In a Washington Post OpEd Former UN Ambassador and Neocon John Bolton writes with brash attitude he's become known for. Bolton starts off by claiming that Pres. Obamas "passivity" toward investigations and trials of the Bush Admin. puts America at risk. Obama's Prosecutions by Proxy
President Obama's passivity before the threatened foreign prosecution of Bush administration officials achieves by inaction what he fears doing directly. This may be smart politics within the Democratic Party, but it risks grave long-term damage to the United States.
I see this a bit differently. While I agree President Obama's passivity may put the US at risk, I believe he risks us losing even more of our moral standing in the World. Of course Bolton doesn't stop there. More on the flip.
The fear is spreading through the ranks of the Neocons over Spanish Magistrate Baltasar Garzón and his open investigation into the War Crimes committed against five people under Spanish rule. It's a wonderful thing to watch after the last 8 yrs. Bolton speaks about the Magistrates part in the Pinochet affair all the while acting as if Pinochet was the victim. If that doesn't add some insight into the minds of the Neocons then I don't know what would.
Despite uncertainties here, developments overseas proceed apace. Spanish Magistrate Baltasar Garzón opened a formal investigation last week of six Bush administration lawyers for their roles in advising on interrogation techniques. Garzón did so over the objections of Spain's attorney general, as he did in 1998 in proceeding against former Chilean president Augusto Pinochet. Under Spain's inquisitorial judicial system, Garzón is essentially unaccountable, whatever the views of Spain's elected government.
What has really shook them up besides all the stuff going on stateside is that our new Atty. Gen., Eric Holder made a encouraging statement about the Spanish Inquisition investigation. It's pretty safe to assume Bush and his cronys feel pretty safe here at home. Throwing in a International War Crimes Court that could care less who Daddy is, or who your friends are and the paranoia grows.
Asked repeatedly about Garzón's investigation, the State Department has said only that it is a matter for the Spanish judicial system. Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder went further, implying that the Obama administration could cooperate. "Obviously, we would look at any request that would come from a court in any country and see how and whether we should comply with it," Holder said. This is deeply troubling. Obama appears to be following the John Ehrlichman approach, letting the U.S. lawyers "twist slowly, slowly in the wind." Garzón's is far from a run-of-the-mill police investigation in which an American tourist abroad runs afoul of some local ordinance. Indeed, from what appears publicly, U.S. consular officials would do more for the tourist than Obama is doing for the former Bush officials. If Obama is attempting to end the Garzón investigation, it is one of our best-kept secrets in decades.
Oh how sweet it is to watch Bolton sweat. One has to wonder if he is more deeply involved in the torture "policy" of the Bush Admin. The OpEd rambles on a bit about letting Spain or any other country hold Americans accountable before Bolton comes to his real point. That point is to issue the Neocons final threat. If Obama allows this to go forward the Neocon will plot until they come back into power and then charge Obama with anything they can find for revenge. While thinly veiled the threat is plain. If Obama caves now it could appear he was blackmailed or coerced into letting all the Bushies to walk away scot-free. I pray he doesn't let that happen because as some have been fond of saying, " These colors don't run ".