Obama Totally Lost Nerve on Accountability for Torture
According to the Associated Press, military commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan are giving President Barack Obama the reasoning he needs to take a log off of the torture fire.
An Obama administration official said Wednesday that the president told his legal advisers last week that releasing the photos would endanger U.S. troops. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.
Obama wants the issue to go back to the courts, although federal appeals judges have ruled the photos could be released.
Is this political expediency?
Perhaps from the president’s point of view, he’s thinking “I’ve got a full plate.” Health care reform, the financial crisis, soon to be running two major automakers, he’s CEO of the world’s largest insurer (AIG), a new energy economy – the plate is full.
Fixing all of the things like health care which are broken is important. Getting people back to work is important. Re-establishing the rule of law and closing the book on executive branch excess is important, though, too.
Just when the Bush-Cheney torture accountability debate seemed to be quieting, the current Administration is faced with the release of thousands of photos depicting harsh interrogation tactics. This is known as being off message.
Perhaps the Administration could look at this another way. Releasing the photos shows the world that this country is making every attempt to purge the torture demon. By releasing the photos, the U.S. is saying, we admit this happened, we’re rid of the idiots who let it happen and we continue to take measures to see that it never happens again.
As far as being off message or sidetracked by an effort at accountability regarding torture, the Administration could work with Congress to see that they either do the job they weren’t doing for the last 7 years or appoint a 9/11-style commission.
A lot of folks bought what candidate Obama was selling last year. Pretending like Bush era abuses of power never happened doesn’t instill much HOPE that our out of touch government is going to CHANGE.
Barack Obama should go on national television and show the photos to the nation from the oval office, explaining what we have done, so that a precedent is not set that what is done need not be seen like Chinese policy.
You’re an idiot
Why?
No, you’re right– until we address JUST what it was that made the last admin so effin’ dangerous, we’re only doing SLIGHTLY better.
The loud mouth bleeding hearts have the ear of the pain in the back side liberal press. America won our freedom to be what you are by WAR. War is harsh. War takes down right mean as heck warriors to win. Winning is everything. Torture gets results good and bad. Leaders must make decisions based on their judgement of the results of blood and guts, murder’s and heros both happen side by side in life. If I am captured during a battle I expect to die, if not I expect to be tortured. In the end GOD will sort it out.
Amen brother,well done.