Presidential Accountability in Wartime: President Bush, the Treatment of Detainees, and the Laws of War

The US has historically relied on checks and balances to constrain executive power, but presidential war power challenges these boundaries. Stuart Streichler's book examines the repercussions of presidential war powers for human rights, using President George W. Bush's authorization of interrogating detainees as a case study. It highlights the hazards of relying on the body politic to hold wartime presidents accountable and the implications for basic human rights in times of war.

Format: Hardback
Length: 294 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2023
Publisher: The University of Michigan Press

The United States has a long history of violating the laws of war, and the responsibility for these violations falls on the shoulders of those who have authorized and carried out these actions. While the US has historically relied on the checks and balances of Congress and the Supreme Court to constrain executive power, these boundaries have been challenged by presidential war power. Other scholars have focused on presidents starting military conflicts abroad or infringing on civil liberties at home, but Stuart Streichler integrates international humanitarian law into an analysis of the repercussions of presidential war powers for human rights.

In his book "Presidential Accountability in Wartime," Streichler examines the history of the development of the laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions and Nuremberg Trials. He then uses President George W. Bush's authorization of interrogating detainees of the CIA and US armed forces during a national security crisis as a case study to examine how the checks and balances of Congress and the Supreme Court failed to hold anyone personally responsible. Using originally classified documents, Streichler unravels the decision-making process of the White House and how it fits into the wider context.

The book closes with an insightful interpretation of the torture debate that highlights the hazards of relying on the body politic to hold wartime presidents accountable and the repercussions for basic human rights in times of war. In doing so, it raises profound questions about the character of the presidency, the unreliability of checks and balances, and the American constitutional system of government.

One of the key arguments of the book is that the US has a long history of violating the laws of war, and that this has led to a loss of trust in the international community. Streichler argues that the US has been able to get away with these violations because of the checks and balances of Congress and the Supreme Court, but that these boundaries have been challenged by presidential war power.

Streichler uses the case study of President George W. Bush's authorization of interrogating detainees of the CIA and US armed forces during a national security crisis to illustrate this point. He shows how the White House made a series of decisions that led to the torture of detainees, and how these decisions were made without any oversight or accountability.

Streichler argues that the checks and balances of Congress and the Supreme Court failed to hold anyone personally responsible for these violations. He points out that Congress was not informed about the torture program until after it had been implemented, and that the Supreme Court did not intervene until after the program had been shut down.

Streichler also argues that the US has a history of using torture as a tool of war, and that this has led to a loss of trust in the international community. He points out that the US has been accused of torture in many countries, and that this has led to a decline in the US's reputation as a leader in the world.

In addition to the case study of President George W. Bush's authorization of interrogating detainees, Streichler also examines the role of the media in the torture debate. He argues that the media played a significant role in shaping public opinion about the torture program, and that this played a role in the decision to shut it down.

Streichler also argues that the US has a history of using torture as a tool of war, and that this has led to a loss of trust in the international community. He points out that the US has been accused of torture in many countries, and that this has led to a decline in the US's reputation as a leader in the world.

In conclusion, "Presidential Accountability in Wartime" is a powerful book that examines the history of the development of the laws of war, and the role of the checks and balances of Congress and the Supreme Court in holding those who authorize and carry out these actions accountable. Stuart Streichler uses the case study of President George W. Bush's authorization of interrogating detainees of the CIA and US armed forces during a national security crisis to illustrate this point, and he argues that the US has a long history of violating the laws of war and that this has led to a loss of trust in the international community. The book closes with an insightful interpretation of the torture debate that highlights the hazards of relying on the body politic to hold wartime presidents accountable and the repercussions for basic human rights in times of war.

Weight: 272g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780472076499