Leahy wants to probe 'chain of command' on torture

[yowzayowzayowza]

Source: CNN

An independent commission is needed to determine who authorized the use of abusive interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists, a leading advocate of such a panel said Sunday.

"I want to know who was it who made the decisions that we will violate our own laws; we'll violate our own treaties; we will even violate our own Constitution," Sen. Patrick Leahy told CBS' "Face the Nation."

"That we don't know," said Leahy, D-Vermont, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "We don't know what that chain of command was."

<snip>

The Democratic leaders of Congress have split over Leahy's "Truth Commission" proposal. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi supports it, while Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he prefers any inquiry be handled through the Intelligence Committee.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the head of the Intelligence Committee, told CNN's "State of the Union" that the committee's probe will take six to eight months.

"My hope is that the public debate quells, that we have an opportunity to do our work," said Feinstein, D-California. "The committee will consider it and then we will release, most likely, findings and recommendations."

<more...>

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/26/torture.debate/index.html

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Good recap of Sunday show comments on the torture issue from both sides... even mentions the Spanish Inquisition!!!

[Mind_your_head]

1. There aren't too many people who would be able to ATTEMPT to overrride

the laws written into the Constitution of the United States of America.

And yet ...."here we are"! The Bush family.....and their connections to the very very wealthy (for now) sheiks.

Hmmmm......

[snake in the grass]

2. Well...

...he should stop TALKING and do it, for Buddha's sake!

[pjt7]

3. ACT leahy

enough talk show crap.

[pjt7]

4. ACT leahy

enough talk show crap.

[Solly Mack]

5. Bush has already admitted - publicly - that he knew and approved

Begin there.

[JMorgan]

6. A Commission is not the answer

Commissions are where scandals and crimes go to be buried. There hasn't been on commission in our history that has approached getting to the truth and doing justice. That's a scandal in itself.

Dianne Feinstein, et al, have had years to 'do her work', and the only conclusion I can come to is that her 'work' is to help delay and obscure the truth. If you really want to drive yourself crazy, take a look at this clip from a little over a year ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YocCw5xUF6o

Members of Congress have to get off of their tentative, timid arses, investigate and hold hearings, public ones, and then bite the bullet and beg for the mercy of the American people whom they have failed so completely.

We knew what the Bush administration was from the 2000 campaign. As soon as the USSC gave the election to Bush, but before he got into the White House, he and Cheney were talking down the economy, saying they were "inheriting a recession". In December, 2000. The recession didn't begin until March, 2001. Daily, they kept repeating the word 'recession', because they had to have one in order to get their tax cuts through Congress. And from day one, before really (they surely didn't muster energy for Gore, to go toe-to-toe with the Bush steamroller), Democrats rolled over for Bush and Cheney. Whatever BushCheney wanted, Democrats delivered. God forbid Limbaugh would call them names, like sore-losing obstructionists. WHO CARES WHAT LIMBAUGH SAYS?

I am thoroughly disgusted with the Democratic Party. And with senators like Leahy, who take 3 hour liquid lunches and has spent the last 8 years grumbling before the cameras in between takes on movie sets (cameos in his favorite comic book hero movie, Batman). And Barbara Boxer, who explored her own personal hobbies these last 8 years, like writing a novel, a mystery that's set in Washington. We paid their salaries, for their health care and their families, and they went AWOL. And Dianne Feinstein, whose own personal fortune has grown to gargantuan dimensions due to the Bankruptcy Reform Bill that lets banks charge usury rates and a never-ending war that fills her banker-husband's war-profiteering coffers.

That's got to stop. But it's only going to stop if we hold them to account. All of them. Democrats and Republicans.

[ima_sinnic]

8. excellent nearly first post! wish I could rec just your post.

you have echoed my sentiments exactly.

welcome to DU! :thumbsup:

[No Elephants]

7. Thing is, Bush had a habit of getting members of Congress, Dem and Pub, to approve what he

was doing. Wouldn't be a bit suprised if DiFi was one of them. This is like asking the fox to investigate what all happened to them thar chickens.

Forget Congressional committees. Forget commissions. Demand an independent prosecutor. Tell Obama, your Congressional Rep, you Senators and the D of J. All of them have website with "Contact" capacity. Go for it. Let them know this is an issue on which you plan to vote in 2010 and 2012, even if that means primarying incumbents, voting third party or voting Republican. (Okay, maybe you'll change your mind. Two years is a long time.)