Spain May Indict Gonzales, 5 Others for Torture

A top Spanish court is close to investigating six former Bush administration officials for circumventing international law to justify torture at Guantanamo Bay, the New York Times reports. Judge Baltasar Garzon, a human rights crusader who has gone after former Chilean ruler Augusto Pinochet, is reviewing the case, which could lead to arrest warrants for ex-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and others.

The complaint on Garzon's desk also names former Justice Department lawyer John C. Yoo and Douglas J. Feith, a defense official under Bush. Feith said he was baffled—“I didn’t even argue for the thing I understand they’re objecting to"—and some American analysts called the move symbolic, certain that officials would remain safe from prosecution inside the US. But it came as no surprise, as human rights groups have been pressing several countries for indictments against Bush officials.
(More torture stories.)