Americans favor probe of 'war on terror' excesses

[grandpa]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Two-thirds of Americans favor investigating whether the George W. Bush administration overstepped legal boundaries in its "war on terror," according to a poll released Thursday by USA Today and Gallup.

Americans favor probe of 'war on terror' excesses

Too little, too late, and how much more do we need to investigate?

Grandpa h.

[barts]

Too little, too late, and how much more do we need to investigate?

Grandpa h.

Perhaps we should ask the families of the 2 million or more displaced, injured, and dead Iraqis and the more than 30,000 injured and dead Americans and "coalition" servicemen and women. Perhaps we should ask the American people who will pay over a trillion dollars once it's all over. Perhaps we should ask the people who were abducted and tortured. Perhaps we should appeal to the Constitution that requires that America be a country based on the rule of law, and not tyrants.

Then again, perhaps this is too much to ask. And maybe it'll be too much to ask the next time, too.

[grandpa]

Perhaps we should ask the families of the 2 million
or more displaced, injured, and dead Iraqis and the more
than 30,000 injured and dead Americans and "coalition" servicemen and
women.
Perhaps we should ask the American people who will pay
over a trillion dollars once it's all over.

That's not the worst idea I've ever read.

Grandpa h.

[Electric Hermit]

Perhaps we should ask the families of the 2 million or more displaced, injured, and dead Iraqis and the more than 30,000 injured and dead Americans and "coalition" servicemen and women. Perhaps we should ask the American people who will pay over a trillion dollars once it's all over. Perhaps we should ask the people who were abducted and tortured. Perhaps we should appeal to the Constitution that requires that America be a country based on the rule of law, and not tyrants.

Then again, perhaps this is too much to ask. And maybe it'll be too much to ask the next time, too.

Very well said!

All criminals should be pursued and brought to justice. But none should be pursued with more determination than those whose actions undermine the very principles on which democratic civilisation is founded.

[grandpa]

Very well said!
All criminals should be pursued and brought to justice.

Better yet, they shouldn't be elevated into positions of prestige, wealth and power, as commonly done the world over.

Grandpa h.

[Electric Hermit]

Better yet, they shouldn't be elevated into positions of prestige, wealth and power, as commonly done the world over.

Grandpa h.

Hey! Let's not go crazy here!

[Athena]

Perhaps we should ask the families of the 2 million or more displaced, injured, and dead Iraqis and the more than 30,000 injured and dead Americans and "coalition" servicemen and women. Perhaps we should ask the American people who will pay over a trillion dollars once it's all over. Perhaps we should ask the people who were abducted and tortured. Perhaps we should appeal to the Constitution that requires that America be a country based on the rule of law, and not tyrants.

Then again, perhaps this is too much to ask. And maybe it'll be too much to ask the next time, too.

Thank you so much. You articulated that very well.

If I understand correctly, Bush wasn't fully honest about war expenses and did not budget adequately for them. Come to think of it Reagan used Social Security funds to hide the cost of his spending, but this dishonesty is another subject.

More important is the human cost of war, and I think the whole world would benefit from examining the actions taken by those favoring the New American Century Project. You know, the plan for US domination of the Mid East, that was established long before 9/11.

I think the world is ready to move beyond war, and that staying on top of war crimes and persecuting the criminals, is something we owe humanity.

[Plus Ultra]

About four respondents in 10 polled by USA Today (38 percent) favored criminal investigations, while about a quarter (24 percent) said they want an investigation without criminal charges being filed.

Some one-third of those polled (34 percent) said they want nothing done at all, the pollsters said.

Strange way of reading a poll, seems to me the poll shows about one in three (the most radical critical lefties) wants a criminal prosecution and conviction of Bush, Cheney and their minions, another one in three would like some sort of investigation but no criminal conviction stuff, and another third wants nothing done about this interventionism at all. That doesn't seem like a majority at all.

[dixon]

This includes 62% who favor some type of investigation into the possible use of torture when interrogating terrorism suspects, 63% who do so with respect to the possible use of telephone wiretaps without obtaining a warrant, and 71% who support investigating possible attempts to use the Justice Department for political purposes.
No Mandate for Criminal Probes of Bush Administration

Stupid poll. We know they waterboarded terror suspects. If its illegal they can simply bring charges. Bush has admitted they have and that he authorized it.
Warrantles wiretaps??? Bush had the authority and informed Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, along with Sen. John D. Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif. the ranking Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees as required. Courts have confirmed the authority and Congress has granted the President even more authority through legislation.
"use the Justice Department for political purposes."??? Had he used the justice department for criminal purposes a criminal investigation would be warranted. Otherwise they are left with a political investigation.

[xyzer]

What a bunch of unadulterated crap! The costs of the war in Iraq were budgeted by Congress..over and above regular military appropriations. They can be quite easily determined.

The hysterical blood crazedDemocrat politicians who just showed us how to really overspend on trivia(I refer to 'pork' in the Stimulus Bill) forget to tell us that Athena.

All I can say is if such politically motivated investigations are in order, and we want to get into the 20/20 blame game, lets go back and do the same on the Vietnam War and even on any casualties we suffered during Clintons questionable bombing in Yugoslavia. Or Reagans venture in Granada.

War is utilized to solve current events(perceived problems) and motivated by intelligence and info in that time frame. It need not be resurrected for political purposes after the fact. Thats what I term 'playground logic'. Such tactics are wasteful as well as juvenile.

But then we have a Congress that quickly passed a law preventing people from owning Chimps? This because of one attack by a Chimp owned by a madwomen? Whatever happened to the Xth Amendment to our Constitution? Local communities handle pet problems quite well. Is it now a Federal responsibility?

The same applies to the term 'torture'. Shaped recently by politicians and anti war zealots to include all sorts of persuasive therapy. Even though it was not so defined in the past, certains aspects of interrogation are redefined as torture. Its polically favorable to bring it up amidst much wailing and caterwauling so as to demean those who had been using it for years....and then start talking about punishing those who used it when it was deemed lawful?Some real juveniles start threatening the Secretary Of Defens(even the President)because the didn't somehow detect its use when it was considered OK? Nonsense

[whiteangel]

Perhaps we should ask the families of the 2 million or more displaced, injured, and dead Iraqis and the more than 30,000 injured and dead Americans and "coalition" servicemen and women. Perhaps we should ask the American people who will pay over a trillion dollars once it's all over. Perhaps we should ask the people who were abducted and tortured. Perhaps we should appeal to the Constitution that requires that America be a country based on the rule of law, and not tyrants.

Then again, perhaps this is too much to ask. And maybe it'll be too much to ask the next time, too.

This said it all ..Thank you . But how about the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan ? They have also paid the price of " war on terror " .

What's really sad is that Osama bin laden and the terrorists are still free .None of the terrorist organizations are crippled or disarmed . It's innocents who have paid a very high price in terms of death toll , injury , detention , torture ..etc . The war on terror has made the terrorists get stronger and stronger .

And as far as the detainees of Guantanamo are concerned , which country is ready to host them after they are released ? They are terrorists in the eyes of the whole world , even if they aren't , nobody should expect them to be normal and psychologically stable people ..

So yeah as Grand Pa said : Too little too late

Too little, too late, and how much more do we need to investigate?

Grandpa h.

[Chaossaber314]

Too little, too late, and how much more do we need to investigate?

Grandpa h.

They might want an investigation but they won't listen to the end result that the Bush Administration and many of the Obama Administration were either aware tacitly or directly involved through congressional decision making. Everyone involved since 2001 is to blame for the state of this nation.