Keith Olbermann - Daniel Levin - Waterboarding discussion 2

Bush Administration Blocked Waterboarding Critic
Former DOJ Official Tested the Method Himself, in Effort to Form Torture Policy
This segment Richard Wolfe and Former Nixon White House Counsel, John Dean
ABC news
By JAN CRAWFORD GREENBURG and ARIANE de VOGUE
Nov. 2, 2007—
A senior Justice Department official, charged with reworking the administration's legal position on torture in 2004 became so concerned about the controversial interrogation technique of waterboarding that he decided to experience it firsthand, sources told ABC News.

Daniel Levin, then acting assistant attorney general, went to a military base near Washington and underwent the procedure to inform his analysis of different interrogation techniques.

After the experience, Levin told White House officials that even though he knew he wouldn't die, he found the experience terrifying and thought that it clearly simulated drowning.

Levin, who refused to comment for this story, concluded waterboarding could be illegal torture unless performed in a highly limited way and with close supervision. And, sources told ABC News, he believed the Bush Administration had failed to offer clear guidelines for its use.


Bush Administration Blocked Critic

The administration at the time was reeling from an August 2002 memo by Jay Bybee, then the head of the Office of Legal Counsel, which laid out possible justifications for torture. In June 2004, Levin's predecessor at the office, Jack Goldsmith, officially withdrew the Bybee memo, finding it deeply flawed.

When Levin took over from Goldsmith, he went to work on a memo that would effectively replace the Bybee memo as the administration's legal position on torture. It was during this time that he underwent waterboarding.

In December 2004, Levin released the new memo. He said, "Torture is abhorrent" but he went on to say in a footnote that the memo was not declaring the administration's previous opinions illegal. The White House, with Alberto Gonzales as the White House counsel, insisted that this footnote be included in the memo.

But Levin never finished a second memo imposing tighter controls on the specific interrogation techniques. Sources said he was forced out of the Justice Department when Gonzales became attorney general.


Critics Decry Waterboarding as Torture

Critics say waterboarding should never be used.

According to retired Rear Adm. John Hutson, "There is no question this is torture -- this is a technique by which an individual is strapped to a board, elevated by his feet and either dunked into water or water poured over his face over a towel or a blanket."

The legal justification of waterboarding has come to the forefront in the debate swirling around Michael B. Mukasey's nomination for attorney general.

While Democrats are pressing him to declare waterboarding illegal, he has refused to do so. He calls it personally "repugnant," but he is unwilling to declare it illegal until he can see the classified information regarding the technique and its current use.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Keith
• Olbermann
• Daniel
• Levin
• waterboarding
• torture
• John
• Dean

[Thirdgen83]

Keith Olbermann is a piece of shit and needs to fucking DIE...

[dougzilla]

@Thirdgen

Why is it that guys like you have to resort to violence whenever someone disagree with your vision. Making death threats is totally wrong.

You are probably a pussy anyway so why don't you do your country and the world a favor. Go dig a deep hole, jump in it and pull the in after you.

[Thirdgen83]

You're a DIP-SHIT. I never "threatened" ANYONE. I never got violent with anyone. Now eat my ass and balls, you worthless PRICK...

[dougzilla]

Nah you don't threaten you just want other people to do the violence that you suggest. You are one ugly little piece of work. You are a festering boil on the ass of the American political spectrum.

Your stupid violent attitude makes me ill.

[dougzilla]

Great comeback. All nastiness and no thinking whatsoever. Your mother should wash your mouth out with soap.

[Thirdgen83]

You are a LIAR, and are dumber than DIRT. Now go fuck yourself, you liberal piece of filth!...

[dougzilla]

@Thirdgen83

You are right, it doesn't. Making your moronic comment makes you sound like a moron.

Somehow you have confused making retarded, insulting, vulgar statement with telling the truth. Then you play the victim card when someone calls you on it. Your bio says you are 41 but you sound like a 10 year old schoolyard bully.

[Thirdgen83]

Telling the TRUTH makes a person "sound like a moron"?? That's funny, because you ARE a moron...

[az101010]

it's interesting how this waterboard issue has nothing to do with anyone other than liberals who are just chasing themselves around in circles about it..

[dougzilla]

Crappy comment buddy; it makes you sound like an opinionated moron.