Obama Won’t Bar Inquiry, or Penalty, on Interrogations

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/22/us/politics/22intel.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=obama%20won't%20bar%20inquiry&st=cse

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---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: barry levine <levinebar@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, Apr 22, 2009 at 9:14 AM
Subject: re: Obama Won’t Bar Inquiry, or Penalty, on Interrogations
To: letters@nytimes.com


To the Editor:

    At Nuremberg, The U.S. argued that culpability for crimes against humanity attaches at all levels, from the guard who held the whip to the chancellor who set the policy, and to everyone in between.  The civilized world still embraces that standard. The president of the United States has the constitutional power to pardon those convicted of crimes if he/she feels that punishing them does not serve the nation's interest. The president has no proper role in blocking the investigation and prosecution of those crimes. In fact, we are bound by our treaties to investigate and prosecute or extradite. Let Mr. Obama pardon torturers if he feels it is in the nation's interest. Let him end the cover-up of crimes committed by the Bush administration; it is not in the nation's interest.

Barry Levine