San Francisco prosecutor tapped by Obama to investigate terror suspect interrogation policy

[BuyingThyme]

S.F. prosecutor tapped by Obama to investigate terror suspect interrogation policy
By Josh Richman
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 03/11/2009 07:01:50 PM PDT

A federal prosecutor in San Francisco will lead a task force investigating the government's policies on interrogating terrorism suspects, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced Wednesday.

Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Wilson, now chief of the National Security Unit in the U.S. attorney's office for the Northern District of California, will lead the task force created under President Barack Obama's Jan. 22 executive order seeking to balance national security needs with American human rights values.

This interagency task force is supposed to determine whether Army Field Manual interrogation guidelines should remain the only standards for nonmilitary departments or agencies trying to get information from terrorism suspects, or whether different or more guidance is needed.

It's also supposed to examine detainees' transfer to other nations — a practice sometimes called extraordinary rendition — to ensure doing so complies with all U.S. and international laws and doesn't lead to torture or inhumane treatment.

...

Both task forces are supposed to report their findings to President Obama within six months of the Jan. 22 orders, unless the chairmen find an extension is needed.

The orders creating these task forces were part of a package President Obama had promised to reverse the Bush administration's policies, which many believed allowed torture of the terrorism suspects.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_11891093?source=rss

[defendandprotect]

1. Good . . . Obama should also have observers at Guantanamo and anywhere else we have prisoners!!!