Obama open to Hill probe of harsh interrogations
Published: April 21, 2009
Updated 1 year ago
The Obama administration appears to be backpedaling a bit regarding torture probes of former Bush officials.
Obama told the White House press Tuesday that the four recent Bush administration memos authorizing harsh interrogations released “reflected, in my view, us losing our moral bearings,” and that while CIA employees who followed the guidelines should not be prosecuted, but that “with respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the Attorney General within the parameters of various laws and I don’t want to prejudge that.”
However, one statement Obama made may give those opposed to investigations all the ammunition they need to derail them.
“I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations,” Obama stated.
Obama added, “And so, if and when there needs to be a further accounting of what took place during this period, I think for Congress to examine ways that it can be done in a bipartisan fashion, outside of the typical hearing process that can sometimes break down and break entirely along party lines, to the extent that there are independent participants who are above reproach and have credibility, that would probably be a more sensible approach to take. I’m not suggesting that that should be done, but I’m saying if you’ve got a choice, I think it’s very important for the American people to feel as if this is not being dealt with to provide one side or another political advantage, but rather is being done in order to learn some lessons so that we move forward in an effective way. ”
President Barack Obama is leaving the door to open to possible prosecution of Bush administration officials who devised harsh terrorism-era interrogation tactics.
He also said Tuesday that he worries about the impact of high-intensity hearings on how detainees were treated under former President George W. Bush. But Obama did say, nevertheless, he could support a Hill investigation if it were conducted in a bipartisan way.
Obama has said he doesn’t support charging CIA agents and interrogators who took part in waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics, acting on advice from superiors that such practices were legal. But he also said that it is up to the attorney general whether to prosecute Bush administration lawyers who wrote the memos approving these tactics.
“I want to ask you about the interrogations,” AP’s Jennifer Loven asked Obama, according to a CC transcript obtained by RAW STORY. “You were clear about not wanting to prosecute those who carried out the instructions under the [ inaudible ]. Can you be that clear about those who devised the policy? Quickly, on the second matter, how do you feel about investigations into the special commission or something of that nature to go back and really look at the issue?”
Obama’s response, according to the closed caption transcript:
Well — look, as I’ve said before, this has been a difficult chapter in our history, and one of the tougher decisions that I’ve had to make as president. On the one hand, we have very real enemies out there, and we rely on some very courageous people, not just in our military, but also in the Central Intelligence Agency to help protect the American people, and they have to make some very difficult decisions, because, as I mentioned yesterday, they are confronted with an enemy that doesn’t have scruples, that isn’t constrained by constitutions, aren’t constrained by legal niceties.
Having said that, the memos that were released reflected, in my view, us losing our moral bearings. That’s why I’ve discontinued those enhanced interrogation programs. For those who carried out some of these operations within the four corners of legal opinions or guidance that had been provided from the White House, I do not think it’s appropriate for them to be prosecuted. With respect to those who formulated those legal decisions, I would say that that is going to be more of a decision for the Attorney General within the parameters of various laws and I don’t want to prejudge that.
I think that there are a host of very complicated issues involved there. As a general view, I think that we should be looking forward and not backwards. I do worry about this getting so politicized that we cannot function effectively and it hampers our ability to carry out critical national security operations.
And so, if and when there needs to be a further accounting of what took place during this period, I think for Congress to examine ways that it can be done in a bipartisan fashion, outside of the typical hearing process that can sometimes break down and break entirely along party lines, to the extent that there are independent participants who are above reproach and have credibility, that would probably be a more sensible approach to take. I’m not suggesting that that should be done, but I’m saying if you’ve got a choice, I think it’s very important for the American people to feel as if this is not being dealt with to provide one side or another political advantage, but rather is being done in order to learn some lessons so that we move forward in an effective way.
The last point i just want to emphasize, as I said yesterday at the CIA, when I visited, what makes America special in my view is not just our wealth and the dynamism of our economy and our extraordinary history and diversity, it’s that we are willing to uphold our ideals, even when they’re hard. And sometimes we make mistakes, because that’s the nature of human enterprise. But when we do make mistakes, then we are willing to go back and correct those mistakes and keep our eye on those ideals and values that have been passed on generation to generation.
And that is what has to continue to guide us, as we move forward. And i’m confident that we will be able to move forward, protect the American people, effectively, live up to our values and ideals. And that’s not a matter of being naive about how dangerous this world is. As I said yesterday, to some of the CIA officials that I met with, I wake up every day thinking about how to keep the American people safe and I go to bed every night worrying about keeping the American people safe.
I’ve got a lot of other things on my plate. I’ve got a big banking crisis and I’ve got unemployment numbers that are very high and we’ve got an auto industry that needs work. There are a whole range of things that during the day upend me, but I do not take these things lightly and I do not in any way, under illusion about how difficult the task is for those people who are on the front lines every day protecting the American people. So I wanted to communicate a message yesterday to all those who overwhelmingly do so in a lawful, dedicated fashion, that i have their back. All right?
White House advisor Rahm Emanuel had stated on Sunday that the officials who devised the policy “should not be prosecuted either.”
As the furor over the torture memos grew on Monday, even the White House began backtracking on Emanuel’s remarks, RAW STORY reported earlier Tuesday.
According to the New York Times, “Administration officials said Monday that Mr. Emanuel had meant the officials who ordered the policies carried out, not the lawyers who provided the legal rationale. Three Bush administration lawyers who signed memos … are the subjects of a coming report by the Justice Department’s ethics office that officials say is sharply critical of their work.”
“The administration has also not ruled out prosecuting anyone who exceeded the legal guidelines,” the Times added, “and officials have discussed appointing a special prosecutor. One option might be giving the job to John H. Durham, a federal prosecutor who has spent 15 months investigating the C.I.A.’s destruction of videotapes of harsh interrogations.”
On Monday, Sen. Diane Feinstein (D-CA) wrote Obama to “respectfully request that comments regarding holding individuals accountable for detention and interrogation related activities be held in reserve until the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is able to complete its review of the conditions and interrogations of certain high value detainees.”
“This study is now underway, and I estimate its completion within the next six to eight months,” Feinstein added. “A study of the first two detainees has already been completed and will shortly be before the committee.”
This video is from MSNBC’s News Live, broadcast Apr. 21, 2009.
Download video via RawReplay.com
12 comments
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This is all we are asking for… Investigations!
Once the investigations are complete then we can fight over what the outcome means. Then we’ll fight about what should be done.
The important thing is that all the information gets out & that the world sees we are taking care of our mistakes and attempting to hold resposible thoe who committed crimes.
As long as everything is above board this will wok itself out. It doesn’t have to be done NOW, like the Economy and the introduction of renewable power sources, but the investigation needs to be going on while we are fixing all the other broken things in this country…
I voted for Obama and gave his campaign money. I’ve been referring to him lately as a fucking traitor for covering up for the Bush criminal cabal. And unless/until I see a big change here, I stand by those words. Not investigating Bush/Cheney is totally unacceptable.
But if the screws that have been loose in his head about this subject begin to fall into place and firm up, then I’ll be the first one taking back my criticisms. Appoint a special prosecutor, Obama. I’d like to get back to liking you.
Congress cannot prosecute.
He said he would not prejudge whether or not prosecutions are appropriate.
That is the province of the Attorney General:
http://blogdredd.blogspot.com/2009/04/independent-attorney-general-why.html
Sure , sure, whatever, oBUSHma, you political hack, hell would have to freeze over before you step upon the altars of “StatesmanShip.” It’s kinda obvious to ANYone, you STATE emphatically you won’t, under political pressure, “maybe” perhaps you’ll look into taking the only oath of office you take seriously? Oh, how frakking nice of you that you might be considering actually doing your job. And go ahead oBOMBa-bots, let’s hear how you messiah is playing politics, and what that’s suppose to make him a real agent of change, when the puppet is spineless, pressure must be beared upon for him to buck toward the moral and legal thing? WHat are you neoKUNT apologists now?
Seriously, GOP minions and rednecks are by FAR, more idiotic, and mindless, but for a supposed group of enlightened intellectuals, I hear the WORST sort of rationale, excuses, and doublespeak coming out of their mouths. You people disgust me.
Sure, oBUSHma, we’ll believe your worthless rhetoric when we see a GENUINE, no HOLDS BARRED FULL CRIMINAL Prosecution, and capital punishment for war & occupation and torture enablers, all after due process, of course. I mean come on, what are we, Cheney?
Even dirtbag scums DESERVE habeas corpus and his/her day in court, no? Now, only if they can raid Bush&ClintonCrimeFamilia and the Cheneys’ offshore bankaccounts to pay FOR ALL of it: the lawyers’ fees for BOTH defense(well, okay, so they’ll do that anyway) and prosecution, court fees, media, court parking fees, media and public circus fees, hell, we should charge them to host a CountyFair of sorts, with rides and cotton candy and all, and call it Nuremberg II: The Spring Cleaning. We should celebrate the Constitutional affair. Um.. can we ALL sue them for collective pain and suffering and defacing of American sovereignty and defamation of our good standing in the world?
Let’s face it, despite all our flaws: the Native genocide, and slavery, and neo-imperialism, there is no dispute that at least, post-WWII era, we had the best global image that PR money can buy, fake, but perception often wins diplomacy; if we’re viewed as honest brokers that lead to good outcome who can argue? Besides, the French still have a nationally instituted mercenary force known as the French Legion, the very concept of “standing army” in post-Roman era is a French notion, in which they exported it to the English. And let’s not forget that the degenerate scums sitting athrone in UK is the progeny of the world’s most vile and murderous colonialists.
In fact, it was slightly more than 1/2 century ago the English were still a full blown colonial power. Most of the problems we see in the world are precisely because of murderous scabs left over from the Euro-trash colonialist meddlings. And now what, they’re the peacenik? Puhleeze.
I’m all for ReParations for my AfricanAmerican & Native American brethrens. But it need NOT come from us. There are TWO primary groups that are responsible for worldwide Euro-colonialism, and slavery: the English “royalty,” and the Vatican. I say sue the frakk out of them into oblivion. Since there are no statutes of limitations on murder, for all you brainwashed pro-international court-ists, what do you think the chances are of bringing Queen Mum, and the Pope before the Hague?
Looking for honest liberals, really I am.
Even the first line makes you turn off…
“Well — look, as I’ve said before, this has been a difficult chapter in our history, …”
Has been? History?
I think that chapter is still at the Printer, dude.
Before the O-Bots decide that the First Hundred Days should really have meant the First Thousand Days… (given the economic problems, in all fairness, a hundred days isn’t really enough time to judge anything, blah blah blah, age 8), I think it is REALLY about time, this snake threw something substantive on the table.
“But when we do make mistakes, then we are willing to go back and correct those mistakes and keep our eye on those ideals and values….”
There is only one way to prove that we are “willing to go back and correct those mistakes”, and that’s by GOING BACK AND CORRECTING THOSE MISTAKES by prosecuting the high level officials who condoned and ORDERED torturing men to the psychological “open door of death” at least six times a day, every day, for an entire month. If we don’t “go back”, investigate and prosecute, we turn a blind eye on our ideals and values, and when we do that, we CANNOT pass them on to subsequent generations. Our “moral compass” has been obviously and heiniously hacked. Time to “recalibrate” to moral norms and thereby FIX IT! Investigate! Prosecute! The bare proofs are in the headlines already!
Nothing to get excited about here.
If there were any “investigations,” the Bush-accomplice Dems would implicate themselves in the criminality.
If the “investigations” were anything like the meaningless so-called “investigations” held after the Bush-accomplice Dems became the majority in congress following 2006, NOTHING will happen. Period. If one recalls, they had umpteen so-called “investigations” and NOTHING HAPPENED as a result of them. I guess the first person who commented doesn’t remember any of that.
Why don’t these mealy mouth reporters start asking direct questions? I’d ask Obama, “If I waterboarded someone I’d be arrested and it would be a crime. Why aren’t the people in the past Bush admin. not investigated and arrested???? Hello!
i’m beginning to wonder if bush and cheney aren’t still running the country and obama is a puppet.
…”they are confronted with an enemy that doesn’t have scruples, that isn’t constrained by constitutions, aren’t constrained by legal niceties.”
Hey, you mealy mouthed Harvard cream puff, that is exactly why we are what we are and our enemies are what they are. We are liberated by our Constitution, not constrained by it, we have scruples because we are a great nation, not some banana republic that Bush envisioned, we are constrained by legal niceties because we are a nation of laws, not of men. You are advocating that we become like our enemies. Why am I smarter than you? Why do I have to remind you of your duty? The Bush administration lowered our standards of conduct and I want you to grow some balls and prosecute the hell out of those responsible, including Bush and Cheney.
You can bet your bottom dollar on a Zelikow-Kean-Hamilton type sham again.
They spend more time and money putting the kid next door in prison for some pot than these assholes for treason!
Nothing short of long prison sentences for Bush and Cheney and the gang will satisfy me!
One good thing so far: Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld will be worried for decades now, even if they try to make it look like they’re not worried. Three words: thermite, torture, treason. History will not forget and will likely REMIND them over and over and over and over again. Progress. It happens.