The same Spanish judge responsible for the arrest of Chilean dictator Pinochet in 1998 is now trying to bring justice to the American torture defenders.
According to Harper Magazine's Scott Horton, an anonymous source named UC Berkeley's John Yoo and former attorney general Alberto Gonzales as being targets in the criminal probe. While such probes usually amount to more of a public shaming than an actual carrying out of justice (sound familiar?), that kind of shaming can be important. John Yoo got a hero's welcome at CMC last year (as did Karl Rove this year). I'd love to see the school renouncing both of them on account of them being war criminals, as well as huge jerks.
Baltasar Garzon has a long history of fighting the good fight, and doing so righteously. A couple years ago he had this to say about the War on Terror (from the New York Times):
"A model like Guantánamo is an insult to countries that respect laws," Judge Garzón said in an interview during a counterterrorism conference in Florence in late May. "It delegitimizes us. It is a place that needs to disappear immediately."
Garzon is known for being tough on terrorism as well as on world leaders/criminals. I'm impressed by his creative application of universal jurisdiction in trying those who have committed crimes against humanity. Many European countries have invoked this principle and I'm optimistic that eventually one will take. Once it does, the impunity celebrated by Bush and his cronies will hopefully start to crumble.
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