White House denies torture memo, evidence that shows they are lying

October 4, 2007

Washington, DC - The White House is denying a report that a secret Justice Department memo in 2005 allowed the torture of terror detainees months after the government publicly renounced the use of torture in prisoner interrogations as "abhorrent".

The White House is denying a report that a secret Justice Department memo in 2005 allowed the torture of terror detainees months after the government publicly renounced the use of torture in prisoner interrogations as abhorrent.

White House Press Secretary Dana Perino confirmed the existence of a previously undisclosed February 5, 2005 memo by the Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel which addressed "specific applications" of the earlier memo. But Perino insisted the classified document did not undercut or reverse the public December 2004 memo, which rejected the use of torture.

From the NY Times:

...soon after Alberto R. Gonzales's arrival as attorney general in February 2005, the Justice Department issued another opinion, this one in secret. It was a very different document, according to officials briefed on it, an expansive endorsement of the harshest interrogation techniques ever used by the Central Intelligence Agency.

The new opinion, the officials said, for the first time provided explicit authorization to barrage terror suspects with a combination of painful physical and psychological tactics, including head-slapping, simulated drowning and frigid temperatures.

Mr. Gonzales approved the legal memorandum on "combined effects" over the objections of James B. Comey, the deputy attorney general, who was leaving his job after bruising clashes with the White House. Disagreeing with what he viewed as the opinion's overreaching legal reasoning, Mr. Comey told colleagues at the department that they would all be "ashamed" when the world eventually learned of it.

"U.S. policy is not to torture--and we do not," Perino told reporters.

"Regardless of where we are, we do not torture anybody but getting information from them is critically important to protecting this country," she said.

Justice Department Director of Public Affairs Brian Roehrkasse issued a statement declaring the December 2004 anti-torture memo "remains binding on the Executive Branch".