U.S. Replaces Memo on Torture with New Guidelines

[ElsewheresDaughter]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=564&ncid=716&e=15&u=/nm/20041231/ts_nm/security_torture_dc



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department (news - web sites) released a new memo on Friday to replace a controversial document outlining how to avoid violating U.S. and international terror statutes while interrogating prisoners.


In a Dec. 30 memorandum, released early on Friday, the department stepped back from an August 2002 memo that said only the most severe types of torture were not permissible under U.S. and international agreements against torture.


The new memo was more broad in its definition of what could be considered torture, and therefore what was unacceptable under U.S. law and under the United Nations (news - web sites) Convention Against Torture.


The new memorandum was released on a federal holiday, just one week before White House legal counsel Alberto Gonzales -- to whom the August 2002 memo was addressed -- was to appear before the Senate for confirmation hearings. Gonzales has been nominated by President Bush (news - web sites) to be the new Attorney General.


The August 2002 memo was withdrawn and the new one written after a public outcry over the summer when the August 2002 memo and other documents regarding the interrogation and treatment of Iraqi and al Qaeda prisoners were made public.

[salin]

1. rehabilitation attempt?

Turn back the clock as more revelations leak out? Trying to push that cat back in the bag?

[leetrisck]

2. Is bush going to "undo" the court martials

of our military people - this is to cover the butts of the administration and nobody elxe.

[two gun sid]

3. At this point

nothing can change the fact that the US government allowed torture. Chimp and pals are nothing less than war criminals.

[liberal N proud]

4. Would someone define "most severe"

...only the most severe types of torture were not permissible under U.S. and international agreements against torture.

Do these assholes realize what that will mean for Americans captured and subjected to torture?

[Skidmore]

5. An admission of wrongdoing?

I'd say this reversal is acknowledging wrongdoing. Would it hold up in an international court?

[Moderator]

6. duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1111119