*Ø* Blogmanac | Memos Reveal War Crimes Warnings

Could Bush administration officials be prosecuted for 'war crimes'
as a result of new measures used in the war on terror?
The White House's top lawyer thought so

By Michael Isikoff
Newsweek
Updated: 9:14 a.m. ET May 19

"May 17 -- The White House's top lawyer warned more than two years ago that U.S. officials could be prosecuted for 'war crimes' as a result of new and unorthodox measures used by the Bush administration in the war on terrorism, according to an internal White House memo and interviews with participants in the debate over the issue.

"The concern about possible future prosecution for war crimes—and that it might even apply to Bush adminstration officials themselves— is contained in a crucial portion of an internal January 25, 2002, memo by White House counsel Alberto Gonzales obtained by NEWSWEEK. It urges President George Bush declare the war in Afghanistan, including the detention of Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters, exempt from the provisions of the Geneva Convention ..."

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