Mukasey's Free Pass on Accountability

Attorney General Michael Mukasey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today and was asked about internal investigations conducted by the Department of Justice on detainee interrogation abuse.  In a particularly disturbing exchange, Senator Dick Durbin asked Mukasey about whether those individuals who authorized illegal interogation methods (as judged by historical precedent, U.S., and international law) would be held accountable in the Mukasey Department of Justice.

A year ago, in testimony before the same committee, Mukasey referred to the referenced Justice Department memos as "worse than a sin, it was a mistake.” 

Mr. Mukasey argued today that people have been punished and held accountable for abuses. But only the Abu Ghraib underlings who committed abusive techniques approved in DOJ memos were punished and sent to prison,.  They were portrayed by the Administration as "bad apples" who acted on their own,  We've learned since that detainee abuse had become systematic and Abu Ghraib only an example of more widespread and condoned abuse.   Per our Attorney General, only they are accountable and those who authorized those techniques have no responsiblity and will have no accountability.

Torture is just a "political matter".   There are legal and moral implications to the use of torture.  Like previous Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Mr. Mukasey apparently believes some are above the law.