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<br>Hi Rob,<br><br> Andrew Sullivan recently put forth the theory that by appearing to do<br>nothing, Obama was making Cheney crazy with waiting so he "puts<br>his head in the noose". (1)<br><br> Noting that Bush and Rice had declined to criticize the new president, <br>Sullivan said that for Cheney to comment at all was "unseemly and <br>unusual," and added that Cheney's remarks were were tantamout to <br>accusing Obama of treason. Sullivan says that "coming out so <br>forcefully and so publicly.... intent on asserting that the torture <br>programme he set
up was legal, moral and defensible.... he may come <br>to regret making that move...."<br><br> Sullivan also discusses the impending release of three "ugly" 2005 <br>memos about torture practices. Now CIA director Leon Panetta is <br>trying to block their declassification. Jameel Jaffer, an ACLU lawyer, <br>said "This is arguably the most important
test thus far of the Obama <br>administration's commitment to transparency." (2)<br><br> Though Horton seems to credit Obama with ending the extraordinary <br>rendition program; Sullivan says it was only rolled back to Clinton-era <br>standards--which sucked. I am not very confident that we will get<br>Congress to undertake an investigation of Bush tortures, because any<br>honest probe will uncover Pelosi's complicity and the history under <br>Clinton.<br><br> Clinton started such renditions in 1995 after Gore said "Of course it's <br>illegal. That's why it's a covert op." They flew a kidnapped prisoner to <br>Egypt in that year, and George Tenet told the 9/11 Commission that <br>several dozen renditions were done before 9/11. The CIA's Michael <br>Scheuer said they could send a question to the Egyptian interrogators <br>in the morning and get an answer from the detainee by the afternoon. <br>Later he told a subcommittee of the House Committee on Foreign <br>Affairs: <br><br> "I have read and been told that Mr. Clinton, Mr. Berger and Mr. Clarke
<br> have said, since 9/11, that they insisted that each receiving country
<br> treat the rendered person it received according to U.S. legal
standards. <br> To the best of my memory, that is a lie."<br><br> I can't resist a buit of moralizing: This is what's wrong with just even a <br>little bit of wrong-doing, even for a good cause. Your doings will be cited by <br>those who come after you as justification for much greater wrongs done for <br>bad causes, and will help them escape accountability.<br><br>1. <style type="text/css">
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--></style><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article5992569.ece">http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/andrew_sullivan/article5992569.ece</a>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">2. <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/192314/page/1">http://www.newsweek.com/id/192314/page/1</a></p>
<br><br> <br><br><br><br><br>> From: rob.means@electric-bikes.com<br>> To: sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>> Date: Fri, 3 Apr 2009 19:12:51 -0800<br>> Subject: Re: [Sosfbay-discuss] "The Accountability Imperative"<br>> <br>> I agree that Bush administration torturers must be tried and punished.<br>> I'm hoping that Obama's reluctance to act is actually a decision to use<br>> one of Sun Tsu's tactics of war called "Kill with a borrowed knife."<br>> Why should he take on the grief of trying Bush himself when someone else<br>> will do it for him? By not opposing the Spanish and Brits, he is<br>> already giving tacit approval to the prosecution. Before Bush is<br>> arrested, Obama would be well advised to get on board and add the U. S.<br>> as another nation seeking justice through the Spanish Court. IMO,<br>> anything less would be dishonorable.<br>> <br>> Rob Means, Electro Ride Bikes and Scooters<br>> 408-262-8975 rob.means@electric-bikes.com<br>> 1421 Yellowstone Ave., Milpitas, CA 95035-6913<br>> Discover cycling that's Easy, Safe, Fast - and FUN!<br>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>> ---<br>> <br>> <br>> <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> sosfbay-discuss mailing list<br>> sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>> http://lists.cagreens.org/mailman/listinfo/sosfbay-discuss<br><br /><hr />Rediscover HotmailŪ: Get e-mail storage that grows with you. <a href='http://windowslive.com/RediscoverHotmail?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_HM_Rediscover_Storage1_042009' target='_new'>Check it out.</a></body>
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