"In brief, we have found that there is substantial evidence the
President, the Vice-President and other high ranking members of the
Bush Administration misled Congress and the American people regarding
the decision to go to war in Iraq; misstated and manipulated
intelligence information regarding the justification for such war;
countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in
Iraq; and permitted inappropriate retaliation against critics of their
Administration. There is at least a prima facie case that these
actions that federal laws have been violated - from false statements to
Congress to retaliating against Administration critics."
-- December 20, 2005 Press Release, Rep. John Conyers, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee
The Constitution in Crisis; The Downing Street Minutes
and Deception, Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Coverups in the Iraq War
(Full Report, 273 pages)
Chapter 1
Executive Summary
Chapter 2
Chronology: Last Throes of Credibility
Chapter 3
Detailed Factual Findings; Determination to go to War Before Congressional Authorization
Chapter 3 (Part B)
Detailed Factual Findings; Misstating and Manipulating the Intelligence to Justify Pre-emptive War
Chapter 3 (Part C)
Detailed Factual Findings; Encouraging and Countenancing
Torture and Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment
Chapter 3 (Part D)
Detailed Factual Findings; Cover-ups and
Retribution
Chapter 3 (Part E)
Detailed Factual Findings; Thwarting Congress and the
American Public: The Death of Accountability under the Bush Administration and the Republican-Controlled Congress
Chapter 4
Legal Analysis
Chapter 5
Recommendations
Exhibit A: Relevant Law and Standards
Exhibit B: Analysis of Powell Statements to UN
Exhibit C: House Government Reform Committee Democratic Staff Report Iraq on the Record
John Conyers also introduced three House Resolutions addressing the allegations contained the 273 page Report.
H.Res. 635;
Calling for the creation of Bi-Partisan Select Committee
in the House to investigate the Bush Administration
H.Res.636: Calling for the Censure of the President
H.Res. 637: Calling for the Censure of the Vice President
"At least a prima facie case"
The House Judiciary Committee's Report contains evidence of least a prima facie case that federal laws have been violated. In other words, given a fraction of the time and tax dollars spent "investigatiing" Bill Clinton, any substantial inquiry into Bush et al's practices would, quite unlike the former investigation, uncover more than a blow job. Or a lie about a blow job. Consider also that the "act" that Bill Clinton lied about, while sleazy, cost one of it's citizens a dry cleaning bill. George Bush's decisions, policies and practices have already cost the American people thousands of lives, trillions of dollars, to say nothing of what they have exacted from integrity and functionality of the very institutions make democracy possible.
Think back to the media frenzy, the outrage, the country's preoccupation with Clinton and that blow job. Now look at the paper, or turn on the TV... where is the outrage about what we already have proof of? Where is the nonstop coverage feeding and tending that outrage?!
On a personal note, you may have noticed that there have been no posts here on Wiserblog in quite a while. This is primarily due to the fact that I am just now a little too overwhelmed by the fact that we live in a country where "we the people" are not outraged by the current state of affairs. Of course, many are outraged. I know this. There is awareness. People do care. There is dissent. There is. The problem is it doesn't look that way... and we live in a time where that seems to be all that matters. And if life goes on as if everyone in this country is A-OK with the way things are going, what should the rest of the world think? And what will hisory make of this time? I suppos it depends upon who writes the history, but it's a wretched thought in any case. So, yeah, I'm a little depressed.
Nevertheless, I still had to post these links to the Investigative Status Report of the House Judiciay Committee:
