Obama administration threatens Britain to keep torture evidence concealed

[sabra]

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/05/12/obama/

Obama administration threatens Britain to keep torture evidence concealed

Ever since he was released from Guantanamo in February after six years of due-process-less detention and brutal torture, Binyam Mohamed has been attempting to obtain justice for what was done to him. But his torturers have been continuously protected, and Mohamed's quest for a day in court repeatedly thwarted, by one individual: Barack Obama. Today, there is new and graphic evidence of just how far the Obama administration is going to prevent evidence of the Bush administration's torture program from becoming public.

...

That question about Obama's intentions -- along with Obama's decision last month to release the 4 OLC torture memos -- is what led Smith to make his motion for the British High Court to re-consider its ruling that it would not make the torture details public: namely, he wanted definitive evidence one way or the other as to whether Obama really was issuing these threats to the British government.

That definitive evidence came, and it leaves no doubt that these threats to the British government are now being issued every bit as emphatically from Obama. I've obtained a copy of the letter exceprts submitted to the British court (.pdf - see pages 6-9), submitted by the British Government to prove that the U.S., under Obama, is continuing to make these threats. Here are key excepts from the Obama administration's letter; just marvel at what the U.S. is saying to Britian:









...

Here is what the British High Court said when reversing its decision to disclose the evidence in light of these threats from the U.S. government (click to enlarge):



I believe their error was in conceiving of the United States as a country "governed by the rule of law."

[Echo In Light]

1. Ugh

[Bolo Boffin]

2. For all the good that Obama is doing

this will be one of the hideous stains on his Presidency if this isn't cleared up.

[The Doctor.]

4. Aaaa-greed.

This, if the above is accurate and complete, is a blatant and disgusting move by the administration to bully another country.

If there is not a DAMN good reason for this, I expect shame to be heaped upon whomever initiated this action.

I also expect the freeptards to defend the administration for this.

[truebrit71]

3. Wow..."change" we can believe in....

...:eyes:

[truedelphi]

5. A negotiated solution like Obama can be expected to make some

Cosmetic changes, but not to rattle the Real Powers Behind the American Throne.

We were all so tired of the awful and nasty Nazi Dictator, that a kinder and gentler face had to be placed on the throne. But it should not be a surprise that holding the last Administration's feet to the fire, will probably not be something such for this Administration to try and pull off.

It is not in Obama's job description to do meaningful things, that is, to restore the inalienable rights of the citizens of this Republic. Or at least not in the way that the Powers that Be have explained the job to him.

And since most people are (by now) used to the Far Far Right, Far Right seems centrist to them these days.

[truebrit71]

6. This puts the Brown govt in an unwinnable position...

...and puts the British Conservative party in the bizarre position of DEFENDING civil liberties AGAINST the party from the "left"...

Through-the-looking-glass indeed...

That is the only "chnage" I can see...

I am bitterly, BITTERLY disappointed in Obama...but not surprised I guess...

[truedelphi]

7. Disappointed, bitterly so, here too

Heck I even voted for Obama, and the night he won the election I was so over-the-top happy.

But politics is what is is. Orwell pretty much had it right. It just took about fifteen years longer than he thought.