Yoo: “Do we know if Boo-boo is allergic to certain insects?”

[kpete]

Recall that it came out last year that in a classified August 2002 memoranda, Yoo and Bybee approved such tortures to captured al-Qaeda detainee Abu Zubaydah as placing insects inside a “confinement box” along with the detainee, who was to be led to believe the insects were poisonous. They concluded such a move wouldn’t be torture. Here’s a snippet of how they reached such a conclusion. They use the bizarre nickname “Boo-Boo” for Abu Zubaydah:

On June 30 (2002), Yoo asked (NAME REDACTED) by email, “Do we know if Boo-boo is allergic to certain insects?” (NAME REDACTED) replied, “No idea, but I’ll check with (NAME REDACTED)” Although there is no record of a reply by (NAME REDACTED) the final version of the classified Bybee memo included the following, “Further, you have informed us that you are not aware that Zubaydah has any allergies to insects.”

http://washingtonindependent.com/77168/do-we-know-if-boo-boo-is-allergic-to-certain-insects

… you (the CIA) have informed us (the Office of Legal Counsel) that he (Abu Zubaydah) would spend at most two hours in this box. You have informed us that your purpose in using these boxes is not to interfere with his senses or his personality, but to cause him physical discomfort that will encourage him to disclose critical information. Moreover, your imposition of time limitations on either of the boxes indicates that the use of the boxes is not designed or calculated to disrupt profoundly the senses or the personality. For the larger box, in which he can both stand and sit, he may be placed in this box for up to eighteen hours at a time, while you have informed us that he will never spend more than an hour at a time in the smaller box. These time limits further ensure that no profound disruption of the senses or personality, were it even possible, would result….

You would also like to introduce an insect into one of the boxes with Zubaydah. As we understand it, you plan to inform Zubaydah that you are going to place a stinging insect into the box, but you will actually place a harmless insect in the box, such as a caterpillar. If you do so, to ensure you are outside the predicate death requirement, you must inform him that the insects will not have a sting that would produce death or severe pain. If, however, you were to place the insect in the box without informing him that you are doing so, you should not affirmatively lead him to believe that any insect is present which has a sting that could produce severe pain or suffering or even cause his death.

http://washingtonindependent.com/39227/lets-apply-these-techniques-to-their-authors-and-see-if-they-dont-result-in-severe-physical-pain

[freeplessinseattle]

1. that's messed up

who thinks up shit like this?

I'll tell ya, if an insect was put into a box with me, no matter if it was poisonous or allergenic I'd be freaked out of my mind. Incoherent, too, I'm sure, and of no use to them.

[UpInArms]

2. someone should put this F*** in a box with a black widow spider

and a scorpion and a few thousand fire ants.

[Solly Mack]

3. k/r