NYT: Obama Must Prosecute CIA Torture

'Looking forward' no excuse for lack of accountability: editorial
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 22, 2014 1:59 PM CST
NYTimes : Obama Must Prosecute CIA Torture
Former Vice President Dick Cheney.   (AP Photo/The Wyoming Tribune Eagle, Miranda Grubbs)

The Senate report on CIA torture has revealed both despicable acts and a "fabricat(ed) legal foundation" for them, and it's time for those responsible to be held accountable, the New York Times editorial board writes. "No amount of legal pretzel logic can justify the behavior detailed in the report," the board writes, noting that the interrogation methods "are, simply, crimes," banned by federal law and the Convention Against Torture. "At the very least, (President) Obama needs to authorize a full and independent criminal investigation." It seems unlikely, however, that Obama will have the "political courage" to do so, and even less likely that such an investigation would target his predecessor.

But there are a number of other key figures who need scrutiny, ranging from Dick Cheney to former CIA director George Tenet to the lawyers behind the so-called "torture memos" justifying the interrogation methods. The psychologists who came up with the methods and those who actually conducted the torture should also be investigated. "Starting a criminal investigation is not about payback; it is about ensuring that this never happens again and regaining the moral credibility to rebuke torture by other governments." Click for the full piece. (More Senate stories.)

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