Truth commission to proceed despite Obama’s wishes

John Byrne
Raw Story
Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) plans to proceed with a special commission to investigate alleged Bush administration abuses of power, despite lacking President Barack Obama’s support, according to a report Tuesday.

Sen. Leahy called for a “Truth Commission” in February to probe Bush administration policies on torture, interrogation and surveillance and to — as he puts it — “get to the bottom of what went wrong.” Such an idea would be modeled around truth commissions established in South Africa and Chile, which offered immunity to officials who committed abuses in exchange for the truth.

“Many Americans feel we need to get to the bottom of what went wrong,” Leahy said when announcing his idea in February. “I agree. We need to be able to read the page before we turn the page.”

President Obama, meanwhile, has expressed disinterest in investigating the activities of his predecessor, saying it’s time for the country to move on. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), says he doesn’t want the commission to begin until an inquiry headed by Senate Intelligence Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) examines the Bush administration’s legal defenses of torture techniques.

But Leahy plans to proceed despite lacking the approval of party leaders, sources familiar with the proposal told Politico’s John Bresnahan Tuesday.

“Leahy plans to move ahead with his proposal anyway,” Bresnahan writes. “While he has not found a GOP co-sponsor for legislation creating a truth commission, Leahy is expected to begin circulating a draft soon.”

In a statement, Leahy said his commission will ultimately jibe with the President’s wishes.

“When I first proposed establishing a nonpartisan commission of inquiry in February, I thought then, as I do now, that it was the best approach to conducting a thorough review of national security policies on detention, interrogation and rendition since Sept. 11,” Leahy said in a statement to Bresnahan. “Whether such a comprehensive review happens immediately or in the weeks and months ahead, the evidence that our country committed torture demands a review of the process by which these flawed policies were developed and implemented. President Obama was correct when he said that any review should be done outside of politics. A nonpartisan commission will accomplish just that.”

Speaking in February, Leahy applauded Obama Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision not to rule out prosecutions during his confirmation hearing.

“There are some who resist any effort to investigate the misdeeds of the recent past,” he said. “Indeed, during the nomination hearing of Eric Holder, some of my fellow Senators on the other side of the aisle tried to extract a devil’s bargain from him in exchange for the votes — a commitment that he would not make… That is a pledge no prosecutor should give and Eric Holder did not give it. But because he did not it accounts for some of the votes against him.”

Some liberals have critiqued the proposal, asserting that Bush officials shouldn’t be granted immunity from prosecution even if they’re forthcoming in a congressional investigation. Conservatives have attacked the proposed commission as a political witchhunt.

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9 Responses to “Truth commission to proceed despite Obama’s wishes”

1. will hale Says:
   April 28th, 2009 at 1:15 pm

   obama is a coward and a magnificent liar

2. dj_screamz Says:
   April 28th, 2009 at 10:47 pm

   Obama should go ahead with the Commission. What is he affraid of? After this Torture Commission is finished they should go ahead with the 9/11 commission and finally put to rest so we can all move on and have closure for the victims & their families.

3. Terry Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 12:51 am

   America the shameful, this is the country that believes ‘principles are fine until they cost you something’ the greatest hypocrisy on the planet, so the next time US service personnel are captured tortured, decapitated, filmed for TV and dumped in an ally somewhere, who shall we blame, ourselves of course, for being the cowards we are in not even being able to abide by the laws we hold so dear, and we wonder why most of the world despises us.

4. jg Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 3:05 am

   Leahy? Forget it! Just another whitewash coming your way ’sometime real soon now’.

   Go get yer vaccinations like the good sheeple you are – it will save you in the long run from mandatory lobotomy.

   Has anyone heard of a swine flu death outside of the worst slum city in the world yet?

   Nah, didn’t think so…

   Reaclaim your Constitution – kick out the Zionists running circles around you just like BORAT did!

   Sheesh – what a mess!

5. Marine Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 12:30 pm

   We need to form a war crimes tribunal and prosecute all involved, including Bush. We did it at the close of the European campaign, We did it at the close of the Asian campaign, we did it in Iraq. now its our turn. We are after all at war. These “tortures” are war crimes. A world war crimes tribune needs to sit in judgment over these animals and prosecute them. And just like in the previous mentioned campaigns, hang them as prescribed by the law and as was done to those found guilty in the past. Read the history of what happened, we are not above the law.

6. will hale Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 3:06 pm

   the hypocrisy is almost beyond belief.
   i wonder what the laywers prosecuting the nazi war criminals would say if they were alive?
   i cheered with everyone when Obama won and i now see it is more of the same just in a more shiny and appealing person to serve it.

7. Zang Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 5:19 pm

   Obama wont go ahead and prosecute they all have the good oil on him not being an American citizen !

8. Bruce Hayden Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 6:15 pm

   Look for Leahy to have a heart attack if he goes ahead with his plans. I wouldn’t be flying anywhere if I were him. It’s probably just smoke and mirrors on his part anyway.

9. darkhorse Says:
   April 29th, 2009 at 8:52 pm

   If con-gress was legitimate and therefore relevant, we would not be in this deep mess today. Has anyone in con-gress called for the traitor Jane Harmons’ head to be put to the chopping block? This commission event would likely have a net effect equal to the 9/11 commission. They have yet to stand up to Obama, they are partners in crimes against humanity. Apparently the criminals of congress vote by silence. Congress gave Bush carte blanc, by turning over the reins to him, just like they do with the federal reserve. I don’t recall a huge uproar or outcry, when the adminstration chose to over-ride the Geneva Convention. Congress is mostly a bunch of corporators and traitors. How else are military from 12 different countries, having special drills on the east coast? what about the training of dictators at the school of the Americas, ? How bent do they have to get before they stand up and get with a decent man like Ron Paul. He has more backbone in one vertebra than the more part of congress has all put together.