Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Al-Qaida’s number 3, confessed to all manner of heinous activities according to a transcript released by the US military on Wednesday. Is it a legitimate confession?
No. Although most news media has left it out entirely, Mohammed also claimed to have been tortured at the hands of the CIA. The 26-page transcript itself came from closed-door proceedings. As MSNBC put it: “Some material was omitted, and it wasn’t possible to immediately verify details.” In other words, we have no idea if any of this is credible.
In fact, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has been held for more than three years by the CIA in their “secret” (though less so now) detention facilities.
You know what? If you tortured me and held me in confinement for three years, I’d be happy to confess to anything you like too.
The ongoing military proceedings, which most legal experts deem unconstitutional, are closed to the public and the media. The Associated Press has filed a letter of protest, but don’t hold your breath waiting for its success.
So…I confess. I have been far too silent on this blog about the harm the Republicans have done to the country. Sure, I’ve noted it from time to time (like when I left the GOP last fall—though I would contend that they left me), but it is past due to say the following:
Impeachment proceedings against president and vice president should begin immediately. The have violated their oaths of office in multiple ways (from illegal search and seizure to torturing suspects to denying freedom speech to wiretapping without court orders and so on).
I want to be clear that I’m not talking about incompetence which, sadly, is not an impeachable offense. The administration has done numerous stupid things (in my estimation) which are well within the purview of the executive branch. Hey, America, you get who you vote for.
But if Congress willingly impeached Bill Clinton for lying under oath, George Bush and Dick Cheney certainly deserve the same treatment for conduct far worse.