An investigation could disturb retired Bush

While George W. Bush prepares to deliver a series of ten speeches in Canada, Europe and Asia next month, the former president could see the tranquility of his recent retirement in jeopardy.

The Committee on Judicial Affairs of the Senate, March 4 will consider next how to open an investigation into the judicial abuses found during the two mandates of the 43rd American president, as part of its "war against terrorism. " "We must not be afraid to discover what we did," said its chairman, the Democrat.

On 9 February, he had already announced its intention to establish an independent commission modeled on the "truth and reconciliation commissions" established in South Africa after apartheid. "Nothing has done more damage to the stature and moral authority of America that the revelation that the past eight years, we have abandoned our historic commitment to human rights, standing above the law , "he argued.

Even if the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives, the Democratic senator is not alone in this battle: first, about two-thirds of Americans are in favor of * the other hand, associations of defense of human rights and parliamentary increasing calls for the opening of such an inquiry. All were in sight, illegal wiretapping, the use of torture in interrogations of terrorism or the political firing of nine prosecutors in 2006.

"Read the page before the turn"

But that's not all: Patrick Leahy will also address the program to transfer detainees for interrogations by the CIA to abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and the destruction of documents or writing memos justifying the abuses, including the use of torture since the September-11.

Even though Barack Obama has never hidden his disapproval towards methods practiced by his predecessor, his position seems to be more temperate, the President fear of attracting the wrath of the Republican camp. Interviewed three weeks ago on the possibility of a commission of inquiry, he said: "My general position is to say: turn the page". "But I also think that nobody is above the law," he added.

"We must read the page before the turn," said Patrick Leahy Wednesday, stating to be in contact with the White House on this point. For him, the investigation of the commission must overcome "the question of whether crimes have been committed" and consider "errors" that were made "so as not to reproduce."

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