Leahy seeks a Bush-era 'truth commission': "There were lies told to the American people all the way"

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N09382918.htm


U.S. senator seeks Bush-era 'truth commission'


WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - A U.S. "truth commission" should probe Bush administration policies including the promotion of war in Iraq, detainee treatment and wiretapping without a warrant, an influential senator proposed on Monday.

Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, called for the commission as way to heal what he called sharp political divides and to prevent future abuses.

He compared it to other truth commissions, such as one in South Africa that investigated the apartheid era.

"We need to come to a shared understanding of the failures of the recent past," Leahy said in a speech to the Georgetown University law school.

"Rather than vengeance, we need a fair-minded pursuit of what actually happened," he said. "And we do that to make sure it never happens again," Leahy said.

...

This included the war in Iraq, he said. "There were lies told to the American people all the way through."

[Parche]

1. and a long overdue

9/11 new commision

they need to see 'In Plane Sight'

:hi:

[Vincardog]

13. 9/11 new commission, Only with subpoena power and the aim of prosecuting the guilty

NO more WHITEWASHES

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Sen. Leahy is speaking right now live on CSPan

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is the featured speaker at Georgetown University where he spoke about the Committee's agenda in the 111th Congress.





http://www.cspan.org/Watch/watch.aspx?ProgramId=HP-A-40592

[Demeter]

3. Only If Prosecutions Follow

otherwise, what is the point?

[madokie]

7. Where appropriate will there be

I'm just one but there is a shitpot full of us ones out here who are going to continue to press for trials for this cabal of traitors. All these treasonous actions will be dealt with in a timely fashion. I believe that.

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. Sen. Leahy sounds like he's asking for truth and accountability

in his speech.

Its playing now on CSPAN 1

[madokie]

11. Sen. Leahy knows what the implications of letting these thugs off would be

We are a government of laws and not of men and we must protect that no matter the cost

[Ichingcarpenter]

12. He faulted the Church Commission a little in the speech

for finding the truth but not the accountability.

[AndyA]

4. A Truth Commission would be long overdue.

And their findings need to automatically inject a special prosecutor into the mix. We all know laws were broken. Justice must be served.

[pacalo]

5. Comparing this Reuters article with the Huffington Post article, I have to give kudos

to Reuters. This article focused on exactly what caught my eye in the HuffPo article: truth commission, which was actually the meat of Leahy's comments behind the "Investigate Bush Now" subject title.

[navarth]

6. K & R Now that's what I'm talking about. Yay Pat!

[kenny blankenship]

8. For God's sake yes GET ON WITH IT - if for no other reason than this:

You do-nothing Senators are going to need a DAMN GOOD dog and pony show to take the people's minds off of how bad they're hurting due to your Reaganesque economic indifference and malfeasance.

There's a dark continent of criminal activity in the Bush Admin's record to explore, map out, and mine for gold. You can be like Cortez or Columbus!

Go forth and conquer.

[kirby]

10. He called it a Truth and Reconciliation commision...

Funny how the article does not mention that. I was watching him speak when he said it and thought I dont want reconciliation, I want accountability. Reconciliation is a code word, in my opinion, for immunity/forgiveness for past crimes/lets document but move on.

[librechik]

14. can we just prosecute the bastards and avoid the whitewash middle way crap?

Truth Commissions SUCK!!

PROSECUTE THE CRIMINALS!

[flashsmith]

15. wtf!!

We need these Nazi's prosecuted, convicted, incarcerated and/or executed. What's this tell the truth and get off scott free bullshit? Does rule of law mean any crime is perfectly ok, no matter how many people are killed, if you own up to it? Give Holden a chance. Don't cut his nuts off by having this truth commission.

[mmonk]

16. Only if they lift the "state secrets privilege", otherwise, stick it

because the truth won't be revealed.

[jtrockville]

17. COMMISSION = WHITEWASH

We need a special prosecutor. NOT a COMMISSION.

[GeorgeGist]

18. Like the Warren Commission?

Who's gonna play the mole? Jerry Ford is dead.