Mukasey Sees No Necessity for Pardons in Terror War - NYTimes.com

WASHINGTON — Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said Wednesday that he saw no need for President Bush to issue blanket pardons of officials involved in some of the administration’s most controversial counterterrorism policies.

Mr. Mukasey told reporters that there was “absolutely no evidence” that anyone involved in developing the policies “did so for any reason other than to protect the security in the country and in the belief that he or she was doing something lawful.”

The comments appeared aimed at tamping down speculation that Mr. Bush, before leaving the White House next month, might issue pre-emptive pardons to protect counterterrorism officials from legal jeopardy in the face of possible criminal investigations by the new Democratic administration.

Some overly clever analysts are remarking that if Bush refuses to pardon his national security team, it will force Obama to refuse to investigate and/or prosecute them, which will tarnish his administration.

I think that is too clever by half, although the possibility of a new Oliver North sticking it to them in open testimony is certainly delicious to contemplate.

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