"We’ve known for years that the Bush administration ignored and broke the law repeatedly in the name of national security," says the New York Times editorial on July 16 2009.
"Many of [Bush-era] programs could have been conducted just as easily within the law."
But the Bush administration decided to break the law time and again.
"So why break the law, again and again?" asks the editorial.
"Two things seem disturbingly clear. First, President Bush and his top aides panicked after the Sept. 11 attacks. And second, Mr. Cheney and his ideologues, who had long chafed at any legal constraints on executive power, preyed on that panic to advance their agenda."
The editorial ends with a call for investigation of Bush-era crimes and abuses:
"President Obama has refused to open a full investigation of the many laws that were evaded, twisted or broken — pointlessly and destructively — under Mr. Bush. Mr. Obama should change his mind. A full accounting is the only way to ensure these abuses never happen again."
Recently, Newsweek wrote that US Attorney General, Eric Holder, may soon appoint a prosecutor "to investigate the Bush administration's brutal interrogation practices."
Holder is expected to make an announcement "in a matter of weeks."
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Comments: 27
If Obama keeps up his try at shredding the constitution and being a wannabe dictator we will need a special prosecutor for him to.
b) Bush repeatedly violated laws relating to fundamental Constitutional requirements
c) Not prosecuting Bush is dumping the Constitution as well as freedom from tyranny from any future president
When you don't have a justice system you cannot convict the guilty.
Remember that;
change you can count on and what about that lip service about transparency, and the rule of law.
You folks are so damn...AWARE, and informed, I'm...ruined...no Bush supporters to throunce...ruined...
Wow, the NYT has grown some gonads, kinda like nine years late, but better than never...hope that Judith Miller is now writing for some birdcage liner rag in Bush's new neighborhood...
BLEAGHHHH!!!! MY COUNTRY IS A TERRORIST ORG!!!!
Obama has started a war in Pakistan just to reach the Eurasian gas fields. How many innocent people are we allowed to murder to satisfy the glut of corporate greed?
I oppose empire building and the wars to accomplish them. I do think we have some interest in assuring that Pakistan's nuclear weapons don't fall into the hands of terrorists. Without the same data that the president has on the situation I cannot second guess him. But in principle, empirical wars are wrong.
The only real solution is described at www.nopom.info. That solution doesn't require enforcement.