Cheney war crimes probe would be shortest in history MSNBC 03/23/09

Comment

Comment by al rogers on July 18, 2009 at 10:52pm

The reason Obama seems very irritated by it is that he is responsible for the conversation, said Turley, a constitutional scholar and George Washington University professor. Because hes the one that is blocking a criminal investigation of Vice President Cheney and President Bush and other Bush officials. It is like a bank robber calling up and asking him to debate bank robbery.

It was only Dec. 15 when the former vice president admitted he approved the interrogation tactics which many, including the international Red Cross, have called torture.

Even Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) called Cheney out for his remarks.

When the Vice President of the United States says that he believes waterboarding is appropriate, there is no other conclusion that I can reach other than I know its a form of torture, said Sen. Levin. Its been acknowledged as a form of torture I think since the Inquisition.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was the first top-ranking Bush administration official to admit that discussions on the techniques took place in 2002 and 2003.

These are not just our values, said Turley. They are the law.

[Obama] should be saying, What you are describing is a crime. And if he would allow an investigation to well-defined war crimes, Dick Cheney would not be making public statements. He would be surrounded by criminal defense counsel.

Rachel, lets be honest here. It is just as bad to prevent the investigation and prosecution of a war crime as its commission because you become part of it.

You know, some people say, what do you need, a film? We actually had films of us torturing people. So this would be the shortest investigation in history. You have Bush officials who have said that we tortured people. We have interrogators who have said we tortured people. The Red Cross has said it. A host of international organizations have said it.

What is President Obama waiting for? And Im afraid the answer is, a convenient moment.

This video is from MSNBCs The Rachel Maddow Show, broadcast Mar. 23, 2009.