Administration Considers Promotions for Generals in Torture Scandal

[struggle4progress]

ACLU Urges Senators to Seek Appointment of an Outside Special Counsel

WASHINGTON - While the administration continues to attack a single provocative remark by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is reportedly considering promotions for senior generals tied to the torture scandal. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union today sent a letter to Senators reiterating its call for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate torture policies. High-ranking government officials should not be rewarded for putting themselves above the rule of law and the Constitution, the letter says.

"Promoting officers who have been implicated in the torture scandal is not only wrong, but the lack of accountability puts our soldiers at risk," said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. "Instead of taking issue with a remark on the floor of the Senate, the administration should be asking why almost no one above the rank of sergeant has been prosecuted for the federal government’s torture of detainees. High-ranking officials shouldn’t be getting better jobs, while privates and sergeants take all the blame."

Last week, Durbin read aloud a portion of an FBI agent's report describing a detainee at Guantanamo Bay "chained hand and foot in a fetal position to the floor, with no chair, food, or water. Most times they urinated or defecated on themselves, and had been left there for 18-24 hours or more…" Durbin then said, "If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime - Pol Pot or others - that had no concern for human beings."

The New York Times reported on Monday that Rumsfeld is considering promotions and lateral moves for top generals in Iraq linked to the torture scandal. Among them, Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, the theater commander at the outset of the Iraq War, could be promoted to oversee American military operations in Latin America. Pentagon and military officials said the move would reward Sanchez for his loyal service. <snip>

http://www.aclu.org/SafeandFree/SafeandFree.cfm?ID=18553&c=280

[AndyTiedye]

1. They Really Don't Care What ANYBODY Thinks Anymore

Now that they seem to have put even the DSM to sleep,
they know that nothing can possibly touch them.

[NVMojo]

2. this administration is the poster child of morals & values defiants!!

[Erika]

3. Absolute power corrupts absolutely

voila - the Bush administration. They've shamed us to the whole world.

[jmcon007]

4. Let's not be surprised. This is the pattern.

Bush takes pleasure in promoting those who have pissed and shit on the Constitution right along with him.

[OKNancy]

5. This news is several days old

It was discussed here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=1563768

However it's always good to hear what the ACLU has to say.....