Justice Department official slams 'lawless' Bush terror policies

[sabra]

Source: LA Times

The ex-Bush official says practices undermined the U.S. and foreign alliances and helped Al Qaeda. His remarks coincide with Atty. Gen. Holder's efforts to shift course.


Reporting from Washington -- The Bush administration's "lawless response to terrorism" has not only undermined the United States' moral credibility and standing abroad and provided Al Qaeda with its best recruiting material, it also has weakened the U.S. coalitions with foreign governments that it needs most to fight the threat posed by Islamist extremism, a senior Obama Justice Department official said Tuesday.

The remarks by Todd Hinnen, deputy assistant attorney general for law and policy in the department's National Security Division, went well beyond some of the earlier criticisms of the Bush administration by President Obama and his political appointees. And they came on a day when Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. was pressing the case for a sharp course correction away from Bush administration policies toward one that officials said was more in keeping with the rule of law.

Hinnen, who oversees the team of Justice Department lawyers in charge of strategic thinking, policy development and legal analysis on national security matters, said that the new administration was struggling to deal with the fallout left by its predecessors, both in the U.S. and overseas on issues such as coercive interrogations, "extraordinary renditions," and the indefinite detention of suspected terrorists in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at secret CIA "black sites" around the world without due process.

"For years, talks with foreign partners regarding how best to combat terrorism have foundered at a fundamental impasse because of the use of counter-terrorism authorities outside of, and many felt, contrary to, the rule of law," Hinnen told an audience of government and private-sector counter-terrorism experts at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-justice29-2009apr29,0,1748952.story

[Wizard777]

1. Obama should have the foresight to see that when we've been torture free for 8 years -

without a terrorist attack. They will realize that torture wasn't what was keeping them safe. THEN they will want Bush's head on a silver platter. But it will be too late then. Unless Congress invokes it's Constitutional right to punish violations of the law of nations. In international law there are no statutes of limitations on War Crimes.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[downindixie]

13. The only question here is

did torture happen and who committed it.Any evidence that shows it works is fruits of the forbidden tree and should be disregarded.Tortue is against the law and all should be brought to court! I do feel however that the people who were told to carry out the tortue should be considered as mitagating circumstances.The ones who justified tortue and ordered it be carried out should be given their day in court and then be hung.

[Cali_Democrat]

3. Excellent read

I think it's safe to say that many senior Justice Department officials think Bushco broke the law.

Holder needs to appoint a special prosecutor.

[Amonester]

4. Yes. They think they broke the law because the evidence is...

clear in so many cases* right in front of 'em, they hardly can keep the count!

* the same 'almost daily' cases we read about here on DU for years (and still do).

[No Elephants]

5. Special Prosecutor. Please contact your Congressional Rep, your Senators, the Department of

Justice and the White House and tell them the issue of a Special Prosecutor is going to influence how you vote in 2010 and 2012. Please?

www.house.gov

www.senate.gov

www.usdoj.gov/contact-us.html

www.whitehouse.gov/contact



I thank you and the rule of law thanks you.

Because if our highest officials suffer no consequences for breaking our laws, why should you or I respect our laws?

[northofdenali]

8. Already done, a week ago.

Will do again, and again, and again, and again. Hell, I'm already on so many "watch lists" that one more makes no difference!

[barbtries]

10. i'm on an every other day schedule

until the prosecutions begin, or i die. that's the plan.

[chill_wind]

6. The best housecleaning in the world could come from proper investigations.

Can't just go purging like Bush/Gonzales did. I support whatever AG Holder has within his legal and proper power to make that clean-out happen.

[Vidar]

7. Nice words. Now prosecute to restore our credibility.

[barbtries]

9. so, prosecute

it's a no-brainer.

[pmorlan1]

11. Thank you, Sabra!

Thank you so much for posting this, Sabra. I read so many bad opinion pieces today that I couldn't even publish a blog post on my blog today until just a few moments ago. I've added an update to that post and linked to your piece here. Thank you!

http://democracity.blogspot.com/2009/04/artifices-of-designing-men.html

[90-percent]

12. Question

I saw Elizebeth Hasselbeck on the View recently and she was saying that they have cases where thousands of American lives were saved thanks to the miracle of torture American style.

Does this pass the scrutiny of reality or is this more fabricated FOX TYPE PROPAGANDA BULLSHIT?

Thanks

-90% Jimmy

[Generator]

14. Fox propaganda bullshit

No proof. (this was all recently disputed on KO's show among others) She literally spouts talking points straight from Sean Hannity. It makes the show unwatchable because in all the years I've watched her I've NEVER seen her have an opinion in politics that wasn't straight party right wing line.

[90-percent]

15. right wing talking points

who originates them now?

I think Rove used to do it during the Bush years?

is there a website where one can catch up on the days 'official republican talking points"?

Just wondering...

-90% jimmy