Rights group urges Obama to probe Bush officials for torture

By Michael Hernandez

WASHINGTON

A leading rights group on Tuesday urged President Barack Obama to pursue legal action against former U.S. officials who played a part in the CIA’s enhanced interrogation program, including former President George W. Bush.

“This is the key moment, this last year [of Obama’s term],” Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch’s executive director told Anadolu Agency following the release of the group’s report.

“If Obama doesn’t do it, it’s almost impossible to imagine a Republican administration doing it. And the likely Democratic administration, if it were Hillary Clinton, I don’t see her doing it if Obama didn’t,” he added.

Human Rights Watch said in its report that Obama should launch an investigation into “U.S. officials who created, authorized, and implemented the CIA program,” including a number of top-ranking officials.

They include former CIA Director George Tenet, Attorney General John Ashcroft, White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Vice President Dick Cheney and Bush.

Two men -- Bruce Jessen and James Mitchell -- who helped craft the program and proposed it to the CIA should also be investigated, the group said.

The Bush administration has consistently said the program did not amount to torture.

"The victims deserve justice," said Laura Pitter, Human Rights Watch's senior national security counsel. "They still have not received any kind of apology or acknowledgement that what was done to them specifically was wrong."

The call for Obama to launch a criminal probe follows the December 2014 release of a 500-page summary of the Senate’s inquiry into the enhanced interrogation program.

The Senate report disclosed grisly details that included forced rectal feeding of inmates; sleep deprivation, which at times lasted more than week; waterboarding and forcing inmates into stress positions, sometimes after they had serious injuries -- including broken bones.

Even though the full 6,000-page document remains classified, the Senate’s summary report has brought to light enough new evidence to warrant a new investigation, said Human Rights Watch.

“There is substantial evidence to support the opening of new investigations into allegations of criminal offenses by numerous U.S. officials and agents in connection with the CIA program,” the rights group wrote.

A previous investigation led by career prosecutor John Durham concluded after four years in 2012 without charges.

The Senate report was largely based on the CIA’s accounting of the program.

But victims’ accountings of what transpired are “essential” to a potential criminal investigation, according to Pitter.

“Any credible criminal investigation speaks to the victims’ of a crime. It’s not credible to conduct a criminal investigation into a crime unless you speak to the victims of a crime,” she said.