DFNYC Joins Groups asking for Appointment of Special Counsel

To keep this list growing, encourage other groups to sign on.

Statement on Prosecution of Former High Officials

We urge Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint a non-partisan independent Special Counsel to immediately commence a prosecutorial investigation into the most serious alleged crimes of former President George W. Bush, former Vice President Richard B. Cheney, the attorneys formerly employed by the Department of Justice whose memos sought to justify torture, and other former top officials of the Bush Administration.

Our laws, and treaties that under Article VI of our Constitution are the supreme law of the land, require the prosecution of crimes that strong evidence suggests these individuals have committed. Both the former president and the former vice president have confessed to authorizing a torture procedure that is illegal under our law and treaty obligations. The former president has confessed to violating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

We see no need for these prosecutions to be extraordinarily lengthy or costly, and no need to wait for the recommendations of a panel or “truth” commission when substantial evidence of the crimes is already in the public domain. We believe the most effective investigation can be conducted by a prosecutor, and we believe such an investigation should begin immediately.

Drafted by The Robert Jackson Steering Committee
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/robertjackson

Signed By:

Center for Constitutional Rights
http://www.ccrjustice.org

The National Lawyers Guild
http://www.nlg.org

After Downing Street
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org

American Freedom Campaign
http://www.americanfreedomcampaign.org

Ann Wright, retired US Army Reserve Colonel and US diplomat
http://www.voicesofconscience.com

Backbone Campaign
http://www.backbonecampaign.org

Brad Blog
http://www.bradblog.com

Cities for Peace
http://citiesforprogress.org

CODE PINK: Women for Peace
http://www.codepink4peace.org

Daniel Ellsberg, Truth-Telling Project
http://www.ellsberg.net

Defending Dissent Foundation
http://www.defendingdissent.org

Delaware Valley Veterans for America
http://www.delvalvets4america.org

Democrats.com
http://www.democrats.com

Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
http://www.space4peace.org

Gold Star Families for Peace
http://www.cindysheehanssoapbox.com

Grandmothers Against the War
http://www.grandmothersforpeace.org/gatw

Grassroots America
http://www.grassrootsamerica4us.org

High Road for Human Rights Advocacy Project
http://www.highroadforhumanrights.org

Iraq Veterans Against the War
http://ivaw.org

Justice Through Music
http://www.jtmp.org

Marcus Raskin, co-founder of Institute for Policy Studies, member of editorial board of the Nation, member of the special staff of the National Security Council in the Kennedy Administration

Media Freedom Foundation/Project Censored
http://www.projectcensored.org

Naomi Wolf, author of End of America: Letter of Warning to a Young Patriot, and Give Me Liberty: A Handbook for American Revolutionaries
http://naomiwolf.org

National Accountability Network

Northeast Impeachment Coalition
http://www.neimpeach.org/wp

Op Ed News
http://www.opednews.com

Peace Action
http://www.peace-action.org

Peace Team
http://www.peaceteam.net

The Progressive
http://www.progressive.org

Progressive Democrats of America
http://www.pdamerica.org

Republicans for Impeachment
http://republicansforimpeachment.com

United for Peace and Justice
http://www.unitedforpeace.org

Velvet Revolution
http://www.velvetrevolution.us

Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity
http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/vips

Veterans for Peace
http://www.veteransforpeace.org

Voters for Peace
http://votersforpeace.us/index2.php

War Crimes Times
http://www.warcrimestimes.org

Wisconsin Impeachment/Bring Our Troops Home Coalition
http://www.impeachwi.com

World Can't Wait
http://www.worldcantwait.net

Another effort to hold the Bush administration accountable is Senator Patrick Leahy’s call for a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 

You can also take actions to have your individual opinion heard on either or both of these options:

Sign a petition to Attorney General Eric Holder: Please Appoint a Special Prosecutor
http://www.democrats.com/special-prosecutor-for-bush-war-crimes and/or http://prosecutebushcheney.org

Sign Senator Patrick Leahy’s petition for a Bush Truth and Reconciliation Commission
http://ga3.org/campaign/btcpetition/835536krqj57wx3j?qp_source=feb09_btc1