Bush's other admissions of war crimes (and Cheney's)

[Solly Mack]

June 2010

George Bush admitted yesterday that Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the self-proclaimed mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, was waterboarded by the US, and said he would do it again "to save lives".

-Don't worry, he prayed on it. In an era of zero accountability it is of little surprise that the former President would come out and admit his role in the torture of suspected criminals. In his speech, Bush also defended the decision to go to war with Iraq in 2003. He said ousting Saddam Hussein "was the right thing to do and the world is a better place without him". Making the world a 'better place', we are asked to believe, was Bush's great legacy.-

"Yeah, we waterboarded Khalid Sheikh Mohammed," the former president told a business audience in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "I'd do it again to save lives."


2008

"Still, the official U.S. denials of torture continued until earlier this month when Bush acknowledged in an interview with ABC-TV that he knew about and approved "enhanced interrogation" of detainees, including "waterboarding" or simulated drowning.

"As a matter of fact," Bush added, "I told the country we did that. And I told them it was legal. We had legal opinions that enabled us to do it."

The president added, "I didn't have any problems at all trying to find out what Khalid Sheik Mohammed knew."

Bush also said in the interview that he had been aware of several meetings his national security advisers held to discuss "enhanced interrogation" methods.


"In a stunning admission to ABC news Friday night, President Bush declared that he knew his top national security advisers discussed and approved specific details of the CIA's use of torture. Bush reportedly told ABC, "I'm aware our national security team met on this issue. And I approved." Bush also defended the use of waterboarding".


More info



Cheney's admissions

2006

How I know Cheney did confess to water boarding


2008


Cheney Defends U.S. Use Of Waterboarding


More


2010

CHENEY: I was a big supporter of waterboarding. I was a big supporter of the enhanced interrogation techniques that...



They have both - repeatedly - admitted to war crimes and they're still not in prison.

[Frustratedlady]

1. Where's the world court on this?

Why should our government bring charges? Other countries have talked about it, why can't someone else step in?

[Solly Mack]

2. Why shouldn't our government bring charges? Do you not think the U.S. has

the responsibility to hold accountable the war crimes committed by a former executive? Or do you mean something else by your question? "Why should our government bring charges?"


Other countries could try and do something (and some have, Italy, for example (CIA case) and Spain is another) - but I doubt the U.S. would extradite those charged.

[Solly Mack]

3. kick

[malaise]

4. K & R

To the Hague!!

[Solly Mack]

5. Thank you, malaise

Would only be justice (den Hague)

[malaise]

6. Why isn't this the number one headline in the world right now

:hi:
Kick
Get thee to the greatest page

[Solly Mack]

8. Because a lot of people just don't care?

[coalition_unwilling]

15. Because torture is as American as cherry pie (with apologies to

H. Rap Brown)

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. In America everybody is equal under the law....except....

[Solly Mack]

9. Good thing "no one is above the law" isn't it?

that was sarcasm

[dkofos]

10. Yawn

Prosecuting WAR CRIMINALS is off the table.

Even admitted WAR CRIMINALS!!!

[Solly Mack]

13. true.. war crimes are just so pre-911. In a post-911 world...

they're not called war crimes - they're called good faith policy differences.

Well, they're not called war crimes when it's America doing the torturing. But let another country do it and America suddenly supports human rights

[spanone]

11. how in the world can we not prosecute????

[Cal33]

12. Just ask Nancy Pelosi.

[Solly Mack]

14. Quite easily, it would seem. Just pretend it didn't happen...

Bet everyone in prison wishes they could have gotten that deal.

[spanone]

16. yes, but where are the world courts? is there no recourse for those who break international law?

surely there is someone somewhere ????

[Solly Mack]

17. The UN can establish an international criminal tribunal....but the US would veto it

(UN Security Council votes)

There's always universal jurisdiction...but that means another country would have to charge them. A country that wasn't involved in the Bush/CIA/extraordinary renditions/secret prisons - which was quite a few.

The U.S. could prosecute - in fact, the U.S. is legally obligated to prosecute them (lack of prosecution is itself a violation of international law)...but it won't.

Lot of hypocrisy out there. All over...

[malaise]

18. Apparently not

or maybe we'll have to wait as long as the Chileans waited for that bastard Pinochet to be arrested.