The world may finally get to read the Bush administrations infamous torture memo, the Aug. 1, 2002, document that provided legal cover for the brutal and humiliating treatment of detainees in George W. Bushs war on terror.
Though the general contents of that memo have been described in books, congressional reports and news articles, the document itself was kept as a highly classified secret by the Bush administration.
In its first two months in office, the Obama administration has released several other legal memos relating to Bushs expansive views of his powers, but has withheld key memos on the enhanced interrogation techniques.
On Thursday, the Justice Department said it had negotiated an extension to a court deadline in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the ACLU seeking interrogation-related documents, in part, by agreeing to add the torture memo to other documents that might be released within two weeks.
The Justice Department had been deliberating whether to release three legal memos from May 2005 that, in effect, reaffirmed Bushs right to authorize the harsh interrogations, after the earlier memos had been withdrawn in 2003 and 2004 by Deputy Attorney General Jack Goldsmith.
But Goldsmith resigned in 2004 under White House pressure and his replacement as head of the powerful Office of Legal Counsel, Steven Bradbury, reasserted Bushs sweeping powers in May 2005. Bradbury reissued some of the OLCs opinions from 2002 and 2003 that argued that Bushs Commander-in-Chief authority permitted him to override laws in the name of national security.
I guess the question is, are we going to buy Bush/Cheney's spin on this, or are they going to be held accountable for breaking the law(s)?
I say we go after them. Even if they do have friends in high places and they will never be found guilty, it is important to know the truth. Just think of how different our arguments will be if the actual truth comes out?
And they say the reason Rumsfeld and Cheney were allowed back into politics is because Nixon was pardoned. So we shouldn't forgive and forget. Otherwise Dana Perino will be running for office in 8 years on her credentials from the Bush regime.
So it is important to know the facts.
Bottom line. Bush & Cheney made themselves above the law. Is that cool with you people or not?
Justice Department May Finally Release Infamous 'Torture Memo'
Though the general contents of that memo have been described in books, congressional reports and news articles, the document itself was kept as a highly classified secret by the Bush administration.
In its first two months in office, the Obama administration has released several other legal memos relating to Bushs expansive views of his powers, but has withheld key memos on the enhanced interrogation techniques.
On Thursday, the Justice Department said it had negotiated an extension to a court deadline in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the ACLU seeking interrogation-related documents, in part, by agreeing to add the torture memo to other documents that might be released within two weeks.
The Justice Department had been deliberating whether to release three legal memos from May 2005 that, in effect, reaffirmed Bushs right to authorize the harsh interrogations, after the earlier memos had been withdrawn in 2003 and 2004 by Deputy Attorney General Jack Goldsmith.
But Goldsmith resigned in 2004 under White House pressure and his replacement as head of the powerful Office of Legal Counsel, Steven Bradbury, reasserted Bushs sweeping powers in May 2005. Bradbury reissued some of the OLCs opinions from 2002 and 2003 that argued that Bushs Commander-in-Chief authority permitted him to override laws in the name of national security.
I guess the question is, are we going to buy Bush/Cheney's spin on this, or are they going to be held accountable for breaking the law(s)?
I say we go after them. Even if they do have friends in high places and they will never be found guilty, it is important to know the truth. Just think of how different our arguments will be if the actual truth comes out?
And they say the reason Rumsfeld and Cheney were allowed back into politics is because Nixon was pardoned. So we shouldn't forgive and forget. Otherwise Dana Perino will be running for office in 8 years on her credentials from the Bush regime.
So it is important to know the facts.
Bottom line. Bush & Cheney made themselves above the law. Is that cool with you people or not?
Justice Department May Finally Release Infamous 'Torture Memo'
