US 'waterboarding' row rekindled (Bush gave written approval before memos issued)

[sabra]

Source: BBC

Fresh evidence has emerged that a key al-Qaeda suspect was waterboarded before the Bush government lawyers issued written authorisation to do so.

A former CIA agent has told the BBC that Abu Zubaydah was waterboarded by the CIA in May or June 2002.

The date was provided by former CIA agent John Kiriakou. The practice was sanctioned in written memos by Bush administration lawyers in August 2002.

...

Mr Kiriakou said he had information that by early summer, 2002, President Bush had given his written approval for the use of waterboarding.

The BBC could not corroborate Mr Kiriakou's assertions independently. The date of Abu Zubaydah's waterboarding remains a closely guarded secret.

Mr Kiriakou has been criticised in the past for downplaying the extent of the waterboarding and emphasising its efficacy.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8144625.stm

[CJCRANE]

1. Don't trust Kiriakou. This could be misdirection.

On edit: remember this is the guy who originally said that KSM had only been waterboarded for a few seconds. He forgot to mention the other 182 times.

On edit2: By misdirection I mean his statement that there was a written memo from Bush authorizing waterboarding prior to the legal memo.

[sabra]

3. Kiriakou 's redemption? who knows? maybe he let it slip...

:shrug:

[CJCRANE]

4. My hunch is that there wasn't a memo from Bush.

I think that Kiriakou is admitting to a truth (waterboarding happened prior to the legal authorization) but adding a lie to make it seem OK (presidential authorization via memo).

I could be wrong but he just seems the kind of guy who only speaks in half-truths (on edit: and it's a much more easily defended position than if say Cheney or someone else had authorized it or let it happen).

[Voice for Peace]

5. I was told quite some time ago that there WAS a memo from Bush.

And my source is excellent -- but I don't know his source.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

2. At this rate when the special prosecutor is finally assigned to this case

They're not going to have much work left to do.

From the article:

Asked by the BBC's Panorama programme when the waterboarding phase of the interrogation began, Mr Kiriakou said: "That would have been at the very end of May or the very beginning of June 2002."

The key legal advice by Bush administration lawyers that deemed it acceptable was not written until August 2002.

[subcomhd]

6. This wasn't bad legal advice (the memos).

They were told to write something up that gave a green to what was already going on. That Bybee memo that includes graphic details on HOW a boarding might be conducted? That wasn't Bybees material.