Letters to the Editor
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John Yoo: Spearhead or Scapegoat?
While Glenn is correct that Yoo shouldn't be turned into a scapegoat, it is also beyond argument that he provided the legal cover for the creation of a torture regime; in other words, he was an enabler of odious programs designed by Bush "Principals," Cheney, Rumsfeld, Tenet, Powell, Rice and Ashcroft.
We should keep in mind that opinions by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) are considered what is permissible by the administration. While Yoo certainly didn't operate in a vacuum, he should be held to account for the criminal actions of his political masters in the White House. Nuremberg prosecutors were correct to execute Nazi leaders for their crimes, should the "little fish," the enablers have gone free?
Yoo acted as a "spearhead" for the Bush regime and should be held to account just as Graner and Englund were. Were others also responsible? Of course they were! This doesn't, however, mean that Yoo (or U.S. Ninth Circuit Court judge Bybee, for that matter) shouldn't pay a stiff price for their crimes. In other words, the "little Eichmann's" should join the big ones in the dock. Fire the bastard!