NY Times Story On Secret Interrogation Order Prompts Congressional Action

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/04/ny-times-story-on-secret-_n_67130.html

It was only published online last night at about 8:30 PM. But already Congress is getting agitated about the New York Times story alleging that former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales issued secret orders justifying the use of harsh interrogation measures by the CIA that may have amounted to torture.

The Times' lengthy A1 report claims that Gonzales worked to tamp down a Justice Department rebellion against the White House's push for aggressive executive action in the fight against al Qaida. And the House Judiciary Committee is now the first to get in the game and call for the memos to be turned over to Congressional investigators. Reps. John Conyers (D-MI) and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Chairmen of the Judiciary Committee on and the Subcommitee on Civil Liberties respectively, sought the secret memos in a letter just released this morning:

Both the alleged content of these opinions and the fact that they have been kept secret from Congress are extremely troubling, especially in light of the Department's 2004 withdrawal of an earlier opinion similarly approving such methods. We request that both these opinions be provided immediately to the Judiciary Committee, and that Steven Bradbury, the acting head of the Office of Legal Counsel and the apparent author of the opinions, be made available for prompt Committee hearings.

A Committee spokesman told the Huffington Post that it is typically publishes all documents online that it receives from the Justice Department. That means that we could soon be one step closer to knowing the actual marching orders given to America's secret prison wardens.

Whether the Justice Department will comply with the request is another matter entirely - a spokesman was unavailable for comment at press time.


NY Times story here:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1975042

[Miss Chybil]

1. k/r nt

[seemslikeadream]

2. yes please talk with Judge Bybee

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1970683

[Solly Mack]

3. kick

[L. Coyote]

4. The interrogation opinions were signed by Steven G. Bradbury

Secret U.S. Endorsement of Severe Interrogations
By SCOTT SHANE, DAVID JOHNSTON and JAMES RISEN
Published: October 4, 2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/washington/04interrogate.html?ex=1349150400&en=155396712dd3c7fa&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

This article is by Scott Shane, David Johnston and James Risen.

"The interrogation opinions were signed by Steven G. Bradbury, who since 2005 has headed the elite Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. He has become a frequent public defender of the National Security Agency’s domestic surveillance program and detention policies at Congressional hearings and press briefings, a role that some legal scholars say is at odds with the office’s tradition of avoiding political advocacy."

"....shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, when the Bush administration adopted secret detention and coercive interrogation, both practices the United States had previously denounced when used by other countries. It adopted the new measures without public debate or Congressional vote, choosing to rely instead on the confidential legal advice of a handful of appointees."

"...in July, after a month long debate inside the administration, President Bush signed a new executive order authorizing the use of what the administration calls “enhanced” interrogation techniques — the details remain secret — and officials say the C.I.A. again is holding prisoners in “black sites” overseas. The executive order was reviewed and approved by Mr. Bradbury and the Office of Legal Counsel."

.............

[L. Coyote]

5. “the torture memo” ... was written largely by John Yoo = "Dr. Yes "

opinion, which would become infamous as “the torture memo” after it was leaked, was written largely by John Yoo, a young Berkeley law professor serving in the Office of Legal Counsel. His broad views of presidential power were shared by Mr. Addington, the vice president’s adviser. Their close alliance provoked John Ashcroft, then the attorney general, to refer privately to Mr. Yoo as Dr. Yes for his seeming eagerness to give the White House whatever legal justifications it desired

[L. Coyote]

6. K & R

[KoKo]

7. WOW! the NYT SPEAKS...and CONGRESS LISTENS!

wonder why they didn't listen to Americans marching in the streets for 6 years and to all those letters and petitions they asked us to sign. Wonder why that is? :eyes: But, the NYT Speaks! and they hustle their butts.

[DemGa]

8. Please let this be it

Something tells me this cold be the one (impeachment)....oh please.