Bush Officials to go to Trial in Spain

One of Spain's prominent judges is trying to indict six former senior Bush administration officials for allowing torture procedures at the now defunct detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Now, the question coming out on the lips of other officials is if the six advisers should be on trial in Spain, let alone their own country.

Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon has been feverishly trying to press charges "of human rights abuse" against former U.S. Attorney General, Alberto R. Gonzales, for supplying legal coverage of torturous actions done at Guantanamo Bay, throughout his tenure in the Bush administration.

As reported by CNN, the five other officials Garzon has been trying to indict include former Assistant Attorney General Jay Bybee, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo, former Defense Department General Counsel William J. Haynes II, former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith, and David Addington, one of several legal counselors to former U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

Spain's audacious judge is already creating problems at home with other officials. Proof of the matter can be seen between Garzon and Spain's attorney general, Candido Conde-Pumpido, who urges the brazen judge to stop his proceedings citing it will cause further strain between the U.S. and Spain at a time when both countries need to reconcile their differences, specifically that of the war, created by the Bush administration.

Garzon's actions stem from a file made by a former Chilean attorney, Gonzalo Boye, who wrote a bulky 98-page complaint regarding the issue.

"It's a shame the prosecutor is taking this position, but not a surprise," said Boye, whose statement was taken by CNN. "They always obey political orders. They don't want to be in a bad position in front of the Obama administration."

His statement about the Obama administration alludes to the "warm relations" Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero has bestowed upon his new "friend," President Barack Obama and the U.S. administration now controlled by his "buddy."

Here are a couple of questions several officials around the world, including Conde-Pumpido, are asking: Should the six former U.S. officials testify in Spain's judicial system before even having a chance to do so in their home countries? If so, will it put a rift between the U.S. and the accusing countries (i.e. Spain) thus causing major embarrassment on behalf of the new commander-in-chief?

Well as Hal March ("Google" him if you don't know whom I talking about) would say, "That's the $64,000 question!"

Well, the six officials made their "mistakes" in America and should therefore deal with the American justice system- not Spain's, even though four of the center's detainees come from Spain.

In addition, President Obama has gotten rid of the detention center within weeks of officially becoming president earlier this year.

Not only did Obama release foreign terrorists whose primary reason to live is to create terror in this world and to one of it's strongest democratic countries, the United States, but he also released home grown American terrorists who've either caused severe pain to its country or planned to do so but were ultimately caught before any actions could be taken.

There should be a place where criminals of that stature need to be held for their own good and for the good of others' lives.

Now, although torture is a heinous crime to commit and is morally never encouraged by democratic countries, another way of looking at the situation is that when other countries abroad take American (and other countries') citizens captive, they do more than water-boarding to extract information from them. They behead them- videotaping the monstrous act and sending it back to the citizen's home country as proof of what they are capable of doing.

Again, torture is always a no-no. However, when acts of crime of this nature are committed, it isn't too hard to at least try to understand why some conservative officials would advise some actions of "pressure" within the legal confines of the law.

These officials who Garzon is trying to put away forever have already faced public scrutiny.

On top of that, the horrific Bush administration has come and gone and now the world needs to look ahead of the global problems and situations it faces during these oppressed times.

Conde-Pumpido was correct in his thought of whether this would cause a rift between American and Spanish relations or not. President Obama, among other leaders throughout the world, needs to make tremendous yet rational changes in our society and to stress a matter that has long ago "left the building," will only transgress any intention of this so called "Change" Obama promises doing that everyone's bought into, instead of progressing the process.

Grazon needs not to undo political progressions but instead look to fry other fish, most preferably from his own country.

The fate of these six officials lies heavily in the hands of a judge whose lust for fame and power may override moral and rational judgment.

Whatever may come of the decision, the world will know within a matter of days whether or not Grazon will heed this proposed trial. Until then, please leave any comments or thoughts on www.thecorsaironline.com.