A team of government lawyers concluded in a 2003 memo that commands issued by President Bush were not subject to international treaties or federal laws against torture, though John Ashcroft told a Senate committee that Bush never issued commands that would break these laws. Ashcoft, however, refused to release a memo detailing the degree of pain and suffering that would be permitted during interrogations for no apparent reason -- not citing presidential privilege but just refusing to hand them over, an act that might place him in contempt of Congress as Senator Dick Durban pointed out. I heard the exchange on NPR, which, slightly edited, went like this:
Sen Durbin: "And here's the problem we have. You have said that you're not claiming executive privilege; that's for the president to claim. But the law's very clear: you have two options when you say no to this committee: Either the executive claims privilege and refuses to disclose, or you cite a statutory provision whereby Congress has limited its constitutional right to information.
So which is it, Mr. Attorney General? Is it executive privilege, or which statue are you claiming is going to shield you from making this disclosure of these memos at this point?"
...
Atty Gen Ashcroft: "I am refusing to disclose these memos because I believe it is essential to the operation of the executive branch that the president have the opportunity to get information from his attorney general that is confidential and that the responsibility to do that is a function of the executive branch and a necessity that is protected by the doctrine of the separation of powers in the Constitution.
And for that reason -- and that is the reason for which I have not delivered to the Congress or the members of the Senate these memos, any memos."
Sen Durbin: "Sir, Attorney General, with all due respect, your personal belief is not a law, and you are not citing a law and you are not claiming executive privilege. And, frankly, that is what contempt of Congress is all about.
You have to give us a specific legal authority which gives you the right to say no or the president has to claim privilege. And you've done neither.
I think this committee has a responsibility to move forward on this."
Sen Hatch: "Are these memos classified?"
...
Atty Gen Ashcroft: "Some of these memos may be classified in some ways for some purposes. I don't know. I don't..."
Sen Durbin: "Mr. Attorney General, with all due respect, that is a complete evasion. What you have done is refuse to cite a statutory basis for disclosing these memos, refused to claim executive privilege, and now suggest that some parts of these may be classified.
Mr. Chairman, I hope we take this up very seriously because I think it gets to the heart of our relationship. The attorney general is an occasional guest here, and we're glad to have him.
But I think to come here and basically tell us that we cannot see documents from your department on the basis of which you've said this morning is not fair and not consistent with our Constitution."
So there you go. Ashcroft can't release them because some of them are classified in some ways for some purposes. That certainly makes everything clear. In a related story on über-secrecy, the Senate Intelligence Committee is asking the CIA to declassify a 400-page report that is highly critical of the agency's pre-war performance in Iraq.
There has been a good deal of symbolic progress in Iraq in the past few days, with the United Nations Security Council unanamously passing a resolution approving the sovereignty of Iraq that was cautiously welcomed by the international community, committments from nine militias in Iraq to disband, and an announcement that the Abu Ghraib inquiry will stretch into the highest levels of the military -- though in Iraq itself random violence continues despite the political progress, this time in the shape of car bombs and land mines, and a major northern oil pipeline that was blown up. The Kurds are still up in arms about Shiite plans to limit their self-rule and are threatening to walk away from any agreement that doesn't guarantee some level of autonomy. There is also a story out about how the current Prime Minister, Iyad Allawi, ran an operation under the supervision of the CIA in the early 1990s to plant bombs and sabotage government facilities in Iraq.
Articles on Ronald Regan continue to pour in as Christopher Hitchens takes a shot at the former president by illustrating his many gaffs, the reaction from citizens of the Regan-characterized 'evil empire,' his role in possibly shortening the length of the Cold War, his role as 'symbol-in-chief,' his effect on the politics of the GOP, the differences between Regan and Bush, the effects of Regan's death on the election in general, the long term effects of his tax cuts, whether or not he'll replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill, 66 things to think about when flying into Regan National Airport, and how his stature has risen over the years since his presidency.
The body of the President is expected to lie in state until the funeral Friday that is expected to be elaborate and moving. This funeral is the first state funeral of a President in 30 years, which is a large undertaking -- especially with the heightened emphasis on security. Eulogies will be delivered by many, including former Prime Ministers Brian Mulroney and Margaret Thatcher.
In a disappointing piece of news, it looks like the funding for the Christian Science Monitor, one of my favorite papers, is going to be cut significantly next year because of financial pressures on the First Church of Christ, Scientist who publishes the newspaper. This is one of the top notch newspapers in the United States, if not the world, that continually brings quality stories and perhaps more importantly, excellent background to set the stage of events, two factors which cause me to rely heavily on it for this blog and my general understanding of what's going on in the world. I can only hope that they can work something out that will not deteriorate the quality of the paper.
Also:
- The US military is planning to use water to extend the life of their satellites.
- A story on the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope.
- Its animal rights groups against scientists in the battle to keep or get rid of animal dissections in high school biology.
- Researchers have made what is believed to be significant headway into treating prostate and breast cancer.
- Scientists have recently filmed an underwater volcano eruption.
- This season's hurricane forecast is looking nasty.
- An article on how the Bush administration's take on science echoes that of the Soviet Union.
- The BBC asks how long will oil continue flowing.
- California lawmakers are looking to cut the amount of harmful emissions from new cars and trucks by 30 percent in the next 10 years.
- Apple computers have once again been rebuked for claiming to have the world's fastest computers.
- A group of people are attempting to turn Google into an unofficial dating service.
- Italy has arrested another suspect in the Madrid bombings whom they believe played a pivotal role in the attacks.
- In the never-ending search for political indicators, this one is somewhat original, showing the correlation between obesity and voting preference in the 2000 election.
- An article from the New Catholic Times about how the Pope and his closest advisors fear that George Bush might be the Antichrist.
- A group of Democrats is trying to revive the historic role of religion in their party.
- Female genital mutilation and other acts to secure the 'purity' of young women are reportedly on the decline in Africa.
- The United States has announced that it will pull 12 000 troops from South Korea.
- Violence in Afghanistan is causing serious problems for the upcoming elections in September, as less than one third of the population registered to vote because of threats against registrars.
- Ex-Rwandan president Pasteur Bizimungu has been sentenced to 15 year imprisonment over charges of creating an militia and inciting violence in the country.
- The government of Zimbabwe is looking at another round of land seizures in an attempt to nationalize all farmland in the country.
- The Christian Science Monitor on how Muslim women integrate into European society faster than the men.
- A referendum on the Presidency of Hugo Chávez has moved closer to being set in Argentina.
- There are signs that the US economy might be picking up.
- Taking a literal approach to all the phallic imagery that pervades presidential politics.
- How summer movies ruin classic literature.
- An update on the fate of Afghanistan's Buddhas.
- An article on why it takes actual starvation for the global media to take notice of famine.
- A memo from Amnesty International about the situation in Darfur, and a case citing Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia Castillo as a prisoner of conscience for refusing to return to his unit in Iraq.
- An article from the Village Voice about how Jose Padilla is unable to defend himself against the Justice Department's allegations.
- Kos reports that terrorism is actually up during the Bush administration.
- Britain is opening its first major online museum.
- A three-part series on the rise of paranoia and conspiracy theories in America.
- Get ready for Euro2004, where you can practice your own skills online!
- The Atlantic asks when was the last time a conservative talk show host changed his or her mind on an issue.
- Buddhism is taking a small foothold in Germany.
- The Toronto Star gives us the ABCs of the Canadian federal election.
- Junk food, sugary drinks and beer make up one third of the American diet.
- A site that compiles campaign media that is searchable.
- Trust in the media has been declining over the last couple of years -- especially if you're a Republican.
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