Would Obama prosecute Nazis who followed Hitler's commands or would he say they were just "following orders" ?

Question

This very issue was once debated after World War 2; during the Nuremberg trials, some Nazi criminals said they did what they did because they were ordered to - the Nuremberg Defense. The Nuremberg Defense is basically a legal defense saying that you can't be held accountable because you were just following orders. As I stated earlier, this was not accepted as a valid defense by international law.

So why is Obama seemingly taking this approach with those who were torturing SUSPECTED terrorists (keyword: suspected because they were never given any chance to prove their innocence if they were)? The White House is now saying that they won't even prosecute those who authored the bogus "legal" memos.

Isn't this essentially saying you can get away with a crime because someone told you to do it?

Answer 1

And Congress said whoa not so fast.*

Answer 2

Would you torture a Nazi if he knew a fast way to end World War 2 and save millions of lives?



Also, enemy combatants have no rights. They are non-uniformed soldiers who hold allegiance to no country which means they are not covered by the Geneva Conventions.

Answer 3

The people who did the torturing were our people whereas the one's being tortured were not. That's the key difference between the Nazis and the G-Bay torturers, the Nazis were prosecuted by people who had every reason to hate them whereas our people are, well, our people.



He's being patriotic by siding with our people over terrorists, isn't that what every conservative in America wants? (as if disagreeing with them automatically makes you un-patriotic)

Answer 4

There are no Nazis to prosecute. I don't think most people, even their detractors, would equate the Bush administration to the Nazis.



Why are the Right so prone to fantasy?

Answer 5

Liberals thought Obama would stick it to Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld , however, they were let down by their man again. He's really one of them and they actually believed different.

Answer 6

poor comparison.... C.I.A tourtured suspected terrorist...



Nazis... tourtured Jews



lol somebody always has to pull the bush card... wow

Answer 7

he would say they were just following orders and then apologize for there mistake.

Answer 8

If they have proof other then wartime propaganda.

Answer 9

was it a crime? then please differentiate was it malum in se or malum prohibidum? give examples