by Mark Silva
Former President Jimmy Carter -- who invested some of his own presidency three decades ago in the pursuit of peace in the Middle East -- suggests that President Barack Obama, bound for a meeting with Arab leaders and an address to the Muslim world this week, should have revealed photographs which portray abuses of military prisoners and says a "complete examination'' of what the Bush administration authorized and conducted in the "ehanced interrogations'' of detained terrorists should be made.
"I think it is hard to realize how much anger there already is based on the revelations that have already been made and any knowledgeable person within the Arab world or around the rest of the countries on earth know that these pictures exist -- they can now only imagine how bad they are and maybe the actual publication of them wouldn't exacerbate an already bad situation,'' Carter says in an interview with CNN's Campbell Brown which will air this evening at 8 pm EDT on CNN.
Carter was asked about the idea of prosecuting officials of the Bush administration who authorized harsh tactics, which the Obama administration has banned as "torture,'' in the interrogation of suspected terrorists after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
"I think prosecuting is too strong a word,'' Carter says. "What I would like to see is a complete examination of what did happen, the identification of any perpetrators of crimes against our own laws or against international law and then after all that's done, decide whether or not there should be any prosecutions. But the revelation of what did happen is what I think I would support.''
Carter also said that he does not agree with Obama's decision not to release photographs which reportedly portray abuse of prisoners at the hands of members of the American military.
"No,'' Carter says, "but I respect what his decisions are. I don't have the responsibility to deal with the consequences, but I think they, most of his supporters were hoping that he would be much more open in the revelation of what we've done in the past.
"But he's made a decision with which I really can't contend that he doesn't want to resurrect the past, he doesn't want to punish those who are guilty of perpetrating of what I consider crimes against our own laws and against our own Constitution,'' Carter says. "And the revelation of those pictures might very well inflame further animosity against our country causing some harm to our soldiers, so I don't agree with him, but I certainly don't criticize him for making that decision.''
Comments
I agree with Carter.
In other countries in the past, it has been called a
"Truth Commission".
Posted by: ornery | June 1, 2009 5:16 PM
Carter: "what I consider crimes against our own laws and against our constitution.”
Great! One of our former (and present) Democratic Presidents is able to read our Federal Law On Torture http://tinyurl.com/besdd3
and tell it like it is...
TORTURE Is a Federal Capital Crime
punishable by 20 years to life, and death if the prisoner dies of torture.
Similar penalties apply just for conspiracy to torture, which certainly happened. Bush, Cheney and their Lawyers were all in on it.
Just shows us what a cowardly wimp President Clinton was that he hasn't spoken out in support of our Rule Of Law and Constitution. Most of we rank and file Democrats supported Clinton all through his impeachment and beyond.
This is how he rewards us. With his Silence.
If President Obama continues to Refuse To Enforce Our Federal Laws and Constitution
All will know that OBAMA IS SOFT ON CRIME
( for those committed by politicians).
But, I'll bet he'd throw you and I in jail for a long time for violating Federal laws.
Obama apparently supports a double standard of Justice. One for you and I where we get prosecuted for all violations and another Justice for politicians where the Bush, Cheney and their appointee Lawyers are protected from prosecution of know crimes by Obama and his appointee Lawyers. Obama took an Oath promising to faithfully enforce our laws and protect our Constitution.
Make him do it.
If you do nothing else for your Country today,
SIGN THE PETITION To Prosecute Them For Torture
AT ANGRYVOTERS dot ORG
http://ANGRYVOTERS.ORG
Over 250,000 have signed
Join them and call yourself a Patriot
.
Posted by: John H Kennedy, Denver CO | June 1, 2009 11:19 PM
JHK is right about the insiders in Warshington being dead set against any such "examination" as Carter wants.
Last year, way before the election, CSpan ran a "panel discussion" of has-been insiders, including notably Jaimeeeee Gorelick.
Sitting in a nice semicircle, they all assured each other, in muted tones, that:
No, no, no. It wouldn't be a good idea to "look back" and try to "blame people".
And certainly a very bad idea indeed to "punish people" for "policy decisions".
Gorelick did very well indeed getting money from FannieMac.
That came out after the nice panel discussion was broadcast.
Yes, indeedy. That came out after Fannie and Freddie collapsed in September and the malfeasance was apparent.
Then it was also apparent where Gorelick was coming from in the that panel .
Of course insiders in Washington don't want a Truth Commission.
Truth has consequences.
Posted by: ornery | June 2, 2009 9:25 AM
The big mistake when Nixon was kicked out of the White House, his bedraggled tail between his legs and still insisting he wasn't a crook, was that there was never any kind of investigation into what he actually DID to us. President Ford acted on the belief that such an investigation would have done more to harm the country than it would have done good, and I get his reasoning -- although he was wrong. By not investigating what Nixon did, we made it easier for his successors to repeat his acts and be assured there'd never be any consequences to them for it.
.
Let's not make the same mistake again. Investigate Bush and his cronies, allow no more excuses for their withholding evidence, and let the chips fall where they may. If Bush is innocent, great -- he can be on his way. If not, throw him in jail and "lose" the key.
Posted by: Op109 | June 2, 2009 11:42 AM