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Sixty years ago at Nuremberg, we tried, convicted and punished those within the Third Reich for their acts of barbarism. At that time, morality, integrity, and the civil-legal-human rights of all were paramount. Any such acts of barbarism, whether it's the persons who set policies, gave orders for implementing such acts, executed them, or sanctioned, condoned, or "legally" justified acts of torture upon unarmed people are patently illegal under international laws, the Geneva Convention, and our Constitution. Regardless as to who tortures, or their reasons, such acts can and should never be tolerated by civilized society, without exception.
By engaging in extreme Rendition, illegally detaining civilians, and subjecting people to nefarious tactics, guised as "enhanced interrogation techniques," our nation plunged into an abyss of immorality, duplicity, lawlessness, and disregard for democratic principles. In fact, we're no better than the Nazis we prosecuted, or the so-called "terrorists" we claim to despise, and whose acts of barbarism we decry.
Charles Graner, and others who assaulted the human rights of detainees at Abu Ghraib, Guantanimo, or elsewhere, are criminals, and are justly held as perpetrators of crimes against humanity. However, the burden is greater to prosecute and punish those who set such policies, justified the use of torture, gave the orders to commit such heinous acts as well.
I hope president-elect Obama allows the new Attorney General to order investigations (by independent prosecutors), into all within the administration who knew about, or sanctioned such policies: John Yoo, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, George W. Bush, Alberto Gonzalez, Michael Mukasey, etc., and even those in Congress, who sanctioned, approved, or voted for such a policy of barbarism to continue. This would send a clear message to the world that we are not hypocrits, that such abuses will never be tolerated under our own law, ignoring international standards and laws will not be permitted, and we will uphold our Constitutional guarantees for citizens and civilians to the fullest. It will restore our integrity, credibility, and principles upon which our free repulic are based.
