Sunday, December 09, 2007

CIA Obstruction of Justice Designed to Shield George W. Bush?

CIA destruction of at least two torture tapes underscores the degree to which this White House, this CIA has subverted the rule of law, the Constitution and the interests of the American people. This wanton destruction of evidence is now a case of obstruction of justice, an attempt to escape the consequences of this administration's deliberate and felonious violations of US Criminal Codes as well as the Nuremberg Principles and the Geneva Conventions to which this nation is bound. That it makes the news at all is surprising, given the contempt with which this government has held the people, the media and the rest of the world.
The admissions made by CIA Director Michael Hayden now establish an impressive array of alleged crimes — allegations that would easily justify a grand jury investigation in any other case. It is equally clear that some of these alleged criminal acts involved President Bush directly (most obviously, the ordering of the torture of suspects) and a variety of high-ranking administration officials.

At issue are tapes of the interrogation of Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri (the alleged mastermind of the 2000 attack on the USS Cole), which reportedly involved the use of waterboarding. Invented during the Spanish Inquisition, waterboarding has been defined as a federal crime and a war crime by both U.S. courts and international law. The tapes were made in 2002. That date is important because the use of torture was already in the news and many, including myself, were charging that anyone ordering or engaging in such torture could be prosecuted. More importantly, both the 9/11 Commission (acting under Congressional authority) and federal courts had demanded interrogation tapes but were told that they did not exist.

--CIA Interrogation Tapes: “Bad” is Hardly the Word — Call it Criminal

The destruction of material evidence of felonies and/or treason is to be expected by this White House. Nor should we be surprised by CIA Director Michael Hayden's ham fisted handling of the entire affair. Hayden, it should be recalled, assumed his office upon the lie he told about the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. In an exchange with a reporter at the National Press Club General Hayden insisted that the standard for seizure and searches required by the Fourth Amendment was "reasonableness" or "reasonable suspicion".

All pig-headed Hayden had to do was just read it. Here's more on a typical case of official idiocy and arrogance:

And because Hayden fell asleep during Junior High civics class here is the text of the Fourth Amentment. I suggest that Hayden block out some time to read it.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

--Fourth Amendment, Bill of Rights, US Constitution

If Hayden can't bother to read this elementary principle of American jurisprudence or worse he cannot understand it, then he should step down. He might try sweeping floors to "generalling".

Hayden preferred to argue, not from ignorance which can be remedied, but from the marriage of arrogance and stupidity. No one on my high school debate team would have tried getting away with what this idiot, who presumes to head the freakin' CIA, tried to get away with. Hayden is a specimen to be studied, evidence of the dumbing down of America.

Is it too much to expect of our "leaders" that they take their heads out of their criminal asses? Now --the CIA and quite possibly the Bush White House are up to those same criminal "asses" in obstruction of justice. The CIA, it is now revealed, destroyed video tapes of tortures in progress even as the CIA’s secret detention program was under Congressional and legal scrutiny.
Hayden’s letter attempts to create a rationale for what was clearly a move to hide the government’s actions from American and world public opinion and destroy evidence of criminal activity by CIA operatives and government officials, up to and including President Bush.

As the CIA well knew, if the tapes had become public—especially in the aftermath of the Abu Ghraib revelations—they would have evoked a wave of shock and revulsion in the United States and around the world, and confirmed that Abu Ghraib, far from an aberration, was the outcome of US government policy.

Hayden made the improbable claim that the tapes were destroyed to protect CIA interrogators from retaliation by Al Qaeda. He wrote in his letter that the CIA halted the practice of taping interrogations in 2002, after only a few recordings had been made.

--Counter Currents

The tapes in question are destroyed despite the fact that the CIA had been "warned" against it.
White House and Justice Department officials, along with senior members of Congress, advised the CIA in 2003 against a plan to destroy hundreds of hours of videotapes showing the interrogations of two al-Qaeda operatives, government officials said yesterday.

The chief of the agency's clandestine service nevertheless ordered their destruction in November 2005, taking the step without notifying even the CIA's own top lawyer, John A. Rizzo, who was angry at the decision, the officials said.

--CIA told not to ruin tapes, The New York Times

Violations of both Nuremberg Principles and the Geneva Conventions had become and most certainly remain a matter of Bush administration policy. This most recent destruction of evidence, this clear case of obstruction of justice, must be considered in this context.

We are told that it is not known who authorized this case of obstruction of justice. Even so, it is fair to ask who benefits? The answer to that question is simple: George W. Bush, who has supported policies violating both Nuremberg and Geneva from the get go. The numerous violations of Nuremberg and Geneva are under US Codes, Title 18, Section 2441 capital crimes.
(a) Offense.— Whoever, whether inside or outside the United States, commits a war crime, in any of the circumstances described in subsection (b), shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for life or any term of years, or both, and if death results to the victim, shall also be subject to the penalty of death.
Given Bush's numerous public pronouncements on the issue, the policy belongs to Bush. The buck stops at the White House. As I have stated repeatedly, there is enough probable cause in the public record to bring capital charges against George W. Bush. Who is protected by the destruction of these tapes of a procedure that had been denied in numerous administration lies? The answer to that question, again, is: George W. Bush!







Waterboarding

Spread the word:

yahoo icerocket pubsub newsvine

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

FuzzFlash sez...

Sensational shot of the Statue of Bigotry: Send me your poor, your weak and your huddled masses and I'll humiliate and torture them for Mammon and Morloch!
In a single image is captured the double-thinking, doubleplusgood duckspeaking hypocricy of the MIC-controlled regime of Dubya “The Imbecile” Bush.
Jerry Rubin would have imaged a squillion post cards with the Statue of Bigotry shot and ticker-taped and mailed the nation with them. Yippie’s ruled ok, Yuppies suck.

My Minister for War, bless her cotton socks, has insisted that one turns a bigger buck in the lead up to the festive season. The “ne$t-egg,” as it is, is not to be trifled with, with respect of customary chrissie exchanges of a more mercenary nature where it’s the gift and not the thought that counts. So I must dart out for the day to heal the sick, raise the dead--- that sort of thing. But hey, it keeps her happy and off my case and to tell you the truth, I always get a buzz from last-minute special guest appearance locum tenens gigs.
The thing is, I’d like to contribute to this and the previous excellent thread. So if enough chi is pulsing my meridians at day’s end, I’ll be back with flailing fingers to join in. If too knackered, tomorrow. See yez later, comrades.

Anonymous said...

The other interpretation being touted in regard to the destruction of the tapes is that when Zubaydah was tortured he revealed details of 911 foreknowledge by senior Saudi officials. Some argue that further "proof" that the US tortures people would hardly warrant the destruction of the tapes as such abuses were already known and that the actual contents of the tapes would never have reached the public anyway, being tied up in court proceedings and protected by "state secrets" sanctions. The claim is that the protection of essential diplomatic relations was behind the destruction of the tapes. See here and here. I also came across an interesting account of payments to the 911 terrorists by Princess Haifa bint Faisal, the wife of then Saudi ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar here.

Anonymous said...

If you haven't come across it yet, Len, you'll definitely want to read this.

Diane B said...

Yes, the obstruction of justice was to shield George Bush, and of course with his knowledge and approval.

This follows a systematic tearing down of our freedoms which our country has held dear for over two hundred years.

I believe the author Naomi Wolfe is correct, that the steps towards facism are being set in place, as many in this Country remain unaware.

Senator Whitehouse spoke about the President's abuse of power and the fear we would be spied on when traveling outside the Country if the new fisa law is passed. I was pleased he spoke, but fear it is to little, to late. I remember when they hurried thru this new law, I believe in Aug this year. He was one of the key Senators who worked overtime to get this shoddy bill passed.So my question Why, did he help pass this bill in the first place.

Anonymous said...

Fuzzflash sez…


Len Hart: [We are told that it is not known who authorized this case of obstruction of justice. Even so, it is fair to ask who benefits? ]

"It was also unclear when the White House or Justice Department were told that the tapes had been destroyed, or whether anyone at either place was notified in advance that Rodriguez had ordered that the step be taken. Dana Perino, the White House spokeswoman, said yesterday that President Bush had "no recollection" of being made aware of the tapes' destruction before Thursday, when Hayden briefed him on the matter."
Mark Mazzetti NYT. Dec 8 , 2007.

Jose A. Rodriguez Jr., gave the order to shred. His butt needs speedy hauling before a court on ObJay Major! Maybe grant the schmuck full immunity if he fingers Team Imbecile Insiders or indeed The Imbecile-In-Chief himself who sits on top of the cui bono hit parade like a Crawford Rhinestone Cowboy with bodgie bling , flashing lights and rather extravagant red, white and blue bunting.

Unknown said...

And now some GOPPERS are claiming that a crime may have not been committed by the destruction of the tapes. Nonsense. If "torture" had not been illegal, the Bushies would not have been so adamant in their failed attempts to make it legal by decree. It remains a violation of Geneva despite Bushies worst efforts. The destruction of anything relevant to the commission of the commission of Bush's war crimes is a case of obstruction of justice.

Bombard Congress. Demand a special prosecutor.

Anonymous said...

It seems the tapes still exist!

Anonymous said...

Sorry, part missing from the post. It seems the tapes still exist! And the suspicion is that they may show Saudi and/or Israeli interrogators participating.

Unknown said...

Back in the 90's I wrote a piece for "The Opinion" charging that Saudi Arabia was a terrorist sponsor. And, of course, we learn about new Israeli outrages daily. The US, Saudi Arabia, and Israel is probably an "Axis of Evil". I object to the US spending billions, possibly trillions of dollars conducting a war so that decadent Saudis and malevolent Israelis get to torture folk!

Unknown said...

A final shot, the right wing has tried for years to slip in the terms "reasonable suspicion" in place of "probable cause". This is a big deal. Any idiot needing a warrant can tell a judge that his suspicion that you are a "terrorist" is reasonable. There is, in fact, no bar, no safeguard against tyranny. Probable Cause are the only two words that stand between you and tyranny.

It's just one more instance in which the GOP continues to subvert in any way they can the very principles of American justice.

Anonymous said...

The destruction of evidence in a terrorism investigation in the United States of America is a FELONY VIOLATION of the USA PATRIOT ACT.

The words 'Patriot Act' are an acronym. They stand for :

Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism

Now think about this :

DESTROYING Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism

If you will clear your mind of 'homicidal' and 'torture' images and concentrate on the FELONY that is right in front of everyone's nose, then you will be able to find the courage to READ and the USE the USA Patriot Act to prosecute the destroyers of these CIA tapes with FELONY prosecution under the USA Patriot Act.

bush and his administration have VIOLATED the PATRIOT act in the most basic form of all.

And all of you are letting them get away with this FELONY VIOLATION of the USA Patriot Act.

Are all Americans complicit, are all americans guilty of MISAPRION of FELONY in this instance.

If we let our leaders use the USA Patriot Act to DESTROY the tools ... the we are all the biggest suckers in the world and deserve NO FREEDOMS.