Turley: Obama-Only A Short Time To Initiate War Crime Investigations -Before He/We Becomes Complicit

[kpete]

Run time: 03:53 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSjLZL5HJDQ   Posted on YouTube: February 26, 2009 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 26, 2009 By DU Member: kpete Views on DU: 3709

 
Jonathan Turly has been saying for a while now that President Obama would have only a short period of time to initiate investigations for war crimes before Obama himself became complicit
http://firedoglake.com/2009/02/26/america-does-not-torture-detainee-abuse-up-since-november-election/
..............................

Abuse of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay has worsened sharply since President Barack Obama took office as prison guards "get their kicks in" before the camp is closed, according to a lawyer who represents detainees.

Abuses began to pick up in December after Obama was elected, human rights lawyer Ahmed Ghappour told Reuters. He cited beatings, the dislocation of limbs, spraying of pepper spray into closed cells, applying pepper spray to toilet paper and over-forcefeeding detainees who are on hunger strike.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE51O3TB20090225

This puts Obama in a box. He has to act or else share Bush's war crime fate. Further, he has to act because if he allows service members to blithely violate a direct order from the Commander in Chief, he loses civilian control of the Army. Gates should have his (metaphorical) head handed to him for allowing this happen in the face of the President's clearly stated position.

[Jefferson23]

1. K&R. For what it is worth, I sent another e-mail to the White House.

[librechik]

2. This is worth storming the Capitol over--I won't take the fall for Bush!

Obama might not want to get into it, but he won't suffer like the people will after being identified as torturers and as allowing torture. I demand prosecutions of the ones in charge who established the policy! Nuremberg NOW!

[libodem]

3. That hurts my soul to hear the abuses picked up after Obama

was president-elect. The men running Gitmo are fiends. The men doing this torture will be scared for life as well. I wonder if they can be trusted to be in a regular populations. Think of their wives and children, the neighbors, a tailgater. I wonder how they dissociate to survive. I hope they live in hell for this life and the next. Those poor detainees. Especially the ones bought for a bounty.

[peace13]

4. I hope Obama and his peeps are listening.

He can decide to do the right thing here or be held accountable himself. He shouldn't give up the thought that if he lets * go free that the bag will be held by this administration. The Boners of the world would love to stick it to him.

[pleah]

5. We have to keep pressuring the Obama administration on this issue.

Prosecutions and nothing less.

[Titonwan]

6. Keep plugging fellas

We got to shame em into prosecuting obviously. I don't have a problem with it!

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/prosecutorstatement

Go there and sign the petition! If you want justice, you'll like this site.

[Wizard777]

7. I agree whole heartedly. We must act upon this.

Not as democrats or republicans. But as a Sovereign Nation empowered to determine and enforce our own moral and ethical values.

[ihavenobias]

8. K & R n/t

[BlooInBloo]

9. (shrug) DUers called Obama a war criminal for it before he even took office...

Like I'm going to to listen to DUers on that issue *now*? :rofl:

[Just-plain-Kathy]

10. "Obama-Only A Short Time To Initiate War Crime Investigations -Before He/We Becomes Complicit"

Amen.

K&R

[bertman]

11. Investigate, then Prosecute.

[humbled_opinion]

12. I just don't understand why this is such a difficult thing.

You would think that it would be an important chapter in our history to determine what was done and learn some lessons from it. Yes a Truth Commission to review 8 years of lies and deceit.

[snappyturtle]

21. I heard a brief blurp on teevee e-a-r-l-y this morning which said that the

commission would be investigating whether torture worked!!!!!!! That's when I got up and made coffee....what a twisted thought to awaken to. Bush admitted he used torture, didn't he? What's to investigate on this manner? It should be down to making the witness list and proceeding.

[G_j]

13. K&R!

[bobbolink]

14. So many people keep making much of Obama being a "Constitutional Scholar"

If he truly is, then he KNOWS what he must do.

Do not do it means an obvious lack of integrity, and a willful disobeying of his oath of office.

[TBF]

25. I'm reading Vincent Bugliosi's book right now - I'd be very surprised

if Holder tries to bring charges. It is what they should do, but I will be shocked if it actually happens, and even more shocked if Obama does not pardon him.

edited because I can't spell!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

15. Since that young service member was on Rachel's show

I haven't heard of any others coming forward. If they would, that would add significant pressure.

[Christa]

16. In defence of Obama

He only took office on January 20. If the abuse picked up in December, it was still under Bush's watch.

But YES!! It has to stop, should have stopped already.

[chill_wind]

27. Reuters article discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3755347

[acmavm]

17. This isn't about letting 'go' of an incompetent administration who failed

simply because of ineptitude. This is a matter of doing what is legally, morally, and ethically right. This is holding an administration responsible for the murders (yes, this IS/WAS murder) of hundreds of thousands. And they bankrupted this country and brought down the world's economies. The spied on their own citizens like the people were the criminals, not the other way around.

No, this has to be done or yes, America is a nation of criminals for allowing these 'people' to walk.

[Rhiannon12866]

18. K&R. It's about time that the American people got some answers.

And some resolution to the blatant lawbreaking under the Bush* administration... Obama's been "bipartisan" enough already. He has a mandate... :-(

[ncteechur]

19. I don't see this as Obama's problem as Turley and some of you do.

Congress has the job of oversight. If they find something, then I believe they should ask the President to ask the Justice Department to investigate. Hell, they will not even go after Rove and he in in contempt for the umpteenth time. Secondly, President Obama was not elected just to bring the bushies down. We are still in the middle of two wars or military actions or whatever you want to call it and the economy is in peril. He was elected to implement an agenda to tackle those FIRST.

For Turley to say that Obama will become complicit if he doesn't act right now is talking out his ass. I agree with him on most things he says but he is just wrong on this one. His opinion on this one is not about his constitutional scholarship but just about politics.

[EraOfResponsibility]

20. yeah I'm getting REAL sick of Turley trying to pin this on Obama

that shit's getting real tired real quick

[MessiahRp]

23. LOL the irony of that screen name with that post....

Obama has to act or yes he is being complicit. It is 100% clear that crimes and human rights abuses were committed. To do nothing is to condone those actions and ignore the treaties we have signed all over the world.

Rp

[EraOfResponsibility]

31. GTFOHWTBS n/m

[Senator]

22. It's Not A Question Of How You "See This" -- Nor Is It "About Politics" At All

It about the reality of the ongoing conspiracy to commit torture. As a US Gov't Official (a senator), Obama has been personally bound by treaty to report and ACT to stop torture. He has http://www.talkingimpeachment.com/blog/Hall-of-Shame-Inductee----Barak-Obama.html">chosen not to do so for literally years. Turley is only wrong about saying he "will become" complicit. That ship has long since sailed.

Now, you may share Obama's opinion that we have a moral right to torture our way out of economic peril or to the next electoral victory. But that doesn't make it legal -- or any less of an atrocity.

--

[shawn703]

24. How many people are in the Executive Branch?

I'm pretty sure, no matter how much stuff is on Obama's plate, that he could delegate people to work on his agenda and still have enough personnel at Justice look into Bush actions.

It's not about bringing the bushies down, it's about justice.

[TBF]

26. Who's problem do you think it is? Obama is the ONLY ONE who can pardon the mf,

and Holder will not bring charges if he knows that will be the result.

On the other hand if Obama gave the signal that he was interested in trying him, prosecutors would be all over it. So far Obama has basically said "time to move on". He doesn't want to do it.

[chill_wind]

28. Don't worry. Sen DiFi is now going to convene a "fact-finding" panel and get right on it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3758805

[glitch]

29. K & R :( nt

[sybylla]

30. Turley has it nailed.

It's unfortunate the administration doesn't seem to see it that way.