Zelikow: My Alternative Torture Memo Has Been Found And Is Being Reviewed For Declassification

[kpete]

Source: Talking Points Memo

Zelikow: My Alternative Torture Memo Has Been Found And Is Being Reviewed For Declassification
By Zachary Roth - May 13, 2009, 11:10AM

Philip Zelikow just offered a bit of news about the memo he wrote offering an alternative view on the legality of torture, which he said the White House tried to have destroyed.

Zelikow told the Senate committee that the memo, which had not previously been found, "has been located in State Department files and is being reviewed for declassification."

He said that at the time, he thought the effort to have the memo destroyed -- which he described as "informal" -- was "improper" and ignored it.

And it sounds like we may get a look at it soon.


Read more: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/05/zelikow_my_alternative_torture_memo_has_been_found.php

[liberalmuse]

1. That sound you just heard is Cheney crapping his pants.

Lynn is on serious diaper watch these days.

[TacticalPeek]

2. On Rachel Maddow's show tonight, Zelikow said that John Durham of DOJ

On Rachel Maddow's show tonight, Zelikow said that John Durham of DOJ was investigating the answers that were given to the 911 commission about detainee torture. He even called Durham a "special prosecutor" if I heard him correctly.

Durham started out investigating the destruction of the CIA torture session tapes and was not designated a special prosecutor. Maybe he got a promotion? Maybe he found more crimes?

[Quantess]

3. Here's rec #5

[No Elephants]

4. My cya memo, er, um, I mean, my alternative torture memo. Yeah, that's it. That's the ticket!

[armodem08]

7. Regardless of the motive, it's important.

If there was legal advice available that conflicted with Yoo's machinations in the OLC, and they ignored it as well as attempted to destroy all remaining copies of it, that is a pretty good indication of bad faith when dealing with the ethical consequences. So at the very least, this memo can get all of the lawyers who promoted the OLC memos disbarred.

[Beam Me Up]

5. I don't trust Zelikow further than I can spit. He's a master of the creation and

implementation of social mythologies. He is a close associate of Rice, was the executive director of the 9/11 Commission and had regular (and secret) contact with Carl Rove during that time.

Are we going to find out to what extent the 9/11 Commission based its findings, especially its fundamental assumptions, on information derived from torture? Clearly, Zelikow knew under what conditions that "intelligence" was derived. Clearly he also knew how to handle the "minders" that kept questions and answers from straying too far outside a very precise and predetermined narrative. Is he now trying to insulate himself from such inquiries or is there something else at work here? Why would he even bring to public attention that he'd written such a memo unless he intends to use it to cover his own ass? Is this a preemptive maneuver of some sort? A shot across the bow? A bargaining chip? Rats abandoning the Titanic?

[flyarm]

6. I am 100% with you on that..it is his CYA moment..but we need those memo's ..

That little prick knew he had to cover his ass and he wrote that memeo's for just that reason..but it could be Bush and Cheney's undoing!!

ahhh the poetic justice!!