Torture Complaint Report Implicates Bush Administration Complicity
Bill Lindner
January 12, 2009
A new published report states that President Bush and his aides repeatedly ignored warnings that their torture plans were illegal from high State Department officials as well as the nation's top uniformed legal officers - the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
Lawrence Velvel --- Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Justice Robert H. Jackson Conference On Planning For The Prosecution of High Level American War Criminals --- a noted legal education reformer, drafted the report that anticipates a more extensive, full scale complaint, currently being drafted, that will be presented to the Obama Administration after January 20th, urging prosecution of President Bush and those who aided him.
Chairman Velvel notes that the warnings of illegality and immorality given by knowledgeable and experienced government persons were ignored by the small group of high Executive Officers who were determined that America would torture and abuse its prisoners and who had the decision making authority to secretly require this to be done.
Chairman Velvel further notes that not only did they deliberately ignore these warnings, even when they came from high level civilian and military officers, they authorized and engaged in the torture because they wanted to and that they also kept their actions secret from interested officials for as long as they could.
The preliminary Report by the Steering Committee, released January 9th, 2009, seeks Federal prosecution of American officials "who ordered, authorized, approved or committed war crimes," says they are guilty of "wholesale" violations of statutes that include Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, The Federal War Crimes Act, the Convention Against Torture, and numerous other violations of U.S. and international laws.
The abuses listed in the preliminary report include savage beatings, sleep deprivation, slow drowning, hanging by chains, being slammed head-first into concrete walls, temperature extremes, food deprivation, being buried alive in coffin-like boxes for extended periods, and threats against family members.
Torture And Renditions "personally encouraged by President George W. Bush"
Among other things, the report charges that the General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) knowingly approved of at least 117 rendtions to torture and that such renditions were "personally encouraged by President George W. Bush."
Besides President Bush, others named for prosecution by the Steering Committee include: Vice President Dick Cheney, David Addington, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell, John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzales, Michael Chertoff, Alice Fisher Tim Flanigan, I. Lewis ("Scooter") Libby, Douglas Feith, Stephen Cambone, General Michael Dunlavey and Major General Geoffrey Miller, Jay Bybee, John Yoo, Jim Haynes, Robert Delahunty, Patrick Philbin, Steven Bradbury, Lt. Col. Diane Beaver, Mary Walker and Jack Goldsmith.
CIA officials cited in the report include George Tenet, Cofer Black, James Pavitt, General Counsel Scott Muller, Acting General Counsel John Rizzo, David Becker, James Mitchell and an unidentified woman that formerly headed the CIA's Al Qaeda unit and also briefed President Bush.
The so-called Principals Committee held meetings where torture and abuse were discussed, where George Tenet presented graphic details of interrogations to a Committee that included some of Bush's highest associates, including Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and Cheney, and occasionally John Yoo --- all of who were involved in shaping or carrying out torture policies despite written and/or verbal warnings that these actions were illegal.
The report is very revealing and worth reading. More evidence of torture crimes can be found in this video of an interview from The BBC of a former guard at Guantanamo Bay who has spoken about the brutality to inmates that he witnessed.
Congress Determined To Keep Crimes Covered
Congress has a dubious history of Bush administration complicity and capitulation, primarily because of the involvement of its corrupted, lackluster leadership. Under House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Congress has repeatedly --- illegally and unconstitutionally --- passed 'legislation' ex post facto in their ongoing efforts to cover the lawlessness of the Bush administration. The U.S. Constitution expressly prohibits passing laws ex post facto and the illicit legislation passed by Congress keeps getting struck down in court.
The latest preparations for keeping Bush administration crimes covered up appear to be underway. U.S. Senate Democrats are reportedly hinting that spy agency veterans need not fear that the groundwork is being laid for punishing those who carried out the Bush administration's harsh interrogation and detainee policies, while allegedly being eager to find out more about those policies.
People working in intelligence agencies are worried that they may find themselves pursued in criminal and civil courts because of their actions now that a Democratic administration critical of President Bush's policies in taking over the White House.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein --- who has been a major ally to the Bush administration while keeping crimes covered --- told the Associated Press that there is a clear distinction between policymakers and those who execute the policy. She told the Associated Press that "they (the CIA) carry out orders and the orders come from the (National Security Council) and the White House, so there's not a lot of policy debate that goes on there," and "we're going to continue our looking into the situation and I think that is up to the administration and the director." If history is any indication, "looking into the situation" means that the crimes will remain covered and officials in high level will positions will be impune.
As for the incoming Democratic administration taking over the White House claiming to be critical of President Bush's policies --- do not forget that President-elect Obama was a U.S. Senator in Congress who has supported several of the policies he claims to be critical of --- how he responds to the mountain of evidence proving crimes committed by the Bush administration remains to be seen.
While reportedly responding to the most popular inquiry on the "Open for Questions" feature of his website, Barack Obama said on Sunday that he is "evaluating" whether or not to investigate potential crimes of the Bush administration, but that he was inclined to "look forward as opposed to looking backwards." Looking forward is oftentimes indicative of complicity and guilt. Justice and accountability are not going to happen until "We The People" demand it.
Lawrence Velvel --- Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Justice Robert H. Jackson Conference On Planning For The Prosecution of High Level American War Criminals --- a noted legal education reformer, drafted the report that anticipates a more extensive, full scale complaint, currently being drafted, that will be presented to the Obama Administration after January 20th, urging prosecution of President Bush and those who aided him.
Chairman Velvel notes that the warnings of illegality and immorality given by knowledgeable and experienced government persons were ignored by the small group of high Executive Officers who were determined that America would torture and abuse its prisoners and who had the decision making authority to secretly require this to be done.
Chairman Velvel further notes that not only did they deliberately ignore these warnings, even when they came from high level civilian and military officers, they authorized and engaged in the torture because they wanted to and that they also kept their actions secret from interested officials for as long as they could.
The preliminary Report by the Steering Committee, released January 9th, 2009, seeks Federal prosecution of American officials "who ordered, authorized, approved or committed war crimes," says they are guilty of "wholesale" violations of statutes that include Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, The Federal War Crimes Act, the Convention Against Torture, and numerous other violations of U.S. and international laws.
The abuses listed in the preliminary report include savage beatings, sleep deprivation, slow drowning, hanging by chains, being slammed head-first into concrete walls, temperature extremes, food deprivation, being buried alive in coffin-like boxes for extended periods, and threats against family members.
Torture And Renditions "personally encouraged by President George W. Bush"
Among other things, the report charges that the General Counsel of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) knowingly approved of at least 117 rendtions to torture and that such renditions were "personally encouraged by President George W. Bush."
Besides President Bush, others named for prosecution by the Steering Committee include: Vice President Dick Cheney, David Addington, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell, John Ashcroft, Alberto Gonzales, Michael Chertoff, Alice Fisher Tim Flanigan, I. Lewis ("Scooter") Libby, Douglas Feith, Stephen Cambone, General Michael Dunlavey and Major General Geoffrey Miller, Jay Bybee, John Yoo, Jim Haynes, Robert Delahunty, Patrick Philbin, Steven Bradbury, Lt. Col. Diane Beaver, Mary Walker and Jack Goldsmith.
CIA officials cited in the report include George Tenet, Cofer Black, James Pavitt, General Counsel Scott Muller, Acting General Counsel John Rizzo, David Becker, James Mitchell and an unidentified woman that formerly headed the CIA's Al Qaeda unit and also briefed President Bush.
The so-called Principals Committee held meetings where torture and abuse were discussed, where George Tenet presented graphic details of interrogations to a Committee that included some of Bush's highest associates, including Rice, Powell, Rumsfeld, Ashcroft and Cheney, and occasionally John Yoo --- all of who were involved in shaping or carrying out torture policies despite written and/or verbal warnings that these actions were illegal.
The report is very revealing and worth reading. More evidence of torture crimes can be found in this video of an interview from The BBC of a former guard at Guantanamo Bay who has spoken about the brutality to inmates that he witnessed.
Congress Determined To Keep Crimes Covered
Congress has a dubious history of Bush administration complicity and capitulation, primarily because of the involvement of its corrupted, lackluster leadership. Under House Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Congress has repeatedly --- illegally and unconstitutionally --- passed 'legislation' ex post facto in their ongoing efforts to cover the lawlessness of the Bush administration. The U.S. Constitution expressly prohibits passing laws ex post facto and the illicit legislation passed by Congress keeps getting struck down in court.
The latest preparations for keeping Bush administration crimes covered up appear to be underway. U.S. Senate Democrats are reportedly hinting that spy agency veterans need not fear that the groundwork is being laid for punishing those who carried out the Bush administration's harsh interrogation and detainee policies, while allegedly being eager to find out more about those policies.
People working in intelligence agencies are worried that they may find themselves pursued in criminal and civil courts because of their actions now that a Democratic administration critical of President Bush's policies in taking over the White House.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein --- who has been a major ally to the Bush administration while keeping crimes covered --- told the Associated Press that there is a clear distinction between policymakers and those who execute the policy. She told the Associated Press that "they (the CIA) carry out orders and the orders come from the (National Security Council) and the White House, so there's not a lot of policy debate that goes on there," and "we're going to continue our looking into the situation and I think that is up to the administration and the director." If history is any indication, "looking into the situation" means that the crimes will remain covered and officials in high level will positions will be impune.
As for the incoming Democratic administration taking over the White House claiming to be critical of President Bush's policies --- do not forget that President-elect Obama was a U.S. Senator in Congress who has supported several of the policies he claims to be critical of --- how he responds to the mountain of evidence proving crimes committed by the Bush administration remains to be seen.
While reportedly responding to the most popular inquiry on the "Open for Questions" feature of his website, Barack Obama said on Sunday that he is "evaluating" whether or not to investigate potential crimes of the Bush administration, but that he was inclined to "look forward as opposed to looking backwards." Looking forward is oftentimes indicative of complicity and guilt. Justice and accountability are not going to happen until "We The People" demand it.
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