The report details how the US began torturing captives in 2002. 'Attempts to stop it ... were systematically suppressed', evidence of criminal activity by the Bush administration covered up. Bush's cover up of torture is itself a crime for which he should be impeached, tried and prosecuted.
A 'capital crime' is one for which the penalty is death. There is enough evidence now to try George W. Bush for various 'capital crimes'. Manadel al-Jamadi, dubbed the “Iceman,” is seen in the picture. He was tortured to death in November 2003, using techniques that John Yoo approved in his torture memoranda.
According to the official narrative, the Bush Administration turned to the Justice Department for legal guidance on what could be done to give interrogators the latitude they were demanding in dealing with prisoners taken in the war on terror. However, not a single element of the official narrative is entirely true. The interrogators were not “pushing for broader authority.”Yoo's job was that of an 'enabler', to figure out a way to make 'murder' legal.
Indeed, the pushing was all coming out of the White House (from Vice President Cheney, to be specific), and the intelligence professionals were actually pushing back. Moreover, torture was being used almost from the start of the “war on terror.” Special operations units operating under the authority of Dr. Stephen Cambone, the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, had been authorized to use torture techniques from the opening of the war, and they used them with gusto.
At Guantánamo and at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, numerous instances of “highly coercive techniques” had been documented; indeed, the stories out of Bagram are among the most gruesome to be documented. In the documentary “Taxi to the Dark Side,” for instance (for which I consulted and in which I appear), we find footage of a senior U.S. officer in Afghanistan talking about the authority for torture, which was issued, and which military personnel were instructed to lie about or deny to keep covered up.--Yoo Two, Harpers, Scott Horton
(a) Offense.— Whoever, whether inside or outside the United States, commits a war crime, in any of the circumstances described in subsection (b), shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for life or any term of years, or both, and if death results to the victim, shall also be subject to the penalty of death.--TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 118 > § 2441, § 2441. War crimesIt is not surprising that George W. Bush would instruct Alberto Gonzales and/or John Yoo to find ways to make his orders, his capital crimes legal after he had already committed them. The legality of his attempts to 're-write' the laws is in question and the timeline of events is not on his side. The facts Bush would prefer hushed up are as stunning and verifiable as they are numerous. Hundreds of FBI agents witnessed thousands of incidents of torture, murder, and 'wrongful' death. Literally hundreds of FBI agents witnessed and reported acts of torture perpetrated by CIA personnel, the US military and private contractors! All are described carrying out illegal acts of torture, abuse, and, in various cases, murder. The graphic details are available to the public from the FBI.Several agents reported beatings. Thirty agents witnessed and reported 'prolonged shackling of detainees in stress positions'. Seventy agents detailed instances in which detainees were subjected to sleep deprivation, extreme temperatures, and periods of extended isolation intended to 'wear down' resistance. Four FBI agents described instances in which 'detainees' were kicked or beaten to death. Two detainees in Afghanistan were shackled for long periods of time in a standing position.
The report confirms that senior FBI officials knew as early as 2002 that other agencies were using abusive interrogation methods,”“The report shows unequivocally, however, that the FBI’s leadership failed to act aggressively to end the abuse.”--Jameel Jaffer, American Civil Liberties Union (tracks detainee issues), Torture Lawsuit News: Dept. of Justice Inspector General Report Details How US Torture of Prisoners Began in 2002Let's talk about some specific instances where a man calling himself "President" of the United States has simply thumbed his nose at the law, the rule of law, the international conventions to which the US bound by treaty, US Codes, and convention. The FBI has opened a 'war crimes file' documenting torture as it was witnessed at the US torture gulag at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The “War Crimes” file documents torture as it was witnessed before George W. Bush ordered the FBI to stop writing the reports.
A survey of 493 FBI personnel who were asked whether they observed aggressive mistreatment, interrogations or interview techniques of GTMO yielded 26 positive responses and several additional responses that were "not purely negative." These responses culminated in a 9/2/04 request through FBI's OGC to conduct a "GTMO, Counterterrorism Division, Special Inquiry" re 9 of the incidents identified. The conclusion was that there was no FBI involvement in the target interview techniques -- only outside entities.--Federal Bureau of Investigation, Guantanamo Bay InquiryAs you read some of the following excerpts from the FBIs own report, remember that George W. Bush has repeatedly denied that the United States tortures. This FBI report is stark reading consisting of verifiable reports of war crimes perpetrated by the United States under orders from the 'President' of the United States. That there is probable cause now to try George W. Bush for having ordered the torture is bad enough. But Bush insists that it never happened. Following are but a very few instances that are found in the FBI report.
W observed women crying near the river, their homes had been destroyed by planes. Trucks full of people trying to surrender were blown up by planes. On 2d day after capture, d was put in a ditch by Northern Alliance people. Next day, he was allowed to jump into a truck and taken to Mazar-e-Sharif where he was forced into a metal "shipping"-type container w/about 100 men. The container was then closed and d blacked out due to lack of air. When he awoke, there were new holes in the container., The man next to him was dead. He thinks he was in the container 24 hours - only 20 men survived. ...occasionally ds [detainee] complained of inappropriate behavior i.e., incident in which d alleged female guard removed her blouse and, while pressing her body against a shackled and restrained d rom behind, handled his genatalia and wiped menstrual blood on his head and face as punishment for lack of cooperation.....on several occasions, witness ("W") saw detainees ("ds") in interrogation rooms chained hand and foot in fetal position to floor w/no chair/ food/water; most urinated or defecated on selves, and were left there 18, 24 hrs or more. Once, the air conditioning was so low that the barefoot d was shaking with cold. Another time, it was off so the unventilated room was over 100 degrees, d was almost unconscious on floor with a pile of hair next to him (he had apparently been pulling it out throughout the night). Another time, it was sweltering hot and loud rap music played - d's hand and foot was chanined and he was in a fetal position on the floor. Upon inquiry, W was told that interrogators [military contractors] ordered this treatment. Took place in Delta Camp ... # d was kept in darkened cell in Naval Brig at GTMO, then transferred to Camp Delta where he gave no info. Then taken to Camp X-Ray and put in plywood hut. Interrogators yelled and screamed at him. One interrogator squatted over the Koran. Another day a German Shepherd was commended to growl, bark and show his teeth to the prisoner. Subsequently someone laughingly told the W "you have to see this" and took him to an interrogation room where W saw a d with a full beard whose head was wrapped in duct tape# civilian contractor asked W (an FBI SA) to come see something. There was an unknown bearded longhaired d gagged w/duct tape that covered much of his head. SA asked if he had spit at interrogators, and the contractor laughingly replied that d had been chanting the Koran nonstop. No answer to how they planned to remove the duct tape.--Federal Bureau of Investigation, Guantanamo Bay InquiryThe war against Iraq was begun upon a pack of lies and is, therefore, unlawful. Every incident following is therefore a war crime, every Iraqi death a count of murder. Colin Powell's address to the United Nation was a criminal fraud in which Powell cited a stolen, plagiarized student paper [See: Britain's Intelligence Dossier on Iraq was Plagiarized from a Grad Student], presented ten year old satellite photographs and other so-called evidence! It was upon this 'evidence' that Bush began a criminal campaign against Iraq, a campaign in which EVERY death is, by US codes, a capital crime.
Earlier, Bush boasted of the the state sanctioned murder of 'those who met a different fate', in other words, the 'summary executions' of some 3,000 people 'deemed' terrorists. These acts of state sponsored terrorism by the United States include summary executions, the abduction and detention of civilians without trial and, most repugnant of all, torture related war crimes violating international statutes and treaties to which the United States is a signatory. Bush's own words confirming this are admissible evidence against him.
All told, more than 3,000 suspected terrorists have been arrested in many countries. Many others have met a different fate. [smirking] Let's put it this way -- they are no longer a problem to the United States and our friends and allies. (Applause.) Bush, State of the Union Address, 2003It has been the position of this blog that the Bush administration is legally culpable for having launched a war of naked aggression against Iraq. This blog has insisted that there was sufficient probable cause in the public record to indict George W. Bush for violations of US Codes, Title 18, Section 2441 --capital crimes! Worth remembering: the wars of naked aggression against Afghanistan and Iraq have, in fact, nothing at all to do with 911. Al Qaeda was created by the CIA; Bin Laden has been dead for years and was, when he was alive, one of Bush's business partners and a CIA asset.
I have pointed out for years that George W. Bush, his administration, and all those who are willingly complicit are subject to prosecution for capital crimes.
Now --with the information freely available from the FBIs own website --there is simply no excuse left NOT to impeach, indict and begin legal proceedings against Bush and his murderous gang! As this is written, one can be sure that the Bush administration is destroying evidence, covering tracks, rewriting the record of the most criminal regime since Adolph Hitler and Pol Pot. The time to act is now. True patriots will! Additional resources