Through two
FOIA requests, the ACLU obtained detailed official records of the CIA’s
torture program. I can’t put it any better than Jameel Jaffer, Director of the
ACLU National Security Project: “The background paper is a profoundly disturbing
document that illustrates, as well as anything could, how far the CIA strayed
from the law and from values that are integral to our democracy. That the
barbaric methods outlined in the paper were approved by the country's
senior-most officials is particularly appalling."
Earlier this summer, the ACLU of MAINE co-sponsored a panel discussing
this very issue. Leaders in the torture debate discussed how to move forward,
knowing what we now know about the Bush Administration’s endorsement of a
torture program. As we learn more about the specific techniques employed in the
torture program and the individuals responsible, we
must press our elected officials at the federal level to hold those
responsible for torture accountable and to take concrete steps to ensure such a
mistake is never made again.
The OLC documents are available online at: www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/40833res20090824.html
and www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/40834res20090824.html
Earlier
today, the ACLU released a CIA Inspector General report on the agency's
"enhanced interrogation" program and related documents. Those documents are
available online at: www.aclu.org/safefree/torture/40832res20090824.html
More
information about the ACLU's FOIA litigation is at: www.aclu.org/accountability