What I have said is that my administration is going to operate in a way that leaves no doubt that we do not torture, that we abide by the Geneva Conventions, and that we observe our traditions of rule of law and due process as we are vigorously going after terrorists that can do us harm.
…but in reality, he’s gonna continue the same policy that Bush, Clinton, and other Presidents have done (yes Clinton…Obama’s CIA Chief Leon Panetta admitted in confirmation hearings last week that he directly helped to organize 60-80 renditions during the Clinton years.)
The ACLU says the Obama administration reneged on civil liberties, offers “more of the same.”
Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU said of the decision: “Eric Holder’s Justice Department stood up in court today and said that it would continue the Bush policy of invoking state secrets to hide the reprehensible history of torture, rendition and the most grievous human rights violations committed by the American government. This is not change. This is definitely more of the same. Candidate Obama ran on a platform that would reform the abuse of state secrets, but President Obama’s Justice Department has disappointingly reneged on that important civil liberties issue. If this is a harbinger of things to come, it will be a long and arduous road to give us back an America we can be proud of again.”
Ben Wizner, a staff attorney with the ACLU, who argued the case for the plaintiffs said, “We are shocked and deeply disappointed that the Justice Department has chosen to continue the Bush administration’s practice of dodging judicial scrutiny of extraordinary rendition and torture. This was an opportunity for the new administration to act on its condemnation of torture and rendition, but instead it has chosen to stay the course. Now we must hope that the court will assert its independence by rejecting the government’s false claims of state secrets and allowing the victims of torture and rendition their day in court.”
…another Bushbash theme fades away….
Author of “Reparations and America’s 2nd Civil War
Reparations and America’s 2nd Civil War: Malensek, Scott: 9798864028674: Amazon.com: Books
The time and his acts will give us the reason or not
Panetta didn’t give a specific number of how many were to torturing countries, but he admitted that many were to countries that use torture. Whether it’s 3 waterboardings by Pakistani or Afghan or other misc men in black or 60-80…does it matter? He flat out admitted it in the hearings. I wish I had the link, but he was asked very specifically, and answered (to his credit/I was impressed) and very sincerely that at was 60-80 renditions during his watch (which recall was only PART of the Clinton years), and that many of those were to countries that torture. He also made it clear that he was intimately involved in arranging it (which surprised me, but again impressed me with his sincerity).
Panetta coulda played the spin game. He didn’t. I give the man credit for that. Obama…well, he DID play the spin game, and so he loses points w me for misleading people (again).
Hey, if anyone’s got a link to the Panetta hearings…that’d be GREAT!
Part of the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQH8Dtyygw8&eurl=http://beltwayblips.dailyradar.com/story/reporter_restrained_after_panetta_hearing/&feature=player_embedded