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Americans Want Torture Investigation: Poll

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 12, 2009 2:00 PM CST

(Newser) – Two-thirds of Americans want an investigation into alleged Bush administration misdeeds, including torture and warrantless wiretapping, a USA Today/Gallup poll shows. Forty percent of respondents would like to see criminal probes; one-quarter would prefer investigations without the possibility of criminal charges. And even more—70% of those surveyed—said the government should look into allegations that administration officials tried to use the Justice Department for political purposes.

Some lawmakers have already called for inquiries. Senate Judiciary Committee chair Patrick Leahy suggested a “truth commission,” saying, “We need to get to the bottom of what happened and why.” His House counterpart supports a similar move. The Obama administration has not ruled out an investigation, but “my general orientation is to say, let's get it right moving forward,” the president said.

[Images (6)]

[Quotes (1)]

Detainees at Guantanamo. (AP Photo)

Sen. Patrick Leahy. (AP Photo)

Vice President Joseph Biden administers the oath of office to Attorney General Eric Holder. (AP Photo)

Former President George W. Bush. (AP Photo)

This file image obtained by The Associated Press shows an unidentified detainee standing on a box with a bag on his head and wires attached to him in late 2003 at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. (AP Photo)

This file image obtained by The Associated Press shows Sgt. Michael Smith, left, with his dog Marco, watching a detainee at an unspecified date in 2003 at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. (AP Photo/File)

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If every administration started to re-examine what every prior administration did, there would be no end to it. This is not Latin America. - GOP Senator Arlen Specter

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 14 comments

Forderon

Feb 13, 2009 6:46 AM CST

"bitter"*

riffran

Feb 13, 2009 5:50 AM CST

Hey.....If it keeps them zz Top beard wearing, no bathing ,wife beating, jihadi happy bastards from crashing a jet in to my home........I say up the amperage......I'll get upset about them being tortured, when I see THEM get upset about beheading someone for being an American, or for dragging our soldiers down the street,behind a car and throwing them in a ditch horribly mutilated, and maybe not dead for most of it......

Guest

Feb 12, 2009 11:43 PM CST

A little water in the face or have your head hacked off with a dull machette?! Choose wisely America!

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Politics • Crime & Courts • US

Bush administration • torture • Department of Justice • US attorney firings • warrantless wiretapping • waterboarding • George W. Bush • criminal investigation • opinion polls • Obama administration • President Obama • truth commission

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