California are facing the same game plan that attacked the teachers in Wisconsin and that was successful in building resentment against the Teachers Union there. Here it is called prop. 32 and its objective is to prevent the unions from supporting candidates by prohibiting union funds from dues paid to the union from being used to support a candidate and restricting the bargaining ability of the union when it comes to signing new contracts for the teachers. Many of the teachers I have spoken too are considering using their education to go into a new career. While the new proposition will allow outside pacs to contribute as much as they wish to, the unions and teachers will not have the same right. This is another attack by the Republicans on the teachers of our state with the desire to eliminate unions all together for public workers. We have learned today that another 11 million dollars was sent from Arizona to support Prop. 32. If the Republicans are victorious in their attempt to destroy the bargaining power of the union, more and more teachers will simply leave teaching for better paying jobs in the private sector. The real victims will be the children in the state of California.
#10
I agree that many of the alternative candidates appear more honest and cite issues that need to be addressed. However, I am so concerned about a possible Romney win, I believe we all have to push for Obama as hard as we can. I have been around for seventy-two years and can not remember a time when our country was so threatened.
#11
Indict Bush and Cheney.....until this is done....we cannot know right from wrong.
#12
You are absolutely right, but this is next to impossible with the Congressional make-up we have at the moment. These guys are still firmly entrenched in our politics. Romney is their front man and let's not kids ourselves that they are out of power. They are merely waiting to take over the reins with a Romney win. Any moves by Obama presently will turn to mayhem. Let's hope the country runs Romney out on a rail. I am open to any suggestions people may have as to forming groups that can begin to demand these matters are addressed.
#13
Dear Thom.. First and formost exactly how do I answer My daughter when she asks Me why everyday people {like us} seem to get more Law enforcement attention and end up in prisons than the politicians or the politically connected who commit crime as a daily practice and more serious criminal offenses and don't ever seem to get charged while we have our faces names and addresses plastered in our local newspapers for just speeding tickets .Thom she asked why the "right from wrong" We are held to isn't the same all over America , could you just imagine what would happen if while at an ATM machine I got angry because the machine took my card or whatever and I kicked it , The State Police would be at my home before I got there yet these politicians de-regulated the banksters allowing them to plunder our country into near bankruptcy and they not only didn't get arrested they were given bonues . How did The America we love end up the land of hypocracy ? Where are those infamous Ethics commitees or those watch dog groups ? Why do we the people seem have More or ALL the Law enforcement focus while the upper crust seem's to have little to none ?
#14
Truly well said...You have My vote ...
#15
The rethuglicans wouldn't hesitate to prosecute Democrats guilty of the same crime.
Crime is crime. No one should be above the law.
#16
Well if you want change...
To those voting for the lesser of two evils...You are still playing with the same deck. The only way to get change from Washington to Wall St. to Main st. is to NOT vote for Obama or Romney...Which sends a LOUD and clear message to both parties, that Americans are fed up with the inequality, and injustice, of a corrupt two teared system.
Go to jillstein.org (green) or voterocky.org (justice)
You can watch and listen to interviews of both candidates on RT News, Democracy Now, and the Thom Hartmann Show.
Amy Goodman, of Democracy Now, hosted a debate with Jill Stein and Rocky Anderson live and in time with the Obama, Romney Debates.
#17
If you truely beleive that then you may want to consider voting for Rocky Anderson of the Justice party (voterocky.org)
His disertation on Torture and the Rule of Law is chillingly profound. But he is not one to just point out the problems...He has sound solutions towards resolving a corrupt two teared system.
#18
The United States purports to be a country of law, but all remedies for the enforcement of rights are removed from the people. Only government agencies may institute a criminal proceeding. This is the removal of the equal protection of the laws of the United States. No government agency will even consider a criminal complaint instituted by any citizen against any person holding an office. There is steadfast refusal of US and state courts to abide by the federal rules of criminal procedure. There exists no means for any citizen or group of citizens to institute any criminal proceeding.
With indefinite detention, the "authority" to assassinate, and power to over rule and control the judiciary, the holders of the offices are above the law. Unless there be some international court with jurisdiction that will exercise it, they can not be held accountable for crimes. None has been revealed to date. https://plus.google.com/u/1/113127374166684973080/posts/Zcs1Z73Gtsn
https://plus.google.com/u/1/113127374166684973080/posts/fYL2zuo77oE
https://plus.google.com/u/1/113127374166684973080/posts/6uuAaE9cdSL
https://plus.google.com/u/1/113127374166684973080/posts/Z62gs2whCwY
The removal of all remedy for the enforcment of a right is the removal of that right, but that is not within the power of the state arising under the United States Supreme Court ruling of Poindexter v Greenhow. However, there is not any U.S. court or agency which will do anything to enforce rights. The UN makes no attempt to enforce international laws.
https://plus.google.com/u/1/113127374166684973080/posts/1ts55qwnzbh
So what can be done?
#19
When a president prosecutes a former president, it sets an extremely uncomfortable precedent, because every president commits crimes, and none of them wants to be prosecuted, so we have this thing where Obama refuses to prosecute Bush and Bush's officials in the hope that the next president won't prosecute Obama for his crimes. Such as the crime of sending drone bombs into Pakistan, illegally interfering in other countries' affairs, and trying to help multinational mineral and opium interests gain control over Afghanistan's massive mineral and drug wealth.
Speaking of which, if Obama succeeds in helping those corporations set up mines in Afghanistan, those corporations will destroy Afghanistan. There will be no environmental considerations, and when the locals get in the way they will be killed.
In this sense, Obama is just as much a hypocrite as Bush: he goes to church on Sunday, and on Monday he does whatever he can to continue our war against the Afghan people. Then the next Sunday he goes back to church and is all churchy and everything, and the next Monday it's back to destroying people.
You know, this is a very strong argument for the idea of reincarnation, because obviously one life is not enough for a politician to begin acting in accord with the religion he pretends to believe in.
I just think it's wonderful that a Mormon can mount a strong campaign for the presidency of America. Should we restrict the office to Catholic hypocrites, Protestant hypocrites, and Methodist hypocrites? NO!! I say we should open the office of the president of America to hypocrites of ALL religions!
Mao said that religion is the opiate of the masses. And that's true, but let's be realistic: politics is the crack cocaine of the masses, it makes politicians do the most pathologically criminally insane things.
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This is a criminal act by the the Obot regime, reminicent of life in the 3d Reich. Never mind Iraq. The people involved in killling Kennedy, and spawning the Vietnam war, need to be held to account first. The shadow government took full power then. Oswald was a CIA agent and did not shoot Kennedy.