Stripping Rumsfeld and Bush of Impunity
Matthew Rothschild
From the July 2005 Issue
When Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee last year, he was asked whether he "ordered or approved the use of sleep deprivation, intimidation by guard dogs, excessive noise, and inducing fear as an interrogation method for a prisoner in Abu Ghraib prison." Sanchez, who was head of the Pentagon’s Combined Joint Task Force-7 in Iraq, swore the answer was no. Under oath, he told the Senators he "never approved any of those measures to be used."
But a document the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) obtained from the Pentagon flat out contradicts Sanchez’s testimony. It’s a memorandum entitled "CJTF-7 Interrogation and Counter-Resistance Policy," dated September 14, 2003. In it, Sanchez approved several methods designed for "significantly increasing the fear level in a detainee." These included "sleep management"; "yelling, loud music, and light control: used to create fear, disorient detainee, and prolong capture shock"; and "presence of military working dogs: exploits Arab fear of dogs."
From: The Progressive Magazine
Please Read Whole Story
http://progressive.org/?q=mag_impunity
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This is one of my favorite magazines. I'm also a subscriber and I hope you all do to.
From CP
Full Version: Stripping Rumsfeld and Bush of Impunity
QUOTE
The case against Rumsfeld may be the most substantial of all. While "expressing no opinion about the ultimate guilt or innocence" of Rumsfeld, Human Rights Watch is urging his prosecution under the War Crimes Act of 1996 and the Anti-Torture Act of 1996. Under these statutes, a "war crime" is any "grave breach" of common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which prohibits "outrages upon personal dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment," as well as torture and murder. A "grave breach," according to U.S. law, includes "willful killing, torture, or inhuman treatment of prisoners of war and of other ‘protected persons,’ " Human Rights Watch explains in "Getting Away with Torture?"
Rumsfeld faces jeopardy for being head of the Defense Department when those directly under him committed grave offenses. And he may be liable for actions he himself undertook.
"Secretary Rumsfeld may bear legal liability for war crimes and torture by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantánamo under the doctrine of ‘command responsibility’—the legal principle that holds a superior responsible for crimes committed by his subordinates when he knew or should have known that they were being committed but fails to take reasonable measures to stop them," Human Rights Watch says in its report.
But Rumsfeld’s potential liability may be more direct than simply being the guy in charge who didn’t stop the torture and mistreatment once he learned about it.
Rumsfeld faces jeopardy for being head of the Defense Department when those directly under him committed grave offenses. And he may be liable for actions he himself undertook.
"Secretary Rumsfeld may bear legal liability for war crimes and torture by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantánamo under the doctrine of ‘command responsibility’—the legal principle that holds a superior responsible for crimes committed by his subordinates when he knew or should have known that they were being committed but fails to take reasonable measures to stop them," Human Rights Watch says in its report.
But Rumsfeld’s potential liability may be more direct than simply being the guy in charge who didn’t stop the torture and mistreatment once he learned about it.
QUOTE
"It’s a complete joke" to expect Gonzales to appoint a special prosecutor, concedes Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights.
As anyone can see, this is the reason Gonzales was appointed to his position. Great article, CP!
QUOTE(ncMindy @ Jun 28 2005, 06:13 PM)
As anyone can see, this is the reason Gonzales was appointed to his position. Great article, CP!
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Hello Mindy,
I thought you all might like these articles. I had my subcription book with me all day reading these articles, and I thought about all of you guys.
And I said as soon as I got home I was going to share these articles with you guys.
I did email progressive and express my appreciation for this great edition of progressive magazine. I also let them know that I posted the articles to all of my friends on the internet.
Thank you ncMindy. Your Welcome.
Sincerely,
CP
QUOTE
I did email progressive and express my appreciation for this great edition of progressive magazine. I also let them know that I posted the articles to all of my friends on the internet.
Good move, CP.
It's a great magazine.
QUOTE(ncMindy @ Jun 28 2005, 07:22 PM)
Good move, CP. It's a great magazine.
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It's a great magazine.[right][snapback]79997[/snapback][/right]
Your Welcome ncMindy, it is a great magazine.
Now I want you guys to know and to order...
Twelve Bucks for one year...
You can't beat that ncMindy for this kind of information, especially with great articles like these.
There are some more great articles in this issue that you will love.
Here's a link ncMindy to Progressive Magazine. Go ahead and order the magazine. You will love it.:
http://www.progressive.org/
I'm also subscribed to the Nation Magazine:
http://www.thenation.com/
These are both good political, progressive magazines. You will love them both Mindy.
Thank you ncMindy.
Sincerely,
CP
QUOTE(ncMindy @ Jun 28 2005, 07:22 PM)
Good move, CP. It's a great magazine.
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It's a great magazine.[right][snapback]79997[/snapback][/right]
Oh!! I forgot ncMindy..
This is another one of my subscription magazines, Mother Jones.
And now you will be just as informed and ready for battle as I am.
Here's a link to Mother Jones:
http://www.motherjones.com/index.html
Thanks again ncMindy. I think that's all the magazines that I subscribe to right now. You may even like Men's Fitness Magazine, it's good for women too because my wife likes it very much and all my sisters.
Link to Men's Health Magazine:
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/homepage.do?...th&channel=home
Sincerely,
CP
QUOTE(ConcernedP1964 @ Jun 28 2005, 08:42 PM)
Oh!! I forgot ncMindy..
This is another one of my subscription magazines, Mother Jones.
And now you will be just as informed and ready for battle as I am.
Here's a link to Mother Jones:
http://www.motherjones.com/index.html
Thanks again ncMindy. I think that's all the magazines that I subscribe to right now. You may even like Men's Fitness Magazine, it's good for women too because my wife likes it very much and all my sisters.
Link to Men's Health Magazine:
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/homepage.do?...th&channel=home
Sincerely,
CP
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This is another one of my subscription magazines, Mother Jones.
And now you will be just as informed and ready for battle as I am.
Here's a link to Mother Jones:
http://www.motherjones.com/index.html
Thanks again ncMindy. I think that's all the magazines that I subscribe to right now. You may even like Men's Fitness Magazine, it's good for women too because my wife likes it very much and all my sisters.
Link to Men's Health Magazine:
http://www.menshealth.com/cda/homepage.do?...th&channel=home
Sincerely,
CP
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I love motherjones - I'm even more progressive than you think!
Thanks, CP.
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