Ashcroft: BP criminal investigation should have come sooner
Washington (CNN) – Former Attorney General John Ashcroft suggested Wednesday that the Obama administration’s criminal investigation into the circumstances that led to the Gulf oil spill should have come sooner than it did.
Almost six weeks after the initial explosion on the oil rig Deepwater Horizon, the Justice Department announced Tuesday it had launched a criminal and civil investigation into the oil spill.
Asked during an appearance at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, whether he thought the investigations or the timing of the announcement were politically motivated, Ashcroft said he didn’t know “enough facts and circumstances” to comment. But the former head of the Justice Department went on to say, “If someone ever commits a crime against me or my family I would hope that in something less than five weeks they would decide to investigate it.”
Ashcroft also criticized the Obama administration’s decision to close the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where a number of suspected terrorists have been held by the federal government.
“I think its right to take people out of battle. It is right to dislocate them. The alternatives are either to kill them on the field or to re-arm them and send them back out to take another shot. Or to detain them.” said Ashcroft. “I think detention is the only acceptable thing.”
Ashcroft described the idea of detaining people who fight against the United States as an act of mercy.
The problem, he explained, was when people confused detention for purposes of removing people from the battlefield with punishment.
“The idea somehow there is something evil about Guantanamo– I think it is a bankrupt idea.”
Soon after being sworn in, President Obama pledged to close the Guantanamo facility by the time his first year in office was up. But that self-imposed deadline came and went while the facility remained open and as Obama faced pushed back from Capitol Hill over how to handle the suspected terrorists. The White House has not announced a specific date for Gitmo’s closing.
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ASHCROFT??? CNN Political Ticker, please knock off this lousy trend of yours.. Geez louise. There are planet-threatening situations going off all around, and this is the best you can do for us? No, thank you.
Mr. Ashcroft, I think from the Bush standpoint, you were a shinning star, given that they were all turds, you are a polished turd
this is fine timing, Obama and crew have given BP time to screw up and show their work to try fix it
now is a perfect time for the investigation
what? a sooner investigation would have caught some records or such... yeah your boys were so good at uncovering wrong doing, worthless endeavors
Ashcroft, this investigation goes back to your corrupt boss's administration.
Why was BP given a license when they couldn't demonstrated they could stop a catastrophe.
Nice try Ashcroft. You Republicans just need to get smarter. Dumb, dumb, dumb, and getting dumber every day.
You people really are desperate.
BP's dangerous drilling as well as it's handling of the oil catastrophe is nothing but a company acting as eco-terrorist.
So in conclusion, the top management of BP should be sent to guantanamo prision until the leak is closed and the clean up is completed
Just Remember Folks,
This is the same John Ashcroft who was quoted as saying "people need to be careful what they say". The quote was in refernece to some issue after the 9-11 attacks but I cannot see how it can be excused. Maybe he should take his own advice, on a voluntary basis of course.
Lets hope the the drill stem cap plan will work but be prepared to keep trying anything else to stop the flow from the well. Leave the fing crimminal investigators out of it. No place for doughnut eaters in this crisis.
Either he didn't do it soon enough or he should have waited until later. Criticism no matter the situation.
John Ashcroft? Isn't he the guy who lost an election to a dead guy?
How about fixing the well first then worry about a criminal investigation. Lets not put the cart before the horse. And what should be interesting is the fact this rig got a safety award in '09 from the Oblamer administration.
Considering BP's legendary track record of oil disasters and deaths, why didn't YOU start an investigation when YOU were Attorney General, Mr. Ashcroft?
Hey – don't give us this stuff. Not interesting at all.
I want to hear more about Nikki's affairs !! Now THAT sounded like fun.
Good grief, CNN, what in the world are you dong? More roaches
crawling out of the woodwork with their useless opinions and
criticisms, and you actually want to give them credibility? This guy
was the worst and deserves nothing. What you are doing is
destroying your own creds, and it is sickening. Have your ratings
increased since you started this nonsense, or are you just mucking
around for the fun of it??
SOONER? It's only been six weeks. What the heck did everyone here get done in the last six weeks?
Was this a crime or incredible stupidity.. ?
Why close gitmo to start with? dumb idea.
Who dredged up this old cootie? John Ashcroft was never more than a pimple on the butt of the American justice system, and a failed politician as well. Beaten in a race for the Senate by a dead guy, Ashcroft became just another bad decision by the Bush administration. Why was he never prosecuted for all the lying he did about inappropriate handling of Justice Department business during his tenture there?
Investigations should have come sooner? Where was Ashcroft when illegal wiretapping and decisions about torture were being made on his judicial watch, and what investigations did he initiate? Oh yeah.......none
I am belived that ashcroft are keep great