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posted July 24, 2009
cartoon by Dan McConnell
We Got the Memos; Where Are the Arrests?
opinion from World Can't Wait, Seattle
Outrage and disgust is circulating around the release of the recent torture memos. The memos documented in detail the treatment of prisoners, from stripping them naked and beating them to drowning prisoners with waterboarding. The memos also point to the fact that these were not the actions of a couple of "bad apples" but policies that were put forward by the highest levels of government all the way up to the Bush administration.
Some are saying that Obama's move of releasing the torture to memos shows that things are changing.
But Obama himself said in April that he was forced to release the memos since a court case being waged by the ACLU was going to force the memos to come out anyway.
According to the Associated Press , "Obama has vowed not to seek prosecution of CIA agents and interrogators who took part in waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics. His chief of staff, Rahm Emanuel, said this weekend that the Obama adminstration also won't seek prosecution for the Bush administration lawyers who wrote the memos approving the tactics."
Millions of people voted for Obama in hope that Bush era would be over. How can the Bush era ever be over if those engaged in criminal activities are never held accountable? It is clear that the Obama does not want what we want.
"History will judge Obama harshly" for refusing to prosecute, said Michael Ratner, of the Center for Constitutional Rights.
History will also judge us sharply. If Obama's decision to let war criminals walk free makes you sick inside, you have to give expression to that. Let us make it known here and all over the world that we will not go along with war crimes even when Obama is.
Many people who are opposed to this decision have confined themselves to petitioning and lobbying when what is really needed is mass outpouring of people in the streets refusing to leave until Bush and Cheney are dragged out in handcuffs. This anger needs to manifest into a determined movement of resistance.
Contact seattle@worldcantwait.org.