The New York Times reported Monday that Attorney General Eric Holder is one step closer to appointing a prosecutor to investigate whether the Bush administration illegally tortured terrorism suspects.
A decision is expected in the next few days. Holder should investigate torture, and he should start with former Vice President Dick Cheney and his legal adviser David Addington.
Sources suggest that a Department of Justice investigation of torture -- if ordered by Holder -- is likely to focus solely on those who went beyond the legal boundaries set by the administration officials who provided a legal framework for torture -- but not the architects of the torture program themselves.
The Department of Justice and Attorney General Holder must give a prosecutor the ability to hold the torture architects responsible. Narrowly confining a torture probe to low level foot soldiers would fall short of the accountability moment required to protect our constitution from further abuse.
Attorney General Holder must assign a prosecutor to investigate torture and that investigation should start not with low level interrogators who crossed the line but at the top with torture architects Cheney and Addington.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS ACTION REQUEST TO YOUR FRIENDS. TORTURE IS BARBARIC; GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED TORTURE, UNSPEAKABLY SO.
It is Time to Investigate Former VP Cheney and his 'Foot Soldiers' for War Crimes
Attention: Attorney General Holder
"Attorney General Holder, it is your duty to uphold the constitution and protect the rule of law. The evidence before you demands that you launch an investigation into possible crimes committed under the Bush administration and to prosecute if warranted. This investigation must not be limited to low-level foot soldiers, but should seek justice at the highest levels. Assign a prosecutor to investigate torture and do not rule out as targets architects of the Bush administration's torture program including former Vice President Dick Cheney and his legal adviser David Addington."
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