House Dems Want Zelikow’s Anti-Torture Memo

[babylonsister]

http://washingtonindependent.com/41730/house-dems-want-zelikows-anti-torture-memo

House Dems Want Zelikow’s Anti-Torture Memo
By Spencer Ackerman 5/4/09 1:25 PM


The FOIA request I filed on April 22 with the State Department for former counselor Philip Zelikow’s 2005 memo arguing against torture appears to be stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Luckily, four top House Democrats — Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY..), William Delahunt (D-Mass.) and Howard Berman (D-Calif.), who occupy important roles atop the judiciary and international affairs committees — have written to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for a copy of the memo, which they say they want by Thursday.

From their letter, which they sent to the secretary on April 30:

We write seeking access to an important State Department memorandum necessary for the Judiciary Committee’s ongoing investigation of the role Justice Department lawyersin approving interrogation practices of the former Administration. This document may also shed significant light on the role played by State Department experts in the interagency process that led to the implementation of these practices, a matter of substantial interest to the Foreign Affairs Committee and its Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight.

If only I had a gavel.

[DURHAM D]

1. One can't produce a document that was never written.

PK is lying.

However, that isn't to say he can't produce a back-dated document that he wrote yesterday.

[struggle4progress]

6. Zelikow has said he does not have a copy:

State Dept Lawyer: White House Tried To Destroy My Alternative Memo On Torture
By Zachary Roth - April 21, 2009, 2:06PM

... Trying to get a copy of the memo, we contacted Zelikow. He declined to add much to his blog post, but did say, via email: The memo I mentioned was highly classified at the time. So any extant copies, or drafts, would only be in an appropriate government safe. Any extant copies at State would be in their archival facilities for top secret papers from my files, or possibly Bellinger's files, or Secretary Rice's files ... http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04/state_dept_lawyer_white_house_tried_to_destroy_my.php

It's possible, I suppose, that he is making this up, to protect himself, or to throw a false scent across the trail in order to prevent discovery of something else. But maybe he should be taken at face value: his claim is generally consistent with what we know about the behavior of the Bush administration

[seemslikeadream]

2. The Fixer

[Spazito]

3. Hmmmm, this could be interesting...

If, as Mr. Zelikow has asserted, there are still copies of his memo to be found, then it should show itself somewhere in the State Department files. The other thing interesting is, given lawyers are notorious for keeping copies of everything they ever wrote, etc, does Mr. Zelikow have a copy of his memo he can submit to the Foreign Affairs Committee? If no copy is found in the State Department files, will Mr. Zelikow be asked if he retained a copy?

[babylonsister]

4. And he also gets to testify next week...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5594067&mesg_id=5594067

[Spazito]

5. Thanks for the link, babylonsister...

That explains why this Thursday is the date set by the Committee re receipt of the memo. Assuming the hearing is public and covered by CSPAN, it will be a hearing I will be watching as it could get very interesting.

[spanone]

7. and well they should

[DURHAM D]

8. I wonder if Kristen Breitweiser will be there to watch his sorry ass. n/t

[pat_k]

9. kick