Dozens Of Secret gwb Memos Found

[Psychoblues]

We need transparency in government and that is what President Barack Hussein Obama is all about!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

John Byrne

Details about more than three dozen secret memoranda written by Bush Administration officials now sit atop a chart created by a public interest reporting group. The memos track new details about dozens of secret Bush Administration legal positions on torture, detention and warrantless wiretapping.

Meanwhile, Obama's freshly-confirmed Attorney General Eric Holder told senators that he was open to declassifying White House legal memos if no support for their original classification could be found, signaling a likely showdown with former President George W. Bush over executive privilege.

"The Bush administration's controversial policies on detentions, interrogations and warrantless wiretapping were underpinned by legal memoranda," Pro Publica's Dan Nguyen and Christopher Weaver write. "While some of those memos have been released (primarily as a result of ACLU lawsuits), the former administration kept far more memos secret than has been previously understood. At least three dozen by our count."

Nguyen and Weaver produced the chart. Propublica was founded in 2007 as a non-profit driven investigative news outlet and is run by a former managing editor from the Wall Street Journal.

The chart lists 40 memos that remain secret, along with identifying the 12 that have been made public.

Charts available on web site referenced below

Given the chart, one can find the exact date a memo was written, its author and sometimes short details the authors have gleaned from other sources.

Among the memos' titles: "Criminal Charges against U.S. terrorists"; "Options for Interpreting the Geneva Convention" and "Fourth Amendment doesn't apply to military operations abroad or in U.S."

Little is known about the specifics or the resulting effect of the other clandestine briefs.

For example, the effects of the secret Fourth Amendment memo could be stunning. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in another memo that the White House's lawyers had concluded that the Fourth Amendment's protections against warrantless search and seizure don't apply to the US military -- even when the operations take place on U.S. soil.

Holder told senators in response to questions sent to him before his confirmation hearings that he'd take an aggressive stance with regard to releasing the White House legal opinions his predecessors' had labeled as secret.

“Once the new Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Office of Legal Counsel is confirmed, I plan to instruct that official to review the OLC’s policies relating to publication of its opinions with the [objective] of making its opinions available to the maximum extent consistent with sound practice and competing concerns,” Holder wrote.

Holder's comments were first noted by Secrecy News' Steven Aftergood.

More: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Dozens_of_secret_Bush_terror_memos_0203.html

Good hunting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:beer::cheers2::beer:

Psychoblues

[Kathianne]

That'll work out well. Kinda like the brouhaha over Kimba Woods and others about nannies and such. Then there's the rendition problem and the ongoing phone taps under the Patriot Act.

Considering the problems that have occurred in the past 2 weeks, both in DC, down South domestically, and in foreign arena, they might want to avoid issues that are sure to come back at them. :rolleyes:

[Psychoblues]

Although I referenced a Pink Floyd jamm in an earlier thread this morning, Kat, may I reference another?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?



That'll work out well. Kinda like the brouhaha over Kimba Woods and others about nannies and such. Then there's the rendition problem and the ongoing phone taps under the Patriot Act.

Considering the problems that have occurred in the past 2 weeks, both in DC, down South domestically, and in foreign arena, they might want to avoid issues that are sure to come back at them. :rolleyes:

Hit it CSN&Y: Teach Your Children Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Java?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?

:beer::cheers2::beer:

Psychoblues

[PostmodernProphet]

I would suspect that any memo in the hands of someone it wasn't sent to would be "secret"......no?........


For example, the effects of the secret Fourth Amendment memo could be stunning. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in another memo that the White House's lawyers had concluded that the Fourth Amendment's protections against warrantless search and seizure don't apply to the US military -- even when the operations take place on U.S. soil.

why would the memo be "stunning" if we already know what Gonzales said and the courts have already decided he was right?......

[Psychoblues]

Maybe being "right" is the entire problem, pimp.



I would suspect that any memo in the hands of someone it wasn't sent to would be "secret"......no?........



why would the memo be "stunning" if we already know what Gonzales said and the courts have already decided he was right?......

How about the US being fair and as transparent as is appropriate?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!? I suspect the gwb administration of being quite unfair and entirely and inappropriately nontransparent as any in American history.

Aren't you interested in finding out the genuine "truth" about all this?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?

Sasparilly?!?!?!??!??!?!?!??!

:beer::cheers2::beer:

Psychoblues

[avatar4321]

Why exactly is it a good idea to expose all these things to our enemies?

[Kathianne]

Although I referenced a Pink Floyd jamm in an earlier thread this morning, Kat, may I reference another?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?




Hit it CSN&Y: Teach Your Children Well!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Java?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?

:beer::cheers2::beer:

Psychoblues
Indeed, the 'lesson learned' by what some on your side are arguing for is that politics should trump issues, a very bad lesson in light of the economy and the foreign problems before us. IF Obama wants to be a 'change' president, the emphasis should be on problem solving, crisis management, and not prosecuting the previous administration. Bush made many mistakes, chasing Clintonites around in court was not one of them.

[PostmodernProphet]

Aren't you interested in finding out the genuine "truth" about all this?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?


lol.....apparently the truth is, Gonzales wrote a memo saying something we have known he said for about six years......and, the courts have held that what he said was correct......now, we have some idiot liberals saying, it's all hush hush and secret......the truth is, liberals are idiots.....

[Psychoblues]

You're making huge assumptions there, Kat. Are you ready to defend them?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!



Indeed, the 'lesson learned' by what some on your side are arguing for is that politics should trump issues, a very bad lesson in light of the economy and the foreign problems before us. IF Obama wants to be a 'change' president, the emphasis should be on problem solving, crisis management, and not prosecuting the previous administration. Bush made many mistakes, chasing Clintonites around in court was not one of them.

I think the President is behaving marvelously and especially in light of what we've been seeing from the last administration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I repeat: Hit it CSN&Y: Teach Your Children Well

Warm up?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

:beer::cheers2::beer:

Psychoblues

[Yurt]

where is the memo on psydeshows BAC....

[Psychoblues]

Is that how you do it, yuk?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!



where is the memo on psydeshows BAC....

:beer::cheers2::beer:

Psychoblues

[5stringJeff]

For example, the effects of the secret Fourth Amendment memo could be stunning. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said in another memo that the White House's lawyers had concluded that the Fourth Amendment's protections against warrantless search and seizure don't apply to the US military -- even when the operations take place on U.S. soil.


lol.....apparently the truth is, Gonzales wrote a memo saying something we have known he said for about six years......and, the courts have held that what he said was correct......now, we have some idiot liberals saying, it's all hush hush and secret......the truth is, liberals are idiots.....

Whether it was said in secret or in public is irrelevant. Gonzales's interpretation is 100% wrong. There is no exception in the Fourth Amendment for anything.

[manu1959]

the internet sometimes proves the stupidity of the human race beyond any reasonable doubt...............

the master mind of the 911 conspiracy and invasion of iraq forgot to burn his secret memos.....forgot to plant wmds......

when is the mini series.....

who from obama's crowd released presidential memos to the press.............

[bullypulpit]

That'll work out well. Kinda like the brouhaha over Kimba Woods and others about nannies and such. Then there's the rendition problem and the ongoing phone taps under the Patriot Act.

Considering the problems that have occurred in the past 2 weeks, both in DC, down South domestically, and in foreign arena, they might want to avoid issues that are sure to come back at them. :rolleyes:

Nannygate under the Clinton administration and the shredding of the Constitution by the Bush administration have as much in common as an ant and an elepahant. And yes, there is the rendition "problem". Rendition as conducted by the Bush administration was, and is, illegal under US and international law. The wiretap provisions of the PATRIOT Act fly squarely in the face of the Fourth Amendment. Neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights was designed to be tossed aside in times of crisis. If anything, their precepts should be all the more strictly adhered to.

These documents provide a "smoking gun" for the DOJ under Eric Holder as to the crimes perpetrated under the Bush administration. Failure to follow this evidence wherever, or to whomever, it leads will constitute complicity with these crimes by both Eric Holder AND Barack Obama.

[Kathianne]

Nannygate under the Clinton administration and the shredding of the Constitution by the Bush administration have as much in common as an ant and an elepahant. And yes, there is the rendition "problem". Rendition as conducted by the Bush administration was, and is, illegal under US and international law. The wiretap provisions of the PATRIOT Act fly squarely in the face of the Fourth Amendment. Neither the Constitution nor the Bill of Rights was designed to be tossed aside in times of crisis. If anything, their precepts should be all the more strictly adhered to.

These documents provide a "smoking gun" for the DOJ under Eric Holder as to the crimes perpetrated under the Bush administration. Failure to follow this evidence wherever, or to whomever, it leads will constitute complicity with these crimes by both Eric Holder AND Barack Obama.

So rendition under Obama bothers you too? He's already said they won't be getting rid of it.

[red states rule]

So rendition under Obama bothers you too? He's already said they won't be getting rid of it.

and before BP demands a link from a "reliable" source


Obama preserves renditions as counter-terrorism tool
The role of the CIA's controversial prisoner-transfer program may expand, intelligence experts say.

By Greg Miller
February 1, 2009


The CIA's secret prisons are being shuttered. Harsh interrogation techniques are off-limits. And Guantanamo Bay will eventually go back to being a wind-swept naval base on the southeastern corner of Cuba.

But even while dismantling these programs, President Obama left intact an equally controversial counter-terrorism tool.

Under executive orders issued by Obama recently, the CIA still has authority to carry out what are known as renditions, secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to countries that cooperate with the United States.

Current and former U.S. intelligence officials said that the rendition program might be poised to play an expanded role going forward because it was the main remaining mechanism -- aside from Predator missile strikes -- for taking suspected terrorists off the street.

The rendition program became a source of embarrassment for the CIA, and a target of international scorn, as details emerged in recent years of botched captures, mistaken identities and allegations that prisoners were turned over to countries where they were tortured.


http://www.latimes.com/news/la-na-rendition1-2009feb01,0,7548176,full.story