John Dean: WAR CRIMES - "Other Countries Are Very Likely To Take Action If US Fails To Do So"

[kpete]

Are We Civilized Enough to Hold Our Leaders Accountable for War Crimes? The World Is Watching

My question is how can the Obama Administration not investigate, and, if appropriate, prosecute given the world is watching, because if they do not, other may do so? How could there be "change we can believe in" if the new administration harbors war criminals


By John W. Dean, FindLaw.com. Posted January 24, 2009.

Other countries are likely to take action against officials who condoned torture, even if the United States fails to do so.

Remarkably, the confirmation of President Obama's Attorney General nominee, Eric Holder, is being held up by Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, who apparently is unhappy that Holder might actually investigate and prosecute Bush Administration officials who engaged in torture. Aside from this repugnant new Republican embrace of torture (which might be a winning issue for the lunatic fringe of the party and a nice way to further marginalize the GOP), any effort to protect Bush officials from legal responsibility for war crimes, in the long run, will not work.

It is difficult to believe that Eric Holder would agree not to enforce the law, like his recent Republican predecessors. Indeed, if he were to do so, President Obama should withdraw his nomination. But as MSNBC "Countdown" anchor Keith Olbermann stated earlier this week, even if the Obama Administration for whatever reason does not investigate and prosecute these crimes, this still does not mean that the Bush Administration officials who were involved in torture are going to get a pass.

With few exceptions, the discussion about what the Obama Administration will do regarding the torture of detainees during the Bush years has been framed as a domestic matter, and the fate of those involved in torturing has been largely viewed as a question of whether the Department of Justice will take action. In fact, not only is the world watching what the Obama Administration does regarding Bush's torturers, but other countries are very likely to take action if the United States fails to do so.

much more at:
http://www.alternet.org/story/122186/are_we_civilized_enough_to_hold_our_leaders_accountable_for_war_crimes_the_world_is_watching/

[gratuitous]

1. If we're lucky, it will be other countries

If we're not lucky, and we don't deserve to be lucky at this point, rough justice will be meted out by ad hot self-appointed extra-legal groups who will figure that killing any American is as good as going through a trial of the actual perpetrators. This will, of course, give the right-wing blood merchants a reason to howl about how they hate us for our freedom. So, if you don't mind being a target or a victim because of the Bush administration's crimes, then by all means fight against investigations, indictments and trials for crimes against humanity.

However, if you think the administration of justice works a lot better on the accused than on bystanders, then support investigations, indictments and trials.