RAW STORY
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
President Barack Obama is facing new demands that he investigate former President George W. Bush for ordering torture.
The former president admitted in his new book Decision Points that he ordered waterboarding of terrorist detainees. Amnesty International, and Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) have both called on the Obama administration to launch an investigation.
Now the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is joining that effort.
In his book, Bush asserts that he was asked by the Central Intelligence Agency whether he would support the agency's waterboarding of Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged 9/11 mastermind.
"Damn right," Bush admits he told the CIA.
Bush defended his decision by telling NBC's Matt Lauer that waterboarding was legal "because the lawyer said it was."
In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder (.pdf) Wednesday, the ACLU noted, "The Department of Justice has made clear that waterboarding is torture and, as such, a crime under the federal anti-torture statute."
Holder has tapped Assistant US Attorney John Durham to look into whether the CIA or contractors went beyond legal interrogation methods. That investigation is ongoing, according to NPR. But the scope of Durham's investigation does not include White House officials.
"In light of the admission by the former President, and the legally correct determination by the Department of Justice that waterboarding is a crime, you should ensure that Mr. Durham's current investigation into detainee interrogations encompasses the conduct and decisions of former President Bush," wrote ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero.
Full story HERE
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