Obama won't prosecute CIA for waterboarding
Why
The Associated Press reports that the Obama administration will not prosecute CIA agents who used waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics on terror suspects authorized by President George W. Bush. Attorney General Eric Holder will issue a statement today confirming President Obama's intent to exonerate CIA officials for their actions, as long as they resulted from legal advice at the time, according to unnamed senior administration officials. Update at 3:12 p.m. ET: Here is Holder's statement. He states that although CIA officials will not face federal prosecution, the Justice Department would provide "legal representation to any employee, at no cost to the employee, in any state or federal judicial or administrative proceeding," and would "take measures to respond to any proceeding initiated against the employee in any international or foreign tribunal." Holder goes on to say that to "the extent permissible under federal law," the government will "indemnify any employee for any monetary judgment or penalty ultimately imposed against him for such conduct and will provide representation in congressional investigations." Update at 6:37 p.m. ET: The Justice Department has released four legal memos from the Office of Legal Counsel that the Bush administration used to justify waterboarding and other harsh tactics: 1, 2, 3, 4. The ACLU and other advocacy groups have been seeking to make these memos and many others public.
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References:
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2009/04/obama-wont-prosecute-cia-for-waterboarding.html,http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2009/04/us-wont-prosecute-cia-officials-for-waterboarding-harsh-tactics.html,http://www.stoptheaclu.com/archives/2009/04/16/obama-won%E2%80%99t-prosecute-cia-agents-for-waterboarding/,http://www.japantoday.com/category/world/view/no-charges-against-cia-officials-for-waterboarding
