(10 am – promoted by ek hornbeck)
Just a quickie, because this seems like news to me.
From the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR):
“For the first time, the CIA has acknowledged that extensive records exist relating to its use of enforced disappearances and secret prisons,” said Curt Goering, AIUSA senior deputy executive director. “Given what we already know about documents written by Bush administration officials trying to justify torture and other human rights crimes, one does not need a fertile imagination to conclude that the real reason for refusing to disclose these documents has more to do with avoiding disclosure of criminal activity than national security.“
The revelation came in response to “lawsuit against the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency under the Freedom of Information Act” filed last June by CCR, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) and Washington Square Legal Services for documents “pertaining to secret detention and extraordinary rendition of individuals in the so-called ‘War on Terror.'”
In responding to the order, the CIA has admitted that it has the documents, but refuses to turn them over. Previously, they had sidestepped Congressional requests for such documents by “responding with form letters or referring to briefings.”
Surprise, surprise, one of the reasons for the refusal? A kind of proxy executive privilege, although they do not use the phrase, and claims of lawyer-client privilege:
Among other assertions, the CIA claimed that it did not have to release the documents because many consist of correspondence with the White House or top Bush administration officials, or because they are between parties seeking legal advice on the programs, including guidance on the legality of certain interrogation procedures. The CIA confirmed that it requested-and received-legal advice from attorneys at the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel concerning these procedures.
Does this mean that there exist documents that prove that BushCo is directly responsible for human rights violations? Now that the CIA has admitted it has these documents, human rights groups are renewing their calls for their release and so should we. And the Congress. The CIA cannot claim FOIA exemptions to hide illegal acts.
UPDATE: h/t Magnifico. WaPo has an article: CIA Foresaw Interrogation Issues,
Agency Considered Investigations ‘Virtually Inevitable’:
The CIA said it had identified more than 7,000 pages of classified memos, e-mails and other records relating to its secret prison and interrogation program, but maintained that the materials cannot be released because they relate to, in part, communications between CIA and Justice Department attorneys or discussions with the White House.
Nineteen of those documents were withheld from disclosure specifically because the Bush administration decided they are covered by a “presidential communications privilege,” according to the filings, made in federal court in Manhattan. Some were “authored or solicited and received by the President’s senior advisors in connection with a decision, or potential decision, to be made by the president.”
As Magnifico says:
those nineteen documents are the smoking howitzer. Impeach.
What can we do:
- Educate ourselves and others. CCR has a fantastic website with information summarized, and PDFs of documents related to their ongoing cases.
- Pressure Congresscritters to demand the release of these CIA documents.
- Donate to the amazing groups that do this work: CCR and AIUSA
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Also posted at the big orange nut house.
Yup. The Washington Post had this as a story even — CIA foresaw interrogation issues. Of the more than 7,000 documents:
As I suggested yesterday:
I suspect those 19 documents directly incriminate George W. Bush – enough to convict him of war crimes.
Whoops, forgot the exclamation point !
Posted to Judiciary Chairmans blog. Not that I suppose that is doing much. Still, you’d think it would make a difference to him.
like in this case, these assertions of privilege tell you that the documents would be simply devastating if released.
So it’s a good time to reward CCR for outstanding work with a check. And remember: this is the Internet, so many small checks add up to significant money.
http://www.nwotruth.com/
The tape echos the meme of a comedy spoof from the Onion News Network, ONN.
Torture has to be kept in the news to lower world opinion of the United States government, makes it easier for the globalists to “replace” it with something far more sinister.
The CIA is a Gestapo on foreign soil….
They do exactly the same things the Gestapo did in Germany….it’s the same organization only they operate mostly on foreign soil for torture, renditions, murder and imprisonment. Some 25,000 people are in jail in Iraq I believe almost all are so called “innocent” …as if a insurgent could be guilty of anything….
It never ceases to amaze me the people on “liberal” website that in some way or another defend the American Gestapo CIA ….and those that seek to join and be a part of it and those that promote people like Larry Johnson and Pat Lang on their “liberal” websites…..
The American Gestapo Lives among other places inside many liberal blogs….
Anyone who is a member, promotes, supports the American Gestapo CIA ought to be recognized as a fascist…
There’s no other word for it.
One thing “we” whoever that might be…can do …is explore CIA involvement in these liberal blogs….