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-- a homicide or involuntary manslaughter of detainee Dilar Dababa by US forces in Iraq;-- torture and abuse at the US Special Operations Force Compound at Mosul Airfield, Mosul, Iraq;
-- torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib; and
Torture was official policy under George Bush through numerous "findings," Military and Executive Orders, memoranda, and memos like the infamous March 14, 2003 "Torture Memo," written by John Yoo, Alberto Gonzales (as White House counsel), Jay Bybee (now a federal judge), and David Addington. It bypassed existing laws, sanctioned all interrogation methods short of producing organ failure, and legalized everything in the "war on terror," including supreme presidential power.
On January 22, Obama signed a series of Executive Orders, including the banning of torture. The proof of the pudding is in the execution, and so far very little is in sight, including at Guantanamo where the worst of abuses continue.
Most important is accountability - prosecuting Bush administration officials for crimes of war and against humanity, including the practice of torture. CCR states:
"Evidence of the criminal activities of the Bush administration is exceedingly well documented. It is apparent in (its) memos," various memoranda and other internal papers, "FOIA documents, congressional hearings, court documents, the testimony of victims, innumerable investigative news articles and books and direct admissions by intelligence, military and administration officials."
The evidence points right to the top, including the president, vice-president, two defense and state secretaries, and heads of CIA among others. Given volumes of damning evidence, "now is the time for accountability (to) hold these officials (liable) for their (crimes) and dissuade future government officials" from committing them again knowing full well the consequences if they do.
It's critical for the Obama administration to "reassert the rule of law," affirm that no one is exempt, and set an example that lawlessness no longer will be tolerated. Nothing less is acceptable.
Military officials like Major General Antonio Taguba and retired judge and head of the Guantanamo military commissions, Susan Crawford, acknowledged high official guilt. Taguba said:
"There is no longer any doubt as to whether the current (Bush) administration has committed war crimes. The only question....is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account."
The Convention Against Torture's Article 4 requires the Obama administration to convene a criminal investigation to hold those responsible accountable. Torture is prohibited under all circumstances, at all times, with no exceptions allowed ever. Those in violation must be investigated, tried, prosecuted and sentenced in accordance with the law. Nothing short of full and meaningful justice is acceptable, and no administration promising change can do less.
Adds CCR president Michael Ratner:
"The only way to prevent this from happening again is to make sure that those who were responsible for the torture program pay the price for it. I don't see how we regain our moral stature by allowing those who were intimately involved in the torture programs to simply walk off the stage and lead lives where they were not held accountable."
Stephen Lendman is a Research Associate of the Centre for Research on Globalization. He lives in Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
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