Apr 01 2009
Spain seeks torture probe of Bush officials
A high level Spanish court has begun the process of opening a criminal investigation against 6 former Bush administration officials. The focus is on whether the officials named violated international law by creating a legal framework to justify torture at Guantanamo Bay.
The 6 officials include:
* Alberto Gonzales, former attorney general
* John Yoo, former Justice Dept. lawyer, wrote secret opinions giving Bush authority to skirt the Geneva Conventions
* Douglas Feith, former undersecretary of Defense
* William Hayes II, former general counsel at Dept. of Defense
* Jay Bybee, Yoo’s former boss at the Justice Dept’s Office of Legal Counsel
* David Addington, chief of staff and legal advisor to VP Cheney
The case was sent to the prosecutor’s office for review by Baltasar Garzon, the investigative judge who ordered the arrest of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Spain is able to claim jurisdiction as five of its citizens/residents were prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and said they were tortured there.
The 98 page complaint was filed by Spanish human rights group the Association of the Dignity of Prisoners. The complaint is based on the Geneva Conventions and the 1984 Convention against Torture, which is binding on 145 countries.
Officials say it is “highly probable” that the case will go forward.
Way to go Spain. Perhaps this will do something to ignite the so-called “Truth Commission” that Senator Leahy has pushed for. It is absolutely incredible that Bush and his associates are free, instead of locked up for doing their best to destory the Constitution.
Where are all the Democrats who were supposedly so outraged by Bush’s actions?
Source: Boston Globe - Spain weights torture inquiry against 6 former Bush officials March 29, 2009
