The pictures from Abu Ghraib spoke for themselves, and so did the August 2002 Justice Department memo that exempted the United States from domestic and international torture laws. The confidential 2002 memo came under fire after justifying interrogation techniques that involve "cruel, inhuman or degrading" acts, and anything short of "severe," which was only defined by organ failure or death. It also called the Geneva Conventions "quaint." That memo was sent to Alberto Gonzales, the counsel to the president who will begin his confirmation hearings for U.S. Attorney General next week in the Senate. Maybe that's why the Justice Department posted a new memo on torture on Dec. 30th, 2004, that denounces torture and broadens the definition. Regardless, it just goes to show that for this administration, torture isn't something defined internationally—but rather by convenience. READ THE MEMO.
