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Rationalizing The Unthinkable
New Press
September 2009
On Sale: September 1, 2009
304 pages
ISBN: 1595584927
EAN: 9781595584922
Paperback
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Non-Fiction
On April 16, 2009, the Justice Department released
never-before-seen secret memos describing, in graphic
detail, the brutal interrogation techniques used by the CIA
under the Bush administration's "war on terror." Now, for
the first time, the key documents are compiled in one
remarkable volume, showing that the United States
government's top attorneys were instrumental in
rationalizing acts of torture and cruelty, employing
chillingly twisted logic and Orwellian reasoning to
authorize what the law absolutely forbids. This collection
gives readers an unfiltered look at the tactics approved for
use in the CIA's secret overseas prisons--including forcing
detainees to stay awake for eleven days straight, slamming
them against walls, stripping them naked, locking them in a
small box with insects to manipulate their fears, and, of
course, waterboarding--and at the incredible arguments
advanced to give them a green light. Originally issued in
secret by the Office of Legal Counsel between 2002 and 2005,
the documents collected here have been edited only to
eliminate repetition. They reflect, in their own words, the
analysis that guided the legal architects of the Bush
administration's interrogation policies. Renowned legal
scholar David Cole's introductory essay tells the story
behind the memos, and presents a compelling case that
instead of demanding that the CIA conform its conduct to the
law, the nation's top lawyers contorted the law to conform
to the CIA's abusive and patently illegal conduct. He argues
eloquently that official accountability for these legal
wrongs is essential if the United States is to restore
fidelity to the rule of law.
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