Lately, there’s been rampant speculation that Bush administration officials might face prosecution under Obama for ordering or approving torture. But it looks like Alberto Gonzales isn’t sweating it.
In an interview with NPR, written up by the Chicago Tribune, Gonzo was asked about the issue. His response:
I don’t think that there’s going to be a prosecution, quite frankly. Because again, these activities…. They were authorized, they were supported by legal opinions at the Department of Justice.
In his confirmation hearings to be Attorney General, Eric Holder declared flatly that “water-boarding is torture,” a determination that could leave key Bush officials, not least Gonzales, facing legal jeopardy — though President Obama has expressed a desire to “look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”
A special prosecutor ha also been appointed to look into whether DOJ officials committed crimes in connection with the US Attorney firings of 2006. And there have been some signs that the probe is circling Gonzo.