April, 17 2009, 11:10am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Drew Courtney or Josh Glasstetter,Phone: 202-467-4999,Email:,media@pfaw.org
White House Releases Bush Torture Memos
Yesterday, the White House released a set of torture memos drafted by
the Office of Legal Counsel under the Bush Administration. The memos
attempted to justify brutal treatment of detainees, including slamming subjects
against wall, striking them repeatedly in the face and abdomen, confining them
to small boxes, and threatening them with stinging insects.
People For the American Way President Michael B. Keegan issued the
following statement:
WASHINGTON
Yesterday, the White House released a set of torture memos drafted by
the Office of Legal Counsel under the Bush Administration. The memos
attempted to justify brutal treatment of detainees, including slamming subjects
against wall, striking them repeatedly in the face and abdomen, confining them
to small boxes, and threatening them with stinging insects.
People For the American Way President Michael B. Keegan issued the
following statement:
"Although we all knew that the Office of Legal Counsel went out
of its way to condone torture during the Bush years, it is still shocking to
see these memos in black and white. They constitute a concerted attack on
our laws and on our deepest values. The White House should strongly
consider appointing a special prosecutor to continue the investigation into how
the rule of law was so blatantly tossed aside.
"It's extremely important that these memos were
released. Transparency is an essential part of the accountability that
needs to be restored in the Department of Justice.
"These memos also reaffirm why it's important to have a
person of intellectual honesty and integrity leading the Office of Legal
Counsel. The Bush OLC was utterly bankrupt of those values.
It's more important than ever that the Senate confirm Dawn
Johnsen."
To learn more, visit People For the American Way's Campaign to
Restore Justice.
People For the American Way works to build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. We fight against right-wing extremism and the injustice it fosters.
1 (800) 326-7329LATEST NEWS
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