Document says Bush Authorized Torture

December 22, 2004

A document released for the first time today by the American Civil Liberties Union suggests that President Bush issued an Executive Order authorizing the use of inhumane interrogation methods against detainees in Iraq. ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said the documents raised grave questions about who was to blame for widespread detainee abuse. "Top government officials can no longer hide from public scrutiny by pointing the finger at a few low-ranking soldiers," he said. The documents were obtained after the ACLU and other public interest organizations filed a lawsuit against the government for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request. The American Civil Liberties Union brought the case to determine whether the US was mistreating prisoners. The two-page e-mail that references an Executive Order states that the President directly authorized interrogation techniques including sleep deprivation, stress positions, the use of military dogs, and "sensory deprivation through the use of hoods, etc." The ACLU is urging the White House to confirm or deny the existence of such an order and immediately to release the order if it exists. The White House was quick to respond to this allegation, saying: "What the FBI agent wrote in the e-mail is wrong. There is no executive order on interrogation techniques." [more] and [more] and [more]