OBAMA REJECTS CALLS TO QUASH DOJ'S INVESTIGATION OF CIA'S USE OF TORTURE

Pres. Obama made the right decision in refusing to quash the DOJ's investigation of CIA torture practices as requested by a group of former CIA directors. What were they thinking? That someone elected president can snap his/her fingers and end a criminal investigation? That would be destructive to the rule of law and unfair to all those other defendants who might not have the resources or high connections to have their charges dropped.

The BBC reports:

"The former heads wrote to Mr Obama saying the probe would hamper CIA work.

"They said the cases had already been investigated during the Bush administration and lawyers had declined to prosecute in all but one.

""This approach will seriously damage the willingness of intelligence officers to take risks to protect the country," their letter read.

""In our judgment, such risk-taking is vital to success in the long and difficult fight against terrorists who continue to threaten us."

"The former CIA chiefs served under Republican and Democratic presidents."

Obama made it clear that he could not accept the argument of the former CIA heads. He said no one was above the law and that it would be improper for him as president to stop a criminal investigation.

Reports the BBC on Obama's statement:

""I appreciate the former CIA directors wanting to look after an institution that they helped to build," he told CBS.

""But I continue to believe that nobody's above the law. And I want to make sure that, as president of the United States, I'm not asserting in some way that my decisions overrule the decisions of prosecutors who are there to uphold the law.""

Obama made the right decision. If the CIA and its personnel thought that what they did was lawful and right, let them defend themselves in court before an impartial judge and observer. To stop this nascent investigation now would incite reasonable suspicion that wrong-doing was being concealed at the highest levels of government.