dvx:

Instead, Obama is acknowledging (and seems to be condemning) acts of torture performed by US government personnel, but declining to prosecute them. Right now, no historical parallel occurs to me.

It is even worse.

El fiscal rechaza investigar Guantánamo tras hablar con la EE UU · ELPAÍS.com		The public prosecutor rejects an investigation over Guantánamo after talking to the US - ElPais.com
(18/04/2009) La fiscalía de la Audiencia Nacional emitió ayer un informe por el que pide que se rechace una querella presentada contra el equipo jurídico de la Administración Bush que hizo posible el limbo jurídico de Guantánamo. La medida solicitada se produce días después de que el fiscal jefe, Javier Zaragoza, se reuniese en la Audiencia con el consejero político de la Embajada de Estados Unidos William Duncan y un miembro de su asesoría jurídica, según adelantó Cuatro.		(18/04/2009) The public prosecution at [Spain's] National Court issued a report yesterday requesting the dismissal of a lawsuit filed against the Bush Administration legal team who made possible the legal limbo of Guantánamo. The request takes place a day after the head prosecutor [at the Audiencia Nacional], Javier Zaragoza, met in the Court with the political counsel of the US Embassy, William Duncan, and a member of his legal counsel, according to a [news] advance by [TV station] Cuatro.

This is a couple of days after the Attorney General made a similar demand.

Spain wants torture charges against Bush Six dropped - UPI.com (16 April 2009)

The attorney general of Spain has recommended dropping a yearlong attempt to bring six former senior Bush administration officials to trial on charges of authorizing torture practices at the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But the final decision on whether or not to proceed with the case will lie with the daredevil judge prosecuting it. And he's never backed down yet.

The argument put forward by the Attorney General is patently absurd:

OpEdNews » Obama Protecting Bush from Spain?

We know that the top law enforcement official in Spain has made an argument for dismissing the case against the lawyers that an 8 year old would spot as an illegal absurdity, that was not a necessary argument for dismissing the case, but that would be a necessary argument for preventing a case against Bush.  While he could have argued, like Doug Feith, that those engaging in the torture or ordering it were more culpable than the lawyers (as they are indeed), he instead argued that ONLY those present for the torture are culpable, thus exonerating Hitler, Pinochet, and every other official who has ordered a crime from a distance.

Garzón has not yet acted on (or against) these prosecutors' opinions...

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith