International Press Goes One Step Further

Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa, France...they name Rumsfeld by name as the torture approval technician. The American press is being a little more vague in making this point. But that's our free press, right?

Rumsfeld approved interrogation

US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld last year approved 24 interrogation techniques for use on suspected Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, including seven techniques that were not in the army's field manual for interrogation, a Pentagon spokesman said today.

Among the detainees are Australians David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib.
Commanders were required to give Rumsfeld seven days' notice before using four of the additional techniques, but three other additional techniques required no special notification, said Bryan Whitman.

"At this point in time, I can't tell you specific techniques because those remain classified," he said.

Justice Department lawyers are reported to have argued in legal analyses that torture could be justified as a necessity to prevent attacks, raising new questions about the actual interrogation techniques that have been authorised.