Democrats Begin Probe of “Secret” Torture Opinons Used by Bush to Justify Abhorrent Behavior By U.S.
Even After Bush pledged not to use torture; He commissioned “secret legal opinions” from the Justice Department to cover treatment that explicitly authorized the use of painful and psychological tactics on suspects.
By LARA JAKES JORDAN, Associated Press Writer, Oct 4th
WASHINGTON - Senate and House Democrats demanded Thursday to see two secret memos that reportedly authorize painful interrogation tactics against terror suspects — despite the Bush administration’s insistence that it has not violated U.S. anti-torture laws.
White House and Justice Department press officers said legal opinions written in 2005 did not reverse an administration policy issued in 2004 that publicly renounced torture as “abhorrent.”
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller sent a letter to the acting attorney general saying the administration’s credibility is at risk if the documents are not turned over to Congress.
The memos are “critical to an appropriate assessment” of interrogation tactics approved by the White House and the Justice Department, Rockefeller wrote to Acting Attorney General Peter D. Keisler. “Why should the public have confidence that the program is either legal or in the best interests of the United States?” the West Virginia Democrat asked.
House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., promised a congressional inquiry into the two Justice Department legal opinions that reportedly explicitly authorized the use of painful and psychological tactics on terrorism suspects. Click here to read more about White House desire to torture suspects at Yahoo News.