Petition: Prosecute the Leader of the CIA’s Torture Program

Prosecute the Leader of the CIA’s Torture Program

HUMAN RIGHTS, PETITIONS — BY JOSH SAGER ON MAY 12, 2012 8:43 AM 

Sign the Petition: http://forcechange.com/20735/prosecute-the-leader-of-the-cias-torture-program/

Target: US Department of Justice

Goal: Ensure the ringleader of the CIA’s waterboarding program is held accountable for organizing torture and destroying the evidence of torture.

Jose Rodriguez was a high-level CIA official during the Bush administration, who helped organize the “enhanced interrogation” program as well as cover up the crimes of torture. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, President Bush named Rodriguez Chief of Staff for the Counter Terrorism Center (CTC) inside of the CIA. As the head of the CTC, Rodriguez was instrumental in organizing the interrogation programs utilized in “black sites” and Guantanamo Bay, as well as covering up the war crimes committed in these locations.

After retiring from the CIA, Rodriguez wrote a book called “Hard Measures”, in which he described his actions during his tenure in the CTC. In this book, as well as during a recent 60 Minutes interview, Rodriguez openly admits to promoting “enhanced interrogation” (“torture” by another name) as well as intentionally destroying video evidence of CIA officers committing torture.

During his 60 Minutes interview, Rodriguez described his pushing the Bush administration for authorization of “enhanced interrogation” in the following terms: “We needed to get everybody in government to put their big boy pants on and provide the authorities [the torture memos] that we needed.”

Once the public became aware of the torture programs and was justifiably outraged, Rodriguez was instrumental in the destruction of evidence in order to protect the CIA agents guilty of torture. He ordered – without any legal justification – the destruction of 92 interrogation tapes which showed the use of “enhanced interrogation”. In a memo to the executive branch explaining his actions, Rodriguez wrote “The heat from destroying the tapes would be nothing compared to what it would be if the tapes ever got into the public domain.” This memo proves intent to destroy evidence of war crimes, which is itself a crime.

Despite the clear proof of guilt, supported by both written and video admissions of criminal activity, Rodriguez has not been charged with a single criminal act. In fact, Rodriguez is not only evading legal responsibility for his crimes, but profiting off of them by writing a book about them.

This petition is directed at the Department of Justice and is intended to compel them to begin criminal proceedings against Rodriguez. We, as a country, cannot allow anybody to torture in our names and openly admit to their crimes, yet then escape all responsibility for no reason other than our inaction. Rodriguez’s interrogation programs are a blight on our country’s good name and represent the first time that the American government has openly condoned torture. If the DOJ will not pursue justice on its own, we the people must convince them to take action.

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PETITION LETTER

Dear US Department of Justice Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section,

I am contacting you to bring a serious injustice to your attention. Jose Rodriguez, an ex-CIA administrator, has openly admitted to committing war crimes as well as covering up war crimes.

Rodriguez was instrumental in the creation of the Bush era torture program, which utilized confirmed torture techniques such as stress positions, beatings, sleep deprivation, and water-boarding. The authorization of these torture techniques is a crime that has been prosecuted by the USA and international authorities since the days of WWII. As you clearly know, torture cannot be tolerated and it is your responsibility to prosecute torture wherever it occurs, regardless of who is doing the torture.

During the aftermath of the Bush torture program, Rodriguez destroyed 92 video tapes which documented the torture done in “black sites”, as well as Guantanamo Bay. These tapes were material evidence in an ongoing federal investigation, thus the destruction of these tapes is a federal crime.

Far be it from denying these crimes, Rodriguez is both profiting off of them as well as flaunting them in the face of the law. During recent speaking engagement, as well as in his book, Rodriguez shamelessly admits to his crimes and seems to have no fear that Justice will ever be done.

I, as well as all other signatories of this petition, am writing you today in order to implore you to prosecute Jose Rodriguez for his crimes. By not only committing war crimes, but also bragging about his actions in the public arena, Rodriguez is a making a mockery of both the rule of law and the DOJ itself. Please, do your duty to the American people and prosecute those guilty of war crimes, starting with Rodriguez – the man who engineered the shameful US torture program.

Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]