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Maybe Obama will prosecute W for war crimes before he is culpable of being deemed to be war criminals also; consequentially Obama might do the right thing only in an attempt of self survival. That isn't anything to be proud of and it isn't what the US needs.
The article "Obama and Holder Must Prosecute War Crimes or Become Guilty of Them Himself" states:
"The Obama administration may, on the basis of whatever twisted political logic it is operating under, not want to appoint a prosecutor and indict the war criminals of the Bush administration....
"Here, we're talking about enforcing the law. There are no options but acting. Not only does a commitment to the rule of law require prosecution here, right up to the president and vice president. The failure to prosecute war criminals is in itself a crime, meaning that there is a narrow window of time to act before Obama himself, and his attorney general Eric Holder, will be open to charges that they, too, are war criminals. (emphasis added)
"If we don't get a prosecution going of Bush administration officials responsible for war crimes, the day will come when not only will George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice and Donald Rumsfeld be unable to travel abroad. Barack Obama and Eric Holder will also be confined to US soil."
The article "Obama to Revamp Military Tribunals" states:
"As a candidate for president, Barack Obama offered himself as a clear alternative to Bush-era anti-terrorism policies. Governing has proven muddier.
"Yesterday, President Obama announced that he will revamp, rather than reject, the system of military tribunals that President George W. Bush created to try terrorism suspects. Earlier in the week, Obama indicated that he will fight the release of photos depicting alleged abuse of detainees during Bush's tenure.
"The reaction has been fierce. The American Civil Liberties Union accused the president of 'stonewalling tactics and opaque policies' after the photo decision. And yesterday, the group threw Obama's words from the campaign back at him: 'You can't put lipstick on a pig,' it said of his efforts to revamp the commissions. Human rights groups vowed to fight Obama in court."
We might as well have voted for a typical GOP propaganda master instead of Obama. The article continues:
"Early moves to ban torture and shutter the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- decisions hailed by human rights groups here and abroad -- have been followed by other moves that have left many of Obama's ardent supporters disappointed and angry."
It is an entire array of changes that Obama hasn't implemented that has made progressives wonder about Obama as the article continues:
"Obama has backed Bush's warrantless wiretapping program, expanded the war in Afghanistan and opposed prosecution of those involved in what some call torture of detainees -- a refusal that continues to echo as the country debates the effectiveness of past interrogations."
Obama clearly said one thing in the campaign and is doing another now regarding the military commission system, as the article continues:
"Yesterday's announcement was a unmistakable reversal for a man who, as a candidate, had promised to shelve the military commissions and called their use under Bush an 'enormous failure.'"
"'I have faith in America's courts,' Obama said Aug. 7. 'I have faith in our JAGs. As president, I'll close Guantanamo, reject the Military Commissions Act, adhere to the Geneva Conventions. Our Constitution and our Uniform Code of Military Justice provide a framework for dealing with the terrorists.'"
Obama is playing words games with us which is just as vile as any Rove spin as the article continues:
"His message in reversing his stance yesterday was more muted. 'Military commissions have a long tradition in the United States,' Obama said in a statement. 'They are appropriate for trying enemies who violate the laws of war, provided that they are properly structured and administered.'"
I like Obama and I think that he never would have attacked Iraq and consequentially all of these crimes of big bro 43 would never have begun if we had a Democrat in office after 9/11, but by choosing to prolong these vicious policies he is not remaining truthful. The article continues:
"Top Obama aides insist that the president is staying true to his principles by ending torture, winding down the Iraq war and closing Guantanamo. But they describe as 'excruciating' the weight of the responsibility that he feels to keep the country safe.
"'The president has made some enormous strides in changing the direction of our policies,' senior adviser David Axelrod said. 'But implementing them has its challenges, because you constantly have to balance equities and responsibilities and make decisions that are in the best interest of the country's security in a way that's consistent with our values.'"
Obama has used hypocritical excuses to continue warrantless wiretapping program of the citizens of the US, increase our losses in the war in Afghanistan and resist prosecution of those involved in torture of detainees. The article continues:
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