81 Pages Worth of (IR)Rationalization

The Bush Administration has come under fire from the usual suspects after the release of the 2003 81 page Memo by Mr. Yoo in which he rationalized a number of acts against prisoners commonly defined as torture elsewhere in the world.

'You can often tell if someone understands how wrong their actions are by the lengths to which they go to rationalize them. It took 81 pages of twisted legal reasoning to justify President Bush’s decision to ignore federal law and international treaties and authorize the abuse and torture of prisoners.'

His calculated policy prescriptions appear to justify a number of illegal actions and to ensure that none of the policy makers nor the individuals carrying out these acts are not charged with crimes. The systematic justification of constitutionally unsound policies under the Bush administration is appalling. The effect of the memo is eloquently summed up in a 4/04/08 NYTimes Editorial.

'The memo is also a reminder of how many secrets about this administration’s cynical and abusive policies still need to be revealed. As Senator Edward M. Kennedy noted, the release of the Yoo memo is a reminder that neither Congress nor the American people have seen the policy memos that govern interrogations today. We know of at least two being kept secret for supposed reasons of national security, including one authorizing waterboarding.

When the abuses at Abu Ghraib became public, we were told these were the depraved actions of a few soldiers. The Yoo memo makes it chillingly apparent that senior officials authorized unspeakable acts and went to great lengths to shield themselves from prosecution.'