Sen. Specter re presidential power

"Sen. Specter: Roll Back Presidential Power Grabs": NPR, April 27, 2009: "In The New York Review of Books, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) outlines his plan to restrain the executive branch."

NY Times editorial re Don Siegelman

Editorial, "The Siegelman Case," NYTimes.com, April 24, 2009: "Attorney General Eric Holder’s recent decision to drop all of the charges against Ted Stevens, the former Republican senator from Alaska, because of prosecutorial misconduct raises an important question: What about Don Siegelman? A bipartisan group of 75 former state attorneys general has written to Mr. Holder asking him to take a fresh look at the former Alabama governor’s case. He should do so right away. . . ."

For a Presidential Commission on Torture

Thomas R. Pickering and William S. Sessions, washingtonpost.com, March 23, 2009: "Moving Forward by Looking Back: Why a Presidential Commission on Torture Is Critical to America's Security."

Petition for Commission on Accountability

Sign the petition for a Commission on Accountability
We call on the President of the United States to establish an independent, non-partisan commission to examine and report publicly on torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment of detainees in the period since September 11, 2001. The commission, comparable in stature to the 9/11 Commission, should look into the facts and circumstances of such abuses, report on lessons learned, and recommend measures that would prevent any future abuses. We believe that the commission is necessary to reaffirm America ’s commitment to the Constitution, international treaty obligations, and human rights. The report issued by the commission will strengthen U.S. national security and help to re-establish America ’s standing in the world.

Co-Sponsors for CommissiononAccountability.org
Amnesty International USA
The Brennan Center for Justice
The Carter Center, Human Rights Program
The Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, New York University, School of Law
Center for the Study of Human Rights in the Americas, UC Davis
The Center for Victims of Torture
The Constitution Project
Human Rights Center, University of California, Berkeley
Human Rights First
Human Rights Watch
International Center for Transitional Justice
International Justice Network
The Jacob Blaustein Institute for the Advancement of Human Rights
Jewish Council for Public Affairs
National Institute of Military Justice
National Religious Campaign Against Torture
The Open Society Institute
Physicians for Human Rights
The Rutherford Institute

"Obama open to prosecutions"

"Obama Open to Prosecutions in Interrogation Abuses," NYTimes.com, April 21, 2009: "President Obama on Tuesday left open the door to creating a bipartisan commission that would investigate the Bush administration’s use of harsh interrogation techniques on terrorism suspects, and he did not rule out taking action against the lawyers who fashioned the legal guidelines for the interrogations."

2 prisoners waterboarded 266 times

"Waterboarding Used 266 Times on 2 Suspects," NYTimes.com, Scott Shane, April 19, 2009: "C.I.A. interrogators used waterboarding, the near-drowning technique that top Obama administration officials have described as illegal torture, 266 times on two key prisoners from Al Qaeda, far more than had been previously reported."

NY Times editorial: "The Torturers’ Manifesto"

Editorial -"The Torturers’ Manifesto," NYTimes.com, April 18, 2009: "After eight years without transparency or accountability, Mr. Obama promised the American people both. His decision to release these memos was another sign of his commitment to transparency. We are waiting to see an equal commitment to accountability."

Olbermann on torture accountability

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"Cowardice in the Time of Torture"

By Ray McGovern, Consortiumnews.com, April 5, 2009: "I used to take a certain pride by association with prominent Bronxites who have 'made it.' Cancel that for Attorney General Eric Holder and former Secretary of State Colin Powell."

Doha Debate on US Mideast policy

The Doha Debates » Qatar's forum for free speech in the Arab world: "A heated Doha Debate held at Georgetown University [March 25, 2009] in Washington, DC, signalled America was ready for change in the Middle East, with the audience voting in favour of a motion to 'get tough on Israel.'"

Obstruction of Justice

Truthdig - Reports - Obstruction of Justice: "The trial of Al-Arian is a cause célèbre in the Muslim world. A documentary film was made about the case in Europe. He has become the poster child for judicial abuse and persecution of Muslims in the United States by the Bush administration. The facts surrounding the trial and imprisonment of the former university professor have severely tarnished the integrity of the American judicial system...."