Is Obama Choosing Amnesia as Way Forward?

Obama Chooses Amnesia as Way Forward (from: North Carolina Stop Torture Now)

Concurrent the April 17 release of memoranda authorizing the use of torture by CIA operatives, President Obama noted that:

"While I believe strongly in transparency and accountability, I also believe that in a dangerous world, the United States must sometimes carry out intelligence operations and protect information that is classified for purposes of national security. I have already fought for that principle in court and will do so again in the future."

Yet, the president continues:

"In releasing these memos, it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice that they will not be subject to prosecution."

And, he concludes:

"The United States is a nation of laws. My Administration will always act in accordance with those laws, and with an unshakeable commitment to our ideals. That is why we have released these memos, and that is why we have taken steps to ensure that the actions described within them never take place again."

Amnesty International USA offers a simple response to include in your letters to the President, Attorney General Holder, and members of the North Carolina Congressional delegation:

"Laws have been broken and fundamental human rights have been abused. The Attorney General said that the Obama administration does not condone torture, but by refusing to investigate the coercive interrogation program used by the CIA, that is precisely what he and the president are doing.

The American people deserve an independent commission to shed light on abuses committed in their name."

Not only do the American people deserve an honest examination of these abuses, the course of our future depends on it, as msnbc dot com journalist Keith Olbermann clearly explains.

Moreover, the families of the men and childredn who are victims and survivors of torture and extraordinary rendition -- Khaled El-Masri, Binyam Mohamed, Moazzam Begg, Maher Arar, Bisher el-Rawi, Ahmed Agiza, to name a few -- deserve meaningful access to restorative justice.

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From oneheartforpeace blogger

Now it's up to us, the US Citizens to ACT! See some suggestions in the blogs below & items to come - especially those with the word ACT or ACTION in the heading.