If this were a perfect world, Republican candidates would be criticizing President Obama for signing the defense appropriations bill that permits a president to arrest and hold an American citizen indefinitely on suspicion that he or she may be a terrorist. They would be criticizing the President for not prosecuting American officials who tortured prisoners.
It’s not a perfect world.
So let’s give a cheer for Poland, a country that takes its constitution seriously. According to an article in today’s New York Times entitled “Polish Ex-Official Charged With Aiding C.I.A. on Secret Prisons, Report Says,” Poland is taking action against an official who helped the C.I.A. set up a secret prison where Qaeda suspects were subject to torture, “unlawfully depriving prisoners of their liberties.”
“We try to treat our Constitution seriously and try not to forget the fact that there was a manifest violation of the Polish Constitution within the country’s borders.” This was the statement by Adam Bodnar, V.P. of the Helsinki Foundation for Human Righta, based in Warsaw.
President Obama said we didn’t want to look back, but forward. The Poles say it is necessary to prosecute past abuses so they don’t happen in the future. The Poles are looking forward.
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