The UN can say what they want, but it's us (we) who will ultimately decide, and it will either dent or inflate the UN's authority. The most important thing to do is for the US to take the bold step and police it's own actions even if it's in the realm of international law, if only to set the precedent that we don't need any other country deciding on the fate of our own citizens.

You may disagree with the outcome but the OLC memos were all about defining limits based upon US law.

You meant to say they were about creating BS excuses for why clearly defined laws don't say what they actually say. There was no attempt at "defining limits based on law." There was an attempt to subvert longstanding US law. That such attempts were signed by a lawyer means nothing more than that those lawyers are guilty.

A doctor who gives you a clean bill of health despite obvious cancer has not, by virtue of his statement, made you healthy. He has committed malpractice.

You may disagree with the outcome but the OLC memos were all about defining limits based upon US law.

"The story so far: CIA, with the collusion of NSA, pushes OLC into writing CYA memos that provide GOOJF cards for torturers Interrogators (Acronym award of the day?)" What does the NSA have to do with this?

If Obama doesn't shut this witch hunt down, he's in for a hard time if he ever needs to order any controversial action by the military or intelligence agencies. "Sorry sir, but I''ll need that order, handwritten, in triplicate, and signed by yourself, the Speaker of the House, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the General Secretary of the UN."

You mean government employees might do things they are authorized to do and a clear chain of responsibility may exist?

Gods, the horror...

I swore to support and defend the Constituion of the United States,

except, apparently, for Article 6...

The organization that was the provider of so many young bodies for U.N. diplomats with a sexual taste for children. People who, by the way, are still being protected by the U.N. instead of prosecuted.

The organization who has spent so much of its time defending oppressive dictatorships around the world, and has so little in the way of taste for freedom in those places where it can be found, for example the western world.

These are supposed to be the judge and jury of what we did in terms of terrorism, while it stood by and watched the whole thing happen?

Yeah, right.

here's my prescription:
Ignore the United Nations, remove the United States from the United Nations and tell them to get their backsides out of Turtle Bay, in 30 days or less.

Preferably less.

A lawyer's legal opinion *is* an action, for him.

The story so far: CIA, with the collusion of NSA, pushes OLC into writing CYA memos that provide GOOJF cards for torturers. (Acronym award of the day?)

That does not show that Bush or Cheney were involved; they may've heard "it's legal, we need it" and signed off. I myself have been surprised thus far to hear how little Cheney is shown to be involved thus far.

Other than where the buck stops, I don't think that Bush is criminally liable for a conspiracy hatched by his underlings. I could be mistaken.

(There are of course facts that could prove liability of Bush &/or Cheney, but those are debatable.)

This.

If Obama doesn't shut this witch hunt down, he's in for a hard time if he ever needs to order any controversial action by the military or intelligence agencies. "Sorry sir, but I''ll need that order, handwritten, in triplicate, and signed by yourself, the Speaker of the House, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the General Secretary of the UN."

Exactly.

At this point in time I think it is key to develop a workable policy that doesn't involve torture and clearly defines what is and isn't okay, but going back and prosecuting this stuff will be a mistake, and I think after seeing a few prosecutions the lawyers and those asked to implement policy based on those opinions will start taking a pass and I don't blame them.

Do they really think that continued US financial and troop support of the UN will be permitted by the American people once the UN pushes this? Sure the Dems will support their fellow travelers but come 2010 they may not control the purse strings. Plus, we have the Obama debt to service so we'll have better use for the money.

If Obama doesn't shut this witch hunt down, he's in for a hard time if he ever needs to order any controversial action by the military or intelligence agencies. "Sorry sir, but I''ll need that order, handwritten, in triplicate, and signed by yourself, the Speaker of the House, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the General Secretary of the UN."

Withdraw from the UN, start charging the members rent for Turtle Bay, or let 'em go back to their countries and sell the property.

When the UN faces up to Oil-for-Food, and blue-helmet child sex rings, and giving a pass to their own members' human rights abuses, then maybe they'll have the moral authority to demand anything from the US.

IF we allow the UN to put US citizens on trial, we abandon our sovereignty to a group of people who do not love the US, and we abandon our own citizens.

I swore to support and defend the Constituion of the United States, not to see it be pushed aside for some words from some unelected UN bureaucrats pen.