Mar 24, 2007
It turns out that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lied to reporters on March 13 about the scandal over the fired prosecutors.
At that time, Gonzales said he "was not involved in any discussions about what was going on" with the firings.
"On Friday night, however, the Justice Department revealed Gonzales's participation in a Nov. 27 meeting where such plans were made," the AP reports.
He was in on a very detailed discussion of a "five-step plan for carrying out the firings of the prosecutors," according to the AP story, which cited Gonzales's aides as well as documents the Justice Department released Friday night.
But this is not the first time the Attorney General has lied.
He also lied--to Congress--back in January 2005, during his confirmation process.
According to a March 6, 2005, article in The New York Times, Gonzales submitted a written response to a question from a Senator about the Bush Administration's policy of "extraordinary rendition."
Here's what Gonzales said: "The policy of the United States is not to transfer individuals to countries where we believe they likely will be tortured, whether those individuals are being transferred from inside or outside the United States." He added that he was "not aware of anyone in the Executive Branch authorizing any transfer of a detainee in violation of that policy."
But, when Gonzales was White House counsel, Bush signed a directive shortly after 9/11 that authorized the CIA to transfer suspected terrorists to foreign countries for interrogation. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International estimate that the United States has transferred between 100 and 150 detainees to countries notorious for torture.
So when Congress looks into Gonzales's role--and integrity--in the sacking of the prosecutors, they may also want to investigate his role--and integrity and possible criminality--in the much more serious scandal of exporting prisoners for torture.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
© 2023 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
It turns out that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lied to reporters on March 13 about the scandal over the fired prosecutors.
At that time, Gonzales said he "was not involved in any discussions about what was going on" with the firings.
"On Friday night, however, the Justice Department revealed Gonzales's participation in a Nov. 27 meeting where such plans were made," the AP reports.
He was in on a very detailed discussion of a "five-step plan for carrying out the firings of the prosecutors," according to the AP story, which cited Gonzales's aides as well as documents the Justice Department released Friday night.
But this is not the first time the Attorney General has lied.
He also lied--to Congress--back in January 2005, during his confirmation process.
According to a March 6, 2005, article in The New York Times, Gonzales submitted a written response to a question from a Senator about the Bush Administration's policy of "extraordinary rendition."
Here's what Gonzales said: "The policy of the United States is not to transfer individuals to countries where we believe they likely will be tortured, whether those individuals are being transferred from inside or outside the United States." He added that he was "not aware of anyone in the Executive Branch authorizing any transfer of a detainee in violation of that policy."
But, when Gonzales was White House counsel, Bush signed a directive shortly after 9/11 that authorized the CIA to transfer suspected terrorists to foreign countries for interrogation. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International estimate that the United States has transferred between 100 and 150 detainees to countries notorious for torture.
So when Congress looks into Gonzales's role--and integrity--in the sacking of the prosecutors, they may also want to investigate his role--and integrity and possible criminality--in the much more serious scandal of exporting prisoners for torture.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
Matt Rothschild
Matt Rothschild is the executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Prior to joining the Democracy Campaign at the start of 2015, Matt worked at The Progressive Magazine for 32 years. For most of those, he was the editor and publisher of The Progressive.
It turns out that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales lied to reporters on March 13 about the scandal over the fired prosecutors.
At that time, Gonzales said he "was not involved in any discussions about what was going on" with the firings.
"On Friday night, however, the Justice Department revealed Gonzales's participation in a Nov. 27 meeting where such plans were made," the AP reports.
He was in on a very detailed discussion of a "five-step plan for carrying out the firings of the prosecutors," according to the AP story, which cited Gonzales's aides as well as documents the Justice Department released Friday night.
But this is not the first time the Attorney General has lied.
He also lied--to Congress--back in January 2005, during his confirmation process.
According to a March 6, 2005, article in The New York Times, Gonzales submitted a written response to a question from a Senator about the Bush Administration's policy of "extraordinary rendition."
Here's what Gonzales said: "The policy of the United States is not to transfer individuals to countries where we believe they likely will be tortured, whether those individuals are being transferred from inside or outside the United States." He added that he was "not aware of anyone in the Executive Branch authorizing any transfer of a detainee in violation of that policy."
But, when Gonzales was White House counsel, Bush signed a directive shortly after 9/11 that authorized the CIA to transfer suspected terrorists to foreign countries for interrogation. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International estimate that the United States has transferred between 100 and 150 detainees to countries notorious for torture.
So when Congress looks into Gonzales's role--and integrity--in the sacking of the prosecutors, they may also want to investigate his role--and integrity and possible criminality--in the much more serious scandal of exporting prisoners for torture.
(c) 2007 The Progressive
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.