Feb 13th, 2009
Posted by Suzanne Ito, ACLU at 7:17pm	National Security

OLC: We'll See You in Court!

On Wednesday, the Justice Department requested a 90-day stay so it could have more time to review three torture memos that we've specifically re-requested for release through our five-year-old Freedom of Information Act request. These three memos, written by then-head of the department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), contain authorizations to subject detainees in CIA custody to harsh interrogation methods that amount to torture, and the legal opinions that justify them.

We sent the judge on the case a letter asking him to deny the request for a 90-day stay. We'll be back before the judge on February 18 arguing against the stay.

Last month, ProPublica built a web page that details which OLC memos are still secret. Those last three at the bottom: those are the ones we want. The public has waited long enough.

We were so encouraged when, in his first week in office, President Obama resoundingly rejected torture, and renewed his commitment to transparency and the rule of law. We hope the administration stays true to these principles as this case proceeds.

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Tags: national security project

1. James Dunn Says:
   Feb 15th, 2009 at 3:33pm

   Torture and Capital Punishment are at least questionable ethical concerns. Ethics that most Americans are not educated enough to address fully.

   I propose that we the people elect "State elected doctors of science" as representatives to lead the National Security Agency (NSA). As such, their job would substantially be to Ethically monitor and guide the various factions of our Government so as to consistently make broad-based ethical decisions.

   Ethically Eliminate ALL Political Corruption:

   http://eliminate-all-corruption.pbwiki.com

2. Paen Says:
   Feb 16th, 2009 at 2:31pm

   F.D.R. is supposed to have told a group
   that came to lobby him one time'I agree
   with everything you said so go out there
   and put pressure on me'.

3. Brett Bellmore Says:
   Feb 17th, 2009 at 6:23am

   So, you gonna blog about this?

   http://city-journal.org/2009/eon0212wo.html

4. Dave Larson Says:
   Feb 17th, 2009 at 7:58am

   The CIA has released a document under FOIA provisions confirming that artificial retina and implantable biomedical intellectual property developed at the Alfred Mann Foundation is intelligence sources and methods.

   www.larsonmedia.net /special_access/sa_docs/CIA_FOIA.pdf .

   The following is what OLC opinions led to. There is a lawsuit being filed in U.S. Distric Court in Los Angeles alleging the administration used intelligence sources and methods against the plaintiff while he was confirmed as a write-in candidate by California Secretary of State for 2008 Presidential Primary. They're using this against Americans and political candidates while hiding it from Congress. Prosecution is not an option. I thought "nobody is above the law"...? This isn't change... it's more of the same.