DoJ Blocking Obama Team From Docs on Torture, Wiretapping

[tekisui]

Source: The Raw Story

The Justice Department has evaded a request from President-elect Barack Obama's transition team for documents about the secret programs of U.S. intelligence agencies.

The team asked to "review classified legal opinions related to secret CIA and National Security Agency programs," but the inquiry has been denied.

Among the information requested are official documents about the "legal rationale" for the secret wiretapping and torture programs conducted by the two agencies.

Attorney General Michael Mukasey addressed the issue with reporters, saying that his department was reluctant to give up the documents without permission from the two agencies involved.

"And so what we try to do is determine whether, and to what extent, we can clear that information and try to do it as quickly as we can so as to get it to the transition team so that they're aware of all the things that they need when they take over on the 21st," Mukasey said, according to a transcript provided by the department.

An editorial demanded Friday that Obama fulfill his promise to end torture.

"He can begin to fulfill this pledge by signing an executive order that bans torture and inhuman treatment. In doing so, he would end the legal double-speak clouding U.S. policy and send a clear message to all Americans that torture and ill-treatment of detainees will not be tolerated."

A former interrogator wrote in a new book that the US military’s use of torture is responsible for the deaths of thousands of US soldiers by inspiring foreign fighters to kill Americans.

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/DoJ_blocking_Obama_team_from_docs_1212.html

[wyldwolf]

1. time to pull rank

[dionysus]

4. agreed

[Guaranteed]

9. Yup.

"Okay! You're all fired!"

[annabanana]

2. The B*sh . "Justice Department " .. ..

Maintaining it's disdain for justice to the bitter end.

[izquierdista]

6. The OBSTRUCTION of Justice Department

[jwirr]

3. What good does this do when he will have full access in a month?

[tekisui]

5. A lot can be shredded or burned in that time.

That is the only logic I can come up with.

[MrModerate]

7. The powers of the Office of President Elect probably don't formally extend . . .

to demanding agencies produce documents outside of "normal" channels. In that sense, Mukasey is being prudent. Sure he's dragging his feet, but it's hard to fault him too intensely. With regard to shredding, they've had since the Abu Ghraib pictures started circulating to put their shredding program in place. I doubt there's an incriminating document they are aware of that hasn't been atomized already.

There's the rub for criminals, though: "they are aware of." Even their best efforts are not going to get everything -- especially in the Internet age. There will be (already are) mass quantities of damning documentation to hang these traitors with -- if anyone has the will to do so.

[tekisui]

8. I think you are right.

They won't be able to cover every footstep. But, will anyone be willing to tug at each loose thread? Doubtful.

I wonder, though. If this is a request beyond what is usual? And, if so, what is Obama's intention? Does he just want to be fully aware of what has been done to fix it, stop it or to prosecute it?

[L0oniX]

10. Someone is going to lose their jobs ...and it's well deserved. n/t

[AllentownJake]

11. Well in a month and 17 days

you can't hide behind anything. Might as well come clean now.