President Obama has seemingly changed his mind and is now willing to back an investigation of interrogation abuses during the Bush Administration, with possible prosecution of those who endorsed and promoted the use of torture methods.Â
The investigation would be done by Congress but also possibly lead to action by the Attorney General, and would be centered on the people who worked in the White House and wrote memos justifying methods of interrogation that are against international law. I would also say that it is proper to speak out against prosecution of those who followed orders given them by higher ups, but once it gets to the level of the White House, there should be no pause before even considering indictment of President Bush and Vice President Cheney and their closest aides and advisers.Â
The Bush Administration has undermined every soldier who might be a prisoner of war or a hostage by its refusal to ban the use of torture, and it seems to me that his Presidency will prove to be more lawless and abusive, after a full investigation, than even the Nixon Administration. There is a need for complete transparency, and wherever the prosecution leads to the high levels of the Oval Office, it MUST be pursued. It is good that President Obama seems to be on the same page regarding this matter, and again, we should applaud his clear denunciation and repudiation of those torture methods. In that alone, he has proved to be a man of morality and ethics.