The ACLU praised the Obama administration for ending Bush's torture policies

[ProSense]

The ACLU has its mission, and the report makes a case for trying Bush administration officials, but it also makes it clear that failing to try the Bush administration is not the same as continuing Bush's torture policies. In fact, the report praises President Obama for ending them.

PDF of the ACLU July 2010 Report

<...>

This report examines the Obama administration’s record to date on a range of national security policies that implicate human rights and civil liberties. It concludes that the administration has taken positive steps and made genuine progress in some areas. Perhaps most notably, the administration’s release of Justice Department memoranda that purported to authorize the Bush administration’s torture regime, as well as a CIA report describing how even those lax limits were exceeded, evinced a commitment to transparency of truly historic significance, and the administration deserves high praise for making those critical documents available for public scrutiny. Regrettably, in a pattern that has repeated itself throughout the administration’s first eighteen months, a significant achievement was followed by a step back: the administration reversed its decision to comply with a court decision ordering the release of photos depicting the abuse of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it supported legislation granting the Secretary of Defense unprecedented authority to conceal evidence of misconduct.

Similarly, the administration’s admirable commitment to dismantle the Guantánamo prison has been undermined by its unwillingness to dismantle the legal architecture of the Bush-era detention regime: the Obama administration has continued to assert the authority to detain militarily, without charge or trial, Guantánamo detainees (and others) captured far from any conventional battlefield, and there is a genuine danger that the administration will close the prison but enshrine the principle of widespread military detention without trial. Equally disappointing, the administration’s unequivocal prohibition against torture has been fundamentally weakened by its continuation of the Bush administration’s efforts to stymie meaningful accountability: the administration has adopted the same sweeping theory of “state secrets” to prevent torture victims from seeking justice and compensation in U.S. courts, and the President himself has publicly opposed criminal investigations of the architects of the torture regime.

<...>

In his first days in office, President Obama unambiguously rejected this legacy. In an executive order, President Obama categorically disavowed torture and directed that all prisoners in U.S. custody be afforded the protection of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions (in compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2006 ruling in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld); that all interrogations of prisoners in U.S. custody conform to the Army Field Manual; that the CIA close its secret prisons and that the International Committee of the Red Cross be promptly notified of any person detained by the United States.10 When the administration released the Bush administration’s torture memos in April 2009, the Justice Department withdrew all of the legal memos that had undergirded the Bush administration’s torture program,11 and in a public statement President Obama declared:

I prohibited the use of these interrogation techniques by the United States because they undermine our moral authority and do not make us safer. Enlisting our values in the protection of our people makes us stronger and more secure. A democracy as resilient as ours must reject the false choice between our security and our ideals, and that is why these methods of interrogation
are already a thing of the past.12

The decision to dismantle the Bush administration’s torture program was a crucial one, not just for the United States but for the world. President Obama deserves credit for the decision, and for his vigorous defense of it. But while the administration has disavowed torture, it has made little effort to hold accountable those who authorized it. In recent years, many other countries—including some of America’s closest allies, like the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, and Canada—have begun to examine their responsibility for the abuse and torture of prisoners in U.S. custody. The United States is increasingly isolated in its unwillingness to investigate the roots of the torture program, its refusal to compensate torture survivors, and its failure to hold accountable the senior government officials who authorized interrogators to use torture.

<...>

The report is a warning that more needs to be done, but 18 months into the Obama administration, there has been progress.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. ummmm . . . did you happen to actually read your excerpt?

Have you ever heard the phrase - "Damning with faint praise"?

[ProSense]

5. Yes, did you? n/t

[daleanime]

7. So yes you heard of the phrase?

Do you know what it means?:shrug:

[ProSense]

9. Do you know what this means

"It concludes that the administration has taken positive steps and made genuine progress in some areas."

"the administration deserves high praise for making those critical documents available for public scrutiny."

"administration’s unequivocal prohibition against torture"

"President Obama deserves credit for the decision, and for his vigorous defense of it."

No amount of denial can make those assertions "damning with faint praise." The report simply means there is more to be done, that in some cases the job isn't finished. In the case of torture, that means trying the Bush administration.

The report states unequivocally that President Obama deserves credit for ending Bush's torture policies.

[daleanime]

15. Yes,

it means that while we thankful that no one is using the thumbscrews right now, their still in place ready to be used by the next person in the WH who want to.


So, Yea! We're leaning in the right direction.:sarcasm:

[ProSense]

19. "it means that while we thankful that no one is using the thumbscrews right now

their still in place ready to be used by the next person in the WH who want to."

No, they're not still in place. Many have been completely dismantled, some partially. The ACLU's primary concern is that if the Bush administration isn't tried, this will set a precedent. The thing is when has a U.S. administration ever been charged with war crimes. I would love to see the Bush administration be the first, but do you really think there is broad support for this among elected officials in any level of the government?

[daleanime]

22. 'Many' is a lovely word....

it implies, but never commits.



Have a nice day, low wage labor waits for no one.:hi:

[fogonthelake]

11. It called the sandwich approach. Put a bit of bread (the

good stuff) on the bottom, add all the ingredients (the bad stuff), then add another slice of good bread. It makes a person feel good.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[derby378]

2. So how come Americans are still using torture?

In Baghram, Gitmo, etc.

[katandmoon]

3. "but while the administration has disavowed torture, it has made little effort to hold accountable

those who authorized it."

And speaking of the ACLU, it also isn't too happy about this:

NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union and Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) today received a license from the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) allowing the groups to pursue their legal challenge to the government's asserted authority to kill American citizens without due process away from conflict zones. The license was granted in response to a lawsuit filed by the groups demanding the license and challenging OFAC's scheme.

The following can be attributed to CCR and the ACLU:

"The license issued by OFAC today will allow us to pursue our litigation relating to the government's asserted authority to engage in targeted killings of American civilians without due process. While we appreciate OFAC's quick response to our lawsuit, we continue to believe that OFAC's regulations are unconstitutional because they require lawyers who are providing uncompensated legal representation to seek the government's permission before challenging the constitutionality of the government's conduct. Notably, OFAC has indicated that the license issued to us today can be revoked at any time. We will pursue our claim that OFAC's attorney-licensing regulations are unconstitutional and should be invalidated."

http://www.aclu.org/national-security/ccr-and-aclu-receive-license-ofac-pursue-challenge-targeted-killing

[Enrique]

4. that's because the ACLU has credibility

They criticized Bush in very strong words, and it wasn't because he was a republican. They proved that because when Obama continued some of the Bush things they didn't like, they criticized Obama just as strongly.

They're not just criticizing Obama for the hell of it, as your OP proves. They give Obama credit where he deserves it. Cenk Uygur just gave Obama credit for the same thing, the improvements on torture.

[dflprincess]

6. As long as the administration refuses to hold Bush/Cheney responsible

it is an accessory to their crimes. And, after 18 months, there is no excuse for extraordinary rendition not being sent. Probably the reason Bushco isn't being prosecuted, this administration is committing it's own crimes.

I agree with Phoebe "damning with faint praise".

[hedgehog]

26. When you strike at a king, you must kill him.

I saw what happened when Congress went after Reagan over Iran-Contra without making certain first the American people understood the charges. Oliver North went on to become a conservative speaker and Reagan became a hero to the right.

Imagine Cheney on trial dropping dead of a heart attack. Obama would be the evil Moslem socialist who hounded an old sick man to death.
I agree that Bush et al need to be prosecuted, but better not to prosecute than to prosecute and see them acquitted.

[dflprincess]

28. It's also dangerous to prosecute a previous administration

when you're continuing some of the same policies. Which probably has more to do with letting Bush off the hook than anything else.

[enough]

10. Even within the OP's quoted excerpt the ACLU says:

Quote:

Equally disappointing, the administration’s unequivocal prohibition against torture has been fundamentally weakened by its continuation of the Bush administration’s efforts to stymie meaningful accountability: the administration has adopted the same sweeping theory of “state secrets” to prevent torture victims from seeking justice and compensation in U.S. courts, and the President himself has publicly opposed criminal investigations of the architects of the torture regime.

And the ACLU July 29, 2010 press release says:

Obama Administration In Danger Of Establishing "New Normal" With Worst Bush-Era Policies, Says ACLU.
http://www.aclu.org/national-security/obama-administration-danger-establishing-new-normal-worst-bush-era-policies-says-a

[ProSense]

13. Even pulling an exact snip from the OP

doesn't change the fact that the ACLU concludes that President Obama has ended Bush's torture policy, but has failed to try the Bush administration. That was stated in the OP.

"Obama Administration In Danger Of Establishing "New Normal" With Worst Bush-Era Policies, Says ACLU."

Reading the report, this is a warning that more needs to be done. It is a warning about a potential outcome, not a rejection of the "positive steps and made genuine progress" the administration has already made.

[zipplewrath]

12. I don't think you read this

The did alot in the beginning, and haven't done much since except go backwards. You're reading the begining of paragraphs and not the end.

[ProSense]

14. Conclusion

CONCLUSION

President Obama will be in office at least through 2012, and perhaps through 2016. But the policies the Obama administration pursues on the issues discussed in this report will have implications that will extend far beyond this presidency. That is why it is so critical that the administration right its course and keep faith with our nation’s highest ideals and aspirations.

There can be no doubt that the Obama administration inherited a legal and moral morass, and that in important respects it has endeavored to restore the nation’s historic commitment to the rule of law. But if the Obama administration does not effect a fundamental break with the Bush administration’s policies on detention, accountability, and other issues, but instead creates a lasting legal architecture in support of those policies, then it will have ratified, rather than rejected, the dangerous notion that America is in a permanent state of emergency and that core liberties must be surrendered forever.

The ACLU will continue to monitor the impact of the administration’s national security policies on civil liberties and human rights. Our hope is that this report, published less than half-way through the President’s first term, will serve as a vehicle for reflection and further dialogue.

As I said: The report is a warning that more needs to be done, but 18 months into the Obama administration, there has been progress.

[zipplewrath]

20. Actually, the progress of which they speak was all in the begininng

One of their complaints is that they started in the right direction and then slid backwards.

[ProSense]

16. Rec'd into oblivion by those who cannot come to grips with praise for the administration.

It's on record, despite the denial and spin.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

18. I recced this thread just for it's wonderful whackiness and am sorry

if it doesn't get the audience it deserves.

[ProSense]

21. Mighty big of you. I really wonder why some people are afraid of this being seen by more eyes. n/t

[AtomicKitten]

17. Wonderful balance of positive recognition and prodding for more by the ACLU. nt

[FrenchieCat]

23. I rec'ed to no avail!

Apparently some folks believe that being activists means
giving a false sense that what matters really doesn't.

[NJmaverick]

24. K & R!

[30rock]

25. Accurate OP, but I Unrec'ed, because nobody claimed that the ACLU never praised Obama about anything

Therefore, a strawman it is.

[gkhouston]

29. +1 n/t

[ProSense]

30. Don't people ever get tired

of the "nobody claimed" strawman?

Yeah, in the same way that nobody claimed Obama = Bush.

[laughingliberal]

27. More from the ACLU:

NATIONAL SECURITY

Obama Administration In Danger Of Establishing "New Normal" With Worst Bush-Era Policies, Says ACLU

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: [phone]; [e-mail]

NEW YORK – The Obama administration has repudiated some of the Bush administration's most egregious national security policies but is in danger of institutionalizing others permanently into law, thereby creating a troubling "new normal," according to a new report released today by the American Civil Liberties Union.

"Establishing a New Normal: National Security, Civil Liberties, and Human Rights Under the Obama Administration," an 18-month review of the Obama administration's record on national security issues affecting civil liberties, concludes that the current administration's record on issues of national security and civil liberties is decidedly mixed: President Obama has made great strides in some areas, such as his auspicious first steps to categorically prohibit torture, outlaw the CIA's use of secret overseas detention sites and release the Bush administration's torture memos, but he has failed to eliminate some of the worst policies put in place by President Bush, such as military commissions and indefinite detention. He has also expanded the Bush administration's "targeted killing" program.

"In its first days, the Obama administration took some important steps to restore civil liberties and the rule of law," said Jameel Jaffer, Deputy Legal Director of the ACLU. "It has not, however, abandoned the 'global war' framework that was the basis for many of the last administration's counterterrorism programs. Indeed, some of the Obama administration's policies – like the policies on indefinite detention, military commissions and targeted killings – are entrenching this framework, presenting a profound threat to human rights and the rule of law. We urge the Obama administration to recommit itself to the ideals it articulated in its very first days. President Obama should not make 'global war' the new normal."

http://www.aclu.org/national-security/obama-administration-danger-establishing-new-normal-worst-bush-era-policies-says-a

[ProSense]

31. Right:

"We urge the Obama administration to recommit itself to the ideals it articulated in its very first days. President Obama should not make 'global war' the new normal."

The Obama administration pushed for civilian trials. The OP doesn't claim that there are not still issues to be resolved. It specifically states that the ACLU praised the Obama administration for ending Bush's torture policies.

[fogonthelake]

36. Presidents do not give up executive powers even if grabbed by

a previous Repug adm that was condemned by all on the left at the time.

[Phx_Dem]

32. All the unrecs must mean DUers wanted torture to continue.

Or, they automatically unrec anything positive about Obama in the same way they bitch about everything Obama does, even if it's good.

They really are becoming more like teabaggers every day.

[frylock]

33. i auto-unrec anything and everything posted by the OP..

i mean that in all sincerity.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

34. I'm sure you do...

Not all reactionaries are among the Republicans.

I think....

[frylock]

38. clearly

[ProSense]

35. Well, when one is incapable of framing an argument, it's an alternative. n/t

[frylock]

37. you're presented with arguments every damn day..

your typical response is usually some non sequitur bullshit in the form of a link to more WH talking points.

[ProSense]

39. "in the form of a hidden link "

speaking of non-sequitor, that's a fairly lame one.

[frylock]

40. i also forgot the classic use of quotes from posts you're replying too..

with absolutely zero substance in the body of said reply. keep up the good work! :thumbsup:

[bvar22]

41. Cut out the middleman.

Go straight to whitehouse.gov

[ProSense]

42. How insightful that you're having a discussion about "whitehouse.gov"

in a thread about the ACLU. Did you even read the OP? The link is to the ACLU.

[frylock]

43. right?

[cornermouse]

44. I'm still left wondering why its so hard and so outrageous to say

"Torture is wrong. We stop doing it as of this day, this hour, and this minute."

[Warren Stupidity]

45. drug crazed professional leftist!

[Warren Stupidity]

46. well this op is torturing logic.

[cornermouse]

47. You read the link past the first paragraph and you find a pretty damning report on Obama

You probably shouldn't have drawn attention to this one Prosense. Were you hoping people would take the first 2 or 3 paragraphs at face value and not look any further?