Eric Holder’s Hidden Agenda -"The Left will get its reckoning" (Nat'l Review)

National Review

Now this is an interesting theory…like it

Eric Holder’s Hidden Agenda
The investigation isn’t about torture, but about transnationalism.

By Andrew C. McCarthy

The way out of this dilemma is clear. Though it won’t file indictments against the CIA agents and Bush officials it is probing, the Justice Department will continue conducting investigations and releasing reports containing new disclosures of information. The churn of new disclosures will be used by lawyers for the detainees to continue pressing the U.N. and the Europeans to file charges. The European nations and/or international tribunals will make formal requests to the Obama administration to have the Justice Department assist them in securing evidence. Holder will piously announce that the “rule of law” requires him to cooperate with these “lawful requests” from “appropriately created courts.” Finally, the international and/or foreign courts will file criminal charges against American officials.

Foreign charges would result in the issuance of international arrest warrants. They won’t be executed in the United States — even this administration is probably not brazen enough to try that. But the warrants will go out to police agencies all over the world. If the indicted American officials want to travel outside the U.S., they will need to worry about the possibility of arrest, detention, and transfer to third countries for prosecution. Have a look at this 2007 interview of CCR president Michael Ratner. See how he brags that his European gambit is “making the world smaller” for Rumsfeld — creating a hostile legal climate in which a former U.S. defense secretary may have to avoid, for instance, attending conferences in NATO countries.

The Left will get its reckoning. Obama and Holder will be able to take credit with their supporters for making it happen. But because the administration’s allies in the antiwar bar and the international Left will do the dirty work of getting charges filed, the American media will help Obama avoid domestic political accountability. Meanwhile, Americans who sought to protect our nation from barbarians will be harassed and framed as war criminals. And protecting the United States will have become an actionable violation of international law.

http://article.nationalreview......FjYzIyM2Y=


http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZGMyYTQ1ZTM5YTQ5NjJjNzJmNGUxZDIyOTFjYzIyM2Y=

I mean, yeah, it would be cool if we had the werewithall to hold ourselves accountable for raping the planet.

Better though, is for the rest of the world to say "No. No more raping the planet w/o accountability America. You want us to be your partners, you act like good citizens. And btw, get your people some healthcare, you ignorant bitches".

I'm assuming it's not the former "Brat Pack" actor?

"protecting the United States will have become an actionable violation of international law."

No.

Torture and murder are violations of international law.
Protecting the United States will always be legal.

Internationally, it is the "Washington consensus" that is getting it's reckoning right now.

the right wing really dislikes obama and holder.....

American style,we make the rules,the rest of the planet must obey.

I find it funny that the right is making Holder into this huge angry leftist socialist when in reality he is just a moderate.

The International Criminal Court typically doesn't indict war criminals, if a nation investigates it's own abuses. It will usually leave prosecution to that nation. And a wide range of options is available to that nation, including things like reconciliation courts. Criminal prosecutions and prison are not necessarily always the outcome.

But in the situation where abuses are apparent and the nation in question refuses to police it's own, the ICC can and will step in as the international authority regarding justice and international law.

So Eric Holder is actually likely staying the hand of the ICC and protecting the Bushies from international justice. Think they will say thank you?