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Obama Can’t Turn the Page on Torture
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Obama Can’t Turn the Page on Torture

We need a non-partisan investigation into America's use of torture. Otherwise, it will continue to haunt us, writes Ken Gude on The Guardian's "Comment Is Free" blog.

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If one thing is clear from the last two weeks, the torture issue is not going to go away, and the Obama administration is partly being pushed, and partly backing itself into an increasingly uncomfortable corner.

Whether it’s judge Jay Bybee doubling down on terrible legal advice, Condoleezza Rice issuing Nixonian claims of executive authority, or Barack Obama himself unequivocally calling waterboarding torture, simply turning the page is no longer sustainable.

And perhaps because of Obama’s desire to move on, the Spanish are going ahead with a criminal investigation of top Bush officials. Bush administration torture policies threaten to be, and pardon the pun, a death of a thousand cuts for Obama.

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Authors

Ken Gude

Senior Fellow