"No Legal Rationale" To Hide Torture Memos

By: Michelle Levi
Topics: In The News

A senior White House official defended the release of previously-classified torture memos last week, saying there was no legal rationale for keeping them secret.

The Justice Department documents, which the Obama administration simultaneously released and repudiated on Thursday, provided the legal cover the Bush administration sought for committing torture against detainees held by the CIA. The documents provide grim details about the abuse that was used against terror suspects — procedures which many claim violate international law but which some former administration officials (including Vice President Dick Cheney) continue to defend. ( The memos can be read here.)

On CBS News' Face The Nation, White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod said that many details in the memos had already been revealed, and that there was no credence to the argument that their release would help terrorist by letting them know what was is in store for them if captured.

"It is not what is going to happen to them," Axelrod said, because President Obama "banned these enhanced interrogation techniques.

"The truth is that, because these were in the public domain, because even the last administration has revealed the most serious aspects of this, and because the president has banned these techniques, there was no legal rationale for keeping them classified.

"The New York Review Books had a full catalogue of these techniques that were given to the International Red Cross through testimony," Axelrod added (referring to a recently-disclosed report on detainee abuse). "The CIA may believe that al Qaeda doesn't read the New York Review of Books, but I suspect they know what's going on."

"These techniques, far from improving our security, became a recruiting and propaganda tool for al Qaeda and extremists," he added. "We are moving past all of that."

Axelrod also said that those involved in the torture of prisoners, who were advised that the techniques were legal, should not be prosecuted.

This morning a New York Times editorial called for the impeachment of Jay Bybee, a former assistant attorney general who authored the memos giving political cover for torture. Bybee is now a federal judge.

More from Face The Nation (4.19.09):

Axelrod: Words And Handshakes Not Enough

Axelrod: Markets Can Handle The Truth

Heated Debate Over Assault Weapons

Read The Complete Transcript> (pdf)

To watch David Axelrod's appearance on Face The Nation click on the video player below.

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by birdperfect April 26, 2009 12:00 PM EDT: For years i have hoped and waited for President Bush and Vice President Cheney to be held accountable for the torture they approved, why are you talking about attorneys? We know where the buck stops. They are not even showing any remorse, let the investigations begin and if they are found guilty let them be punished, that is what we are about, right, the rule of law?? Remember anyone in the world can charge them with war crimes, let's clean our own house.; Reply to this comment


by Leepaine April 26, 2009 11:14 AM EDT: Never underestimate the power of the American press. Had they been so endowed during the American revolutionary war, they would have exposed all tactical maneuvers and we would have lost to our enemy. Exposure of torture, good or bad, by America will result in enemy retaliation against both our armed forces and civilians as well. The blood of Americans is on the head of the American press, which has beome too proud, too fat and too greedy to use wisdom.; Reply to this comment


by kinzigtal April 23, 2009 5:09 AM EDT: Sehr geehrter Herr Axelrod,

einige von uns besuchen gelegentlich die Seite der ''The New York Times'', landen auch bei der ''New York Times Best Seller list'' und stellten ebenso wie Sie fest, dass einige Titel von Folter handeln.

Neben diesen gefragten Büchern empfiehlt sich insbesondere auch ein Titel, der die gesamte Amtsperiode George W. Bushs überspannt, wie z. B. Schier, Steven E. Panorama of a Presidency. How George W. Bush Acquired and Spent His Political Capital. New York: M. E. Sharpe, 2009.

Am Mittwoch begann der Prozeß gegen die vier mutmaßlichen Terroristen der sogenannten Sauerland-Gruppe (Fritz Gelowicz, Daniel Schneider, Attila Selek, Adem Yilmaz) vor dem Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf.

Die Wahl zum 17. Deutschen Bundestag findet am 27. September 2009 statt.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Al Hafidh Abu Talha der Deutsche
al-Qaeda; Reply to this comment


by darknessesedge April 23, 2009 1:35 AM EDT: and if we ever have another terrorists attack on the USA and it could have been avoided by a little waterboarding...what will obama say then?; Reply to this comment


by bpai99 April 21, 2009 3:13 AM EDT: Get over this crap about a "higher moral standard" for the US. When all is said and done, the US is best at whatever it chooses to do. I take pride in being able to say to any citizen of any other country "our torturers are better than yours."; Reply to this comment


by mattcat25 April 20, 2009 10:34 AM EDT: Republicans have a strange a distorted view on death, killing, and war. I don't believe that torture is really an issue to for them it seems that it is more of a pleasure.; Reply to this comment


by abbe91 April 20, 2009 9:20 AM EDT: ....again, this president thinks nothing about disclosing classified information...
Posted by credibility2 at 2:10 PM : Apr 19, 2009

The president has the right to declassify whatever he pleases. The question was, can the vice-president do it as well ? and out a CIA front (Brewster-Jennings) for political purpose ?; Reply to this comment


by shameonbush April 20, 2009 2:26 AM EDT: It's really too bad that there is any such report. I cannot believe that the USA has resorted to and legalized torture.; Reply to this comment


by babooph April 19, 2009 11:12 PM EDT: The whaco right -loving their torture by the govt. are too dumb to see the new non white,non Christian govt we are going to be in PERMANENTLY...would likely torture them !!!!; Reply to this comment


by gold_standard April 19, 2009 10:11 PM EDT: Its important to release the details of the methods of torture the government has at its disposal. It engenders fear in the minds of the citizenry if they understand what the government can and will do to them if they get out of line. In the end, it reduces the number of people that will need to be tortured because most people will toe the line if they know what might happen to them.; Reply to this comment