Bush Waived Aniti-Torture Laws

JME2 · Post by **JME2** » 2004-06-22 11:55pm

JME2: too dumb to dress a link

Absolute arrogance.

In the future don't inline long addresses ~ Stormbringer

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-06-23 12:03am

It's certainly not good and I'd really like to know what wasn't released. Because frankly what was authorized is relatively mild compared to the abuse that was documented.

The Kernel · Post by **The Kernel** » 2004-06-23 12:04am

You gotta love the Bush double talk.

"I didn't do it, but if I did, it was completely justified..."

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-06-23 12:12am

If I read the article correctly, Bush wrote that Asscroft had concluded that his wartime powers granted him the authority to rescind the Geneva Conventions for prisoners, but that he had not chosen to exercise that power.

Rumsfeld, on the other hand, wrote that he would have to personally approve any of the 24 methods of interrogation (which, I believe, included the techniques used in Abu Gharib, including the use of dogs) in advance.

Plekhanov · Post by **Plekhanov** » 2004-06-23 12:25am

Did the nobodies currently under trial for the goings on at Abu Gharib actually exceed any of the 24 techniques Rumsfeld could apparently approve? Or are they in effect being tried for torturing prisoners without filling in the right forms first?

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2004-06-23 12:31am

Plekhanov wrote:Did the nobodies currently under trial for the goings on at Abu Gharib actually exceed any of the 24 techniques Rumsfeld could apparently approve? Or are they in effect being tried for torturing prisoners without filling in the right forms first?

A good chunk of that is vague enough that it could theoretically be either one. However, given the pointless nature of much of the abuse and the fact that some of it goes well beyond what this tells us was potentially to be applied that for now it seems they went beyond orders. I have a bad feeling there are more memos we haven't seen though.