In The Bush Administration Lawlessness Reigns Supreme

[No DUplicitous DUpe]

In The Bush Administration Lawlessness Reigns Supreme (posted with permission of the author)
http://saneramblings.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=221&sid=f24f6373d7bb4fb729efec3c67a2d6ca

"CIA destroyed secret tapes of interrogations," headlined the Los Angeles Times.*

Aside from the CIA's brutal treatment of people, which in itself I find abominable, another piece of our democracy had died and we are just finding out about it.

The CIA will now investigate itself, joined by the Bush Administration corrupted Justice Dept. to see if criminal wrong doing took place. There is as much chance of the CIA finding itself criminally liable as the KGB, the old Soviet Union's secret police, finding itself criminally liable for its terrible acts.

The CIA confirms destroying two-video tapes containing hundreds of hours of their secret, brutal interrogations of two-terrorism suspects they'd seized and held indefinitely, with no charges.

I believe this will be the 1st of many tape destruction disclosures, and it was done to prevent the public from seeing the brutal techniques the CIA uses. The public would be sickened to see what "waterboarding" and other horrific techniques actually look like and what it does to its victims.

It also gets rid of legal liability for those CIA agents and their bosses who might otherwise be sued in U.S. or international courts.

In addition, it destroys the credibility in court of any coerced testimony but as we've seen with the Bush Administration, it is not their intent to have these terrorist cases brought to trial. In some cases they would allow them to be tried but in secret military tribunals, not subject to public review.

Between the lies that led to the Iraq war and all of its death and destruction, and secret prisons, Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, denying prisoners the right of habeas corpus, the missing White House email records, illegal wire tapping, commuting Scooter Libby's prison sentence at the last second and so many other scandalous revelations it's become a blur of non-accountability.

As for the tapes, Congress, who funds the CIA and supposedly provides some oversight, wasn't told they were destroyed, nor was the U.S. court system. The 9/11 Commission wasn't even aware such evidence existed.

But in fairness to the Bush Administration, Congress never has held them accountable under our Constitutional "checks and balances" system so I doubt they gave Congress much thought when it came to the CIA.

The CIA claims those tapes were destroyed because they were "a serious security risk." I agree with them. Those tapes risked the security of the CIA and the Bush Administration, if Congress or the U.S. or international courts were to hold them accountable for their illegal actions.

If enough U.S. citizens take to the streets and raise their voices, Congress may finally do its job while there is still some form of Constitution to protect. Whether you and I can make a difference is questionable, but whether we tried is not for our actions or inactions will speak for themselves.

And there is hope. "There is a light in this world, a healing spirit more powerful than any darkness we may encounter. We sometimes lose sight of this force when there is suffering, and too much pain. Then suddenly, the spirit will emerge through the lives of ordinary people who hear a call and answer in extraordinary ways." -- Mother Teresa **

Liberty doesn't come for free and our founding fathers risked their lives for ours. Now it's up to you and me. Otherwise it will remain as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in ignoring her Constitutional responsibility, "impeachment is off the table."

This means she is waiving Congress' Constitutional right to hold those in high office accountable for their illegal actions, a waiver not lost on the Bush Administration or the CIA that reports to it.

This video tape scandal will fade from public view as the media moves on to other stories. But that doesn't change the fact the CIA has evolved into a Presidential private army, nor that 100% of its budget is kept secret from you and me, as are its activities. This video tape scandal smacks us in the face with how terrible and systemic its evils are.

Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney, among others in their Administration including the CIA better hope the world doesn't establish Nuremberg type trials for them, for they have overwhelmingly earned them.

Dick
(Visit his site http://www.saneramblings.com for more great columns!)

Note: The Nuremberg Trials were conducted from 1945 to 1949 as the world led by the U.S. held accountable the captured "Major War Criminals" from World War ll.

* Los Angeles Times, 12/7/07
** Mother Teresa quote courtesy of http://www.MorningMantra.com