Kennedy & Durbin Call For Probe Of WH Coercion On Torture Policy

[kpete]

Senate Dems Call for Probe of WH Coercion
By Justin Rood - September 15, 2006

We've been following the growing concern among senior senators that the White House pressured top military lawyers to weaken their opposition to the administration's torture policy.

Now, Sens. Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) are asking for an investigation.

September 14, 2006


The Honorable Arlen Specter
Chairman
Committee on Judiciary
United States Senate
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Specter,

We recently learned of allegations that, in meeting earlier this week, the White House and Department of Defense General Counsel William J. Haynes pressured senior judge advocates general into signing a letter on the Administration’s proposed revisions to the War Crimes Act and Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. It is alleged that the JAGs were kept in this meeting for several hours, until they agreed to sign the letter. That letter was subsequently used to suggest that the JAGs supported the Administration’s proposals.

These allegations are disturbingly similar to other allegations that Mr. Haynes has ignored, circumvented, or overruled the nation’s senior military lawyers. The Judiciary Committee has explored Mr. Haynes’ attempts to overrule the JAGs in preparing interrogation guidelines that departed from long-standing military tradition and led to detainee abuses.

We believe these new allegations raise serious further questions about Mr. Haynes’ fitness to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. We urge you to thoroughly investigate and hold hearings on these claims and others relating to Mr. Haynes’ treatment of the JAGs before the committee takes any further action on his nomination.

Sincerely,



Edward M. Kennedy Richard J. Durbin

Cc: Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Ranking Democrat, Committee on Judiciary
http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001538.php

[babylonsister]

1. Go, Durbin and Kennedy! It's intolerable to think of

amending the War Crimes Act. Anyone who commits crimes should go to jail, including the bullies in this admin. :grr: :grr:

[Swamp Rat]

2. k&r

[KoKo]

3. How did Haynes manage to coerce senior JAGs into signing a letter

by keeping them in a room for hours? Why didn't they just say NO and walk out?

I've read several of these articles and it makes no sense how they were coerced? Did he threaten their families or did he have info on some of them that he could blackmail them? Senior Judge Advocates wouldn't seem to be people who could be pushed into signing a letter they didn't want to and then go running around complaining about it later.

It's just odd. :shrug:

[jsamuel]

4. coercion can take many forms

[AndyA]

5. They have their ways of making sure you do what they want you to do...

:thumbsup: to Kennedy and Durbin for acting on this!

[patcox2]

7. It is reported they kept them in a room for 5 hours.

No kidding. Its insane. Bush is desperate and is making mistakes. The JAGs were so agitated by what they went through that they called legislators immediately.

[KoKo]

13. I still don't get how they were forced to sit in a room for 5 hours...

they aren't children that they couldn't have just walked out. Whatever...

[patcox2]

14. They are not civilians, they commisioned Navy army officers.

The president is the commander in chief. Disobedience of a direct order is a crime known as "mutiny."

[Democrafty]

6. That's great! k&r

[Jensen]

8. K&R

[malaise]

9. Go Dems n/t

[spanone]

10. Fuckin A, it's time for our justice system to begin working again.

Ashcroft and Gonzales have made a mockery of our once proud Justice System.

[halobeam]

11. Man I hope this is all over Sunday talk shows.

[blm]

18. You can never expect the corpmedia to discuss issues like this anymore.

Fifteen years ago you could expect it to hear more details of many important issues - nowadays, you would make a safer bet by expecting they WON'T.

[me b zola]

12. k&r

:kick:

[jazzjunkysue]

15. But, it worked on the oil execs! It only took 2 hours with them!

If the dems let this go, we're all moving to canada.

[Subdivisions]

16. They are talking about this on CNN and it looks like

things are about to start unraveling fairly quickly. Hopefully there will be enough damage to this administration to bring it down.

[AntiFascist]

23. Damage to the Administration???

When will we, including the media, wake up to the damage done to the nation as a whole? The administration needs to be brought down, and fast.

[midnight]

24. I wish I had cable......

Let us know if shit hits the fan.

[BlueEyedSon]

17. Still trying to avoid war crimes.... nt

[pacalo]

19. K&R! Why do the Repugs hate America? Wouldn't it be easier to move

to Iraq & create their own regime of lawlessness?

[texpatriot2004]

20. As well they should...good for them. nm

[BeautifulLoser]

21. Excellent!

n/t

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

22. This Is Great News To Hear, Thanks!

We've gotta keep pushing. We've gotta stay vocal. I'm glad to hear they are doing this.

[librechik]

25. Wake up, Arlen. Arlen???

I can't believe the fate of Democracy is in this cream puff's elderly fingers. PLEEEEASE grow a spine!

PLEEEEASE!!!