Biden: Justice Department Memos Point to Endorsement of Torture

[Muttocracy]

press release from Biden's website

July 25, 2008

Washington, DC – The Department of Justice has released heavily redacted versions of three additional documents regarding the “enhanced interrogation techniques,” including waterboarding, used by the Central Intelligence Agency on detainees within its custody. These memos are in addition to other Department of Justice memos made public in June 2004 which stated that U.S. law prohibits only conduct that causes “serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death.”

“It is a dark day for the United States government when the Department of Justice–charged with the duty of protecting and upholding the rule of law–provides legal pretext for torture,” said Sen. Biden, former Chairman and senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and staunch advocate of Congress banning waterboarding and other forms of torture.

The memos released last night state that an actor with an honest, but mistaken belief, that his actions will not cause severe pain and suffering cannot be held liable and point out that such a belief may be “established by, among other things, the reliance on the advice of experts.” Tellingly, one of the documents concludes by noting that a recent Supreme Court case, Rasul v. Bush, raises the possibility that a court of law might review the interrogation program, a prospect, the Department notes, that “raises possible concerns.”

“The documents provide a virtual ‘how to’ guide for subjecting detainees to torture techniques like stress positions, exposure to extreme temperatures, and waterboarding without incurring legal liability,” added Sen. Biden.

The documents also require interrogators using Enhanced Interrogation Techniques to create a contemporaneous record “setting forth the nature and duration of each such technique employed, the identities of those present, (further content redacted),” suggesting that the Central Intelligence Agency at one time had detailed records regarding the use of enhanced interrogation techniques. Those records have not been made public.


continues, on subject of a bill from Biden ; edited above to fix the content redacted part - not sure what it means...

http://biden.senate.gov/press/press_releases/release/?id=936DF7C7-6A31-4D16-8DDF-F8FF7E332966

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. If Biden is VP he will have more power to look into these things

besides having the casting vote

[Muttocracy]

2. his interest and experience in judiciary is one thing that make me not want him for Sec of State

would rather have him as VP or still in Senate for that.

On the other hand, there are many other Dems who can help with these issues, so on that count I'd like to see Biden in Senate with many more Dems, Sec. of State, or maybe VP.

I certainly wouldn't complain if he's VP; kinda doubt he'll be the pick. We'll all know soon.

[PatSeg]

6. I see what you mean

I'm so torn as Biden has so much experience and expertise in so many areas. Perhaps we can have him cloned. That's too much talent for one person.

[WheelWalker]

8. Agreed. The only fair solution. A Joe Biden for each of you ! (Well,

I guess it's Hunter for Debi)

[PatSeg]

9. I don't think any of us would

have any problems with Hunter, though I doubt Debi would be willing to share.

[jillan]

11. I want one!! I want one!!!

[Supersedeas]

3. Biden goes straight to the top of the list for VP by drawing attention to this

[Muttocracy]

4. is there more on DU about it?

Mostly been doing some busywork today, listening a bit to the not-quite-impeachment hearing, so I might have missed it.

Is this something Biden saw as 2nd in line on Judiciary - closed briefing?

I wonder if it was like the one Boxer / Klobuchar / Cardin had on EPA - allowed to glance at a few things quickly.

[jonkronz2003]

5. By their definition, it's still torture...

“serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death.”


As skin is the largest organ in the human body, breaking the skin (ie. "causing a failure") is torture in their own definition. I've seen the pictures of some of these guys and they didn't run into a wall on their own.

[Supersedeas]

16. what's a broken jaw or two -- or choking violently as if your life depended on it to a Neo-Con thug

[katty]

7. have no doubt torture was endorsed

[jillan]

10. I'm glad he is speaking out on this.

[Supersedeas]

18. and yet the GoP Controlled Media continues to sit on their hands

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

12. What's truly sick is,...the TRUTH has to be heard over and over, again, before seen as reality.

That's how successful the LIE-MONGERS have been at obliterating the truth.

It's sick and, frankly, deadly. The LIE-MONGERS are sick and deadly and it is damned past time they are called on the carpet of democracy and held to the rule of law. Hell, each and every one is guilty of, AT LEAST, obstruction of justice ON PUBLIC RECORD because they have ALL sought to HIDE EVIDENCE FROM CONGRESS AND THE PEOPLE.

If these people are (NOT) held to account for their behavior, we can comfortably expect an even more extreme set of power-mongers to come in and destroy this nation.

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. There is too much evidence........ We torture

I've showed you the photos, I've given you the facts and I have cried.

My children's great grandfather died in a Nazi Concentration camp
in Denmark by torture, his son; their grandfather, a communist
socialist, is considered a hero to the Danes, for his
sedition work, in the occupation of Denmark.

Enough of this crap!

[Rosa Luxemburg]

14. and the USA is not supposed to torture!

[Jillian]

15. k & r

[bluesmail]

17. "It is a dark day for the United States Government when

the Department of Justice-charged with the duty of protecting and upholding the rule of law-provides legal pretext for torture." That says it all, very succinctly. No ambiguity. Thank You, Senator Biden edited for spelling