Every year between the end of February and the beginning of March the State Department puts out its yearly report on Human Rights. I often post those reports when they come out.

Just some of the human rights violations the U.S. State Department addresses (and condemns) are:

• torture and abuse of prisoners and detainees
• arbitrary arrest and detention
• police impunity
• lengthy pretrial and incommunicado detention
• infringement of citizens' privacy rights
• beatings to the face and legs
• dousing with cold water

On page 2 of a memo to Jack Goldsmith from Scott Muller, we read about the CIA's "dousing" program.

• standing for long periods of time during the night
• subjected to loud screams and beatings of other detainees
• stripped naked in front of others
• burning genitalia
• forcing objects into the rectum
• hyperextending the spine

This past Monday, along with the long awaited 2004 CIA IG Report, there was this - "another document provided to the ACLU is a July 2007 memo from Steven Bradbury, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, to John Rizzo, Acting CIA General Counsel."


In the memo from Bradbury to Rizzo the State Department reports on human rights violations are addressed. A comparison is made between the human rights violations the U.S. State Department condemns in other countries and how those (same) violations differ when used in the CIA's "enhanced interrogation" program.






Excerpt: "As an initial matter, the State Department has informed us that these reports are not to be legal conclusions; but instead they are public diplomatic statements designed to encourage foreign governments to alter their policies in a manner that would serve United Stares interests."


In other words, the State Department report on human rights violations, such as torture (sleep & food deprivation) isn't meant to be seen as a statement against the CIA using the exact same techniques.





Excerpt: "Egypt employed torture to extract information, coerce opposition figures to cease their political activities, and to defer others from similar activities"

Which is not to be confused with the CIA's claim of using "enhanced interrogation techniques" torture to extract information

Excerpt: "In these essential respects, it (the CIA program of torture) fundamentally differs from conduct condemned in the State Department reports."

...and why do they say it is different? - Because the CIA tortures to protect America, doncha know!


Full document:

2007 OLC opinion on Interrogation Techniques


While I have your attention, please look again at the first photo-document. Notice the footnote at the bottom of page 38 and what it says.

Now go and read the assessment of how the Army Field Manual - the revised Army Field Manual, that is - was revised with the CIA's "enhanced interrogation techniques" very much benefiting (intentionally) from the revision.

You'll find the Army Field Manual Assessment just above the State Department reports assessment in the complete document linked to above. (Pages 36-38 of 79]















More from the ACLU

Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel Letters and Memos to CIA Regarding Detention and Interrogation Policies - Documents Responsive to 2008 Torture FOIA

Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel Letters and Memos to CIA Regarding Detention and Interrogation Policies - Documents Responsive to 2004 Torture FOIA