New York Times calls for Cheney, Bush officials to be investigated and prosecuted for torture

Tom Boggioni
22 Dec 2014 at 01:38 ET                  
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In a blistering editorial published in the Monday edition of the New York Times, the editorial page editors are calling upon the Justice Department to open an investigation into the torture practices committed during the administration of President George W. Bush with an eye towards prosecuting those who "committed torture and other serious crimes," along with former Vice President Dick Cheney and other major administration officials.
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Under a headline reading, "Prosecute Torturers and Their Bosses," the board criticizes the administration of current President Barrack Obama for failing "to bring to justice anyone responsible for the torture of terrorism suspects," during the period following the attack on 9/11.
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The editorial notes that the American Civil Liberties Union will present a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. on Monday calling for appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate what appears to be "a vast criminal conspiracy, under color of law, to commit torture and other serious crimes."
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Saying it is hard to imagine the current administration "having the political courage" to order an investigation, the board calls for a full investigation that will include  major figures in the the Bush administration, including  Cheney, and former CIA director George Tenet.
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"…any credible investigation should include former Vice President Dick Cheney; Mr. Cheney's chief of staff, David Addington; the former C.I.A. director George Tenet; and John Yoo and Jay Bybee, the Office of Legal Counsel lawyers who drafted what became known as the torture memos," the editorial reads. "There are many more names that could be considered, including Jose Rodriguez Jr., the C.I.A. official who ordered the destruction of the videotapes; the psychologists who devised the torture regimen; and the C.I.A. employees who carried out that regimen."

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