doj torture interrogation memo from alberto gonzales to the president: disbar torture lawyers

8/9/2019 DOJ Torture interrogation memo from Alberto Gonzales to the President: Disbar Torture Lawyers

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MemorandromforATbutoR GomalesCounsel to thegresldemt


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Carter,530US. t2.68 (citing I W.Wa v e&k coit, SubstantiveCrimiaaLaw 8 35,at 315 (t986))-

As a thcadcal mattct, thmforc, knowkdgt alonc that a particnlu redl iscerta5n to acctxr does not constitute 3pccitic in= A s the Saprcmt Court crp- indrecontzxtofmmda,~..-cofnrwnlwrrofhomicidedisrimp;ni~- .bctweena

. - dif5aendy, the law lawguishes isbes taka' ~ ~inspite of heir dmtcnded but f m- Yocw v, Qrdll, 521 US. 793, 80243 (1997). BUS.~ e nf thed c l c a d a n t l a u r w s t h a t s e v a t ~ ~ ~ f m m ~ a c t i ~ ~ i f ~ s a c h h a r m i s n a this objectivehe acks the rapkite H f i c n- wen thou& tjuries rrepamittedtbin6erhmtkfktnaicirarmSt;maS t h a t s u c h ~ i s y r c s a a&e cg., W e d Safes v. Gahvin,272 F3d 659.666 (4th Cir- 2001); United Sfaftz v-Xmro, -257F3d 112,118 f?d Cir-2001); &it& Sues v. W d 07 F.3d 1222,1232(10th Cu- 2000); H&on v. Unitaimes, 202 F2d 400, 403 (6tb Cu.1953).Thediarr,whcn a dcficdlantk w s hat bis actimswill produce thc prohibited raalt ajurywill in all EkeHmdcond9dethat thodefiadarmt acted *th specific in-


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B. UScvcrePain orSuff#ing"


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Notodymustthsmcntaiharmbeprohmgedto mnmt to ~ r n d p a i p a n dsafferiag,but* itmpst b e c s n r s t d b y o r d t hmoncoftheactslkted in tbcstatutcIn th~absenceofacadcbaa~oahem o s t ~ ~ o f t h e ~ctsWi r r S a c t i ~ m 2 3 4 0 ( 2 ~ ~ ) - ( D ) i s t b a i C o n ~ ~ ~ t o b t ~a k o w r d s ,o t h c r a e t s ~ t i n c M ~ S C C f i Q O 2 3 4 0 ( 2 ~ s ~ ~ ~ o l l a r o n o t ~ t b sp b l b i t i ~ p ,SeeLtmkmm v. Tanmt M w c o t b M g e n a e & Cum-Vnir,507US. 63.168 (1993) ('ZrpfesnfeSnomht 5teachrSiO&Hits."); Numan Singrr,2A Sutbaiand on Statu@ryCmsaudion 4 4723 (6thd 000) Crovprerc a h n fcoddad, he m am a of its pa6ormmce and operation, and the penans and dings towhi* it rtf- are desi5mted, thcrc is an XUUICChat all omissims bemdemmd as exclusions.?) (footmes omitted). We cmclodt tbat torture within them ~ a n i n ~ o f t h r t a t r a c ~ ~ t b t s p c d h c i a t ~ t o ~ ~ ~ ~ e d m m g l l u r m b ~of theacts list#linSaction2340(2).

,A defkdam must d c a l t y ntend to causedcfadant to havedtt&m~t umIdbc atgued t4at a defeadaprt nexds to b especmcmtenta ~ y t oommit thepredicateactsthatg i ~ e r i s e t o p t o n g + d ~ b a rm ,Umierthatvk~,a Iongas the dtf&spedficallylntsndedto, fkrscarnpte, thearm avictim with imminent dtath, he would havc had sdXdent mens r m or a convicticm.~ t o ~ v i e w , i t ~ l d k f m r h a n e c e s s a r y f o r a ~ n v i c t i o n t o s h o w ~ t h a tthe victim i;icatally suff;aed p1ongtd m d anr~,rather than that the Mendantintended b came i t Wc belime that &is approachis contraryta themt of the statute

statute,requiresthat theM ' t pecifically inteodto itrftjctseveremental uaia or.+kiqg. B e c a u s e ~ c s t ; r t u ~ ~ t h i s m ~ s t a t e w i t h r c r p a t t o t h c ~ o n o fsevere m d ain, and baa~stt exprssly & h c s scverc mental pain in tcnns ofprolonged mmtal hann, t h a t - m d state must be prrsent with nspect to pmtongedmcatal ham. Tomad the statute othawisewoddmd hephrase "rhoprolmgd r n dham catrsed by or resultingb*ut of the definition of "sevac mmtaf pain orsuffaing

tbat his acrionsdl not d t n prolonged m d arm, bc lacks the mcatat sbts

stepsmdd show that he bas dadm on he body ofknow1cdgt concQningthtresultpm'btd that th&tamte, namelyplokmgedmea&l hiam. Bcofllse the prrscaccof good faith d d egate tbes p S c nturt elemcat of arme, itis a campleta dafiPscto such a charge. See, eg., United S t a e v. W& 130 F a 39, 746 (6thCir. 1991);&ifid Stntesv. Gqerson, 773F2d2l6,2t2-t3 (8thCi.985),


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i n w t r i c h i t ~ c v ~ t h i s ~ o f t b e p h r a s c .keg ,CaLPdCode~ 3 5 0 0 ( c ) ( w e s t S u p p - 2 0 0 ( 1 )( " P s j r tb o t r a p i c h g s ~ i n d u d tm i o 0 - ~ ..'Imp.. . ."); Mirm Stat. Arm 5 2M]B201@)mest S q p 2002) ("chemical dependencytreatmentrndefine asprogram designed togicdpF(c] the risk of the useof alcohol,-drugsorothermind-altaingsubrtan&")- d


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awhole" to asxmb a statute's meaning)- Ea& tomoasentof& dcdrrition--is nctthe rnczciilaictionofpain arsulkhgan awtha.bntisbstteadastep4emoved. Thevictimmust eqmcnce intautmhor sufferingof ht kiud that is

ttlar -u i v a l a r t ?~bepainthatwouldbe auociatedwithserioas . - SO semrcdcata,- kiurt,or pcnaantnt ctamqp resulting-cant bodP fimcrionel1 likclydt.f that pain or sa&ring iSpJycho1ugicd, thart snffering ilrpst result


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S. TreatyDoc,No, 00-20, at 4-5. F a n the hazy 's rapknent of"scvcrity,"tfitm- . . - cod@ed, Tbe extreme nature of tartarc is finthtre m p m n [rhfs] reqninmcPtn S. TreatyDoc-No. 100-20, at 3 (1988); S- xec.Rep,10130,at 13 (1990). The b g a u arlmmistratioaalso dennniacd that CATS efUFEitiaaofbwtmcfi~lmincwi0h"uni~cd~tatcsndintmat idusage , [ t ~bae i t lsamallyreserved h r cxtmnc d e h i nd rmusaaEly cruelmces, far example, slzstaintdm a t i c beatins, q p l i 4 0 n ofd d c micmts to scasjtive parts 6f the body andtying up or hangingin p&tians that cause extmmepain.'' S. Rep. No.101-30, at


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( C Sum- -a


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28US.C 1350 note 5 3@). Tbis definition diffcfs fipm Section 2340's de- iotwa- F~r~t,theTVP~dttiniti~m~~~&~aa-anstrttivetist~fpzurposesfbwhichsuchpainrnayhiwebceaidlicttd Seeid, Secand the ' IVPA~rhcphrasen a d s i n g a n l y ~ m m ~ t ~ m i n c i ~ t o ~ s ~ n ; b y ~ n t r a s t , ~2 3 4 0 r d a s o n l y t 0 p a i n o r ~ ' c i n & d d t o ~ s a n c t i ~ ~d BCGUSG~~ ~purpose of our d y s h bere is to asexbin acts that koald emds the Uxc&oId ofpmd\ac;ing"severt physical armenadpain or-"he list of inusfsztivfpmpascsfar*mhichk is inflicted, g d y addnot affect thisanalysis.'Z S k d d y ,to hec r t dt h a t & e a b s c a c t o f ~ p~ * a r i s i n g o n l y ~ a r ~ ~ ~6 t o m S c c t i 0 ~ 1 2 3 4 0 m i p htdcct thequestionofwhether gain or suffeting was pazt of a w4- nd thusngttartmr;- he ckmnsbuces with whit& vc am amasqai bac are solciy tbat of~ ~ n qot tht imnnsftion of plBLkbma lsU?SaqPent to judgment lbcadiff~[ttl~t~ctweeo theTVPAandS d m 2340 are hd01 t not sufficiently signidcanttomdenninctheus&lnus ofTVPA casesh c ~ e ' ~


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Vu&c repeatedly beat Kemd Mehiaovc with aYariety o f blunt objects andboots,intcatiOaallydcfiveringblatvstoa~eas-6elmewm~ybebadlyinjmtd,includingMehinovicssgdtals. Id ;b.t 1333-34 Onm e d o n s bewas tiedap andhung againstwindows during k a i u & r hi. Mehinovic, was subjected to the game ofYRussianm&tW S& id Vuckwic, dong u d b other guards, also farcedMchinovic tonm in a circle=lilt he g u d s swpagwoodcnplanks at him. I d

LilctMehinovic,Muhamcd Bicic v ~ a r catmnpwsdfywith blunt objects, to thepoint of loss ofa~~cioosness,ee Id 1335. Rewitnessed the scvcrcheahgsof&apri- in&dmg his awnbrother."Ononcoccasion,Vwkavic ondered BkSc toget onall fhm wMe amofhex saldia stbod or Iode on his back and beat hknwith abat-game the soldiers called 'horse'" Id Bicic,&Mehiwvic, was s u b j e d to the p n cof Russianddtc ~dditionally,Vuckovic aad thc other gmds forcibly cxtrattcd anumbcrofBicic's teeth Id at 1336-

Safkt HadziAijqgiewas subjected to dailybeatingswith%,dipes, bats, sticks,and weapons" Id at 1 3 3 7 4 ewas also snbjedcd to Rrrssiw rouIerteSee d at 1 3 S 3 7 .


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Has;m Subasic wasbrutallybeaten andwim& thebe8tiags of otbaprisonen,including the beating and death of one of bis Maw prismmi and rbt bating of. Hadzidijagic in wfrichhcwas tied upsidedawnandbeaten. See id-at 133S39. I d at1338- Subasicalso ~as~subjected the tettbp u b g nddcnt, VuckovicpersonallybeatSuMc two times, punching him and kickinghimwithhismiIitayboo= Inme csftbesebahgs, "Subaslc hadbeem fbrced into abeelingpositionwhenVuchvic lcidtcdhiminthe stomach." Id. -The distlict mtxt concludedtorture ac the hands of ~uckovic-"outlmcd with rcspect ta each p l a i n t . he acts in which Vur]u,vic had been at I-complicitd hat it fad rose to tbe l e d of cwxe RtgardingMehkvk., tbc coartdaetmined Gist Vudcovic's beatings ofMebiaovi~fl which he LidEd aad d e&mdotherblows toM ~ o v i c ' s ace, gcnkak, andothersbody parts, constitutedtartme. 'Ihtcorn noted chat these beatings leftMehimvic disfigured, may have broken nibs, ahnostcased Mchbtovic to lose c o D S C i o m ~ad r d c d im d l eb eat fba a period oftime. As to Bicic, the corn farmd-that Bieic had sdk ed scvae physical pain andd e r i n g as a result of Vuckovic's repeated htatings of fiin in whichV d m k usedvarious b e a b o inflictblows, the"horse"game, and he @ k g ind- Siteid at 1346. Inhd ing that VuckcwicMictedsevcrr:physical pain an agic, thecornmmqnishglyfocused on the beating inwkkhVuckovit tiedHadzial.ija& npddedown-andbeat him. See id, The courtpointedout that in this S a l t ,Vdoviic atmadkilled Hhdzialijagic Seeid The court fintherc ~ ~ ~ l u d a lthat !Mx&c e x p a i dmphysical pain and &us was 6wnned basal an &e beatbig m which Vuckovic kkkdSubasic in the stanach. Siz id


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(1) Wall S-5 Thep s h x x ~tauds sprwd eagle against thcwail, with fingershighabove Iris head, and f k t back so tbat he s standing an his toos such that bisin of isweight fatIsonhis fingers.(2 ) Hooding- A black or nny boad is placed over the prisoner'shead and keptthstexcept during the iatarogation.(3) SubjectiontoNoise. Pusding inttm,gation, the prisoner iskcpt in a lrwmwitha loud andoonrinuoushissingnoise.(4) laep&!pliMtioxk. Prisonas are deprived of sleep peading interrogdo~~

C

(5) Deprivation of F d nd Drink. prisoners receive amind diet dnringd d o n aradpersdiagiotmgazio~ I '


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3%. Israeli soplzmeCourt

m c hc kmdi SupoancCamt conctudcd that lheseacts amomtai IOmcl. andi n b m a u ~ c n t , t h e ~ d i d n o t ~ y W t b a t ~obesmq suchaCOIlCIusimwasmmassaybecauseeven if the acts vlaMmted only to crudaud~trcalmcnttbGSSfackcdamthon'tytousethefivcmctbds. onetfidcss,thededsionkstil lbea~~indicatingtbatthca~~issacdidnot~nsti~tetampe,l l c court's descriptions of and amdusicm~ but&method indicate that the cowViewtdtficmatlil~r~~aacfiPhmnanord~butnotofthe~ucnt~tytorCyb the thrtshold of'- Whik its kcziptiom disam l l#:cdyZ diguity,~ ~ ~ a m d p ~ t h t ~ a m t ~ d d c d d e ~ c a ' b i n ~ s a y n f ~sbauingthe #vcsitp of-* or saffaip% indicative of tDt.tutt, SBt id atw24-29. hdccd, ina s s t s s i n g t h c ~ a s a w h a l e , & e ~ m & r c l i c d ~ t h e ~ C o m t o fR r ~ n a n R i ~ s ~ ~ o p ~ r s u p p o r t a n d i t ~ d n a t t v i = C t c f i s a g r r c m ~ 1 t w i t b t h a tdccisicda cozrckiontbatthe d d a a d hcFtindidnot constitute tortlat,See id.1

.- 30, Q


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h um, both the EampeauComtaaHumanRightsand theIsradiSuprimeComthave nxomr;7ea a wide may of acts &at coustitutc duel, inhman, or degradingtreatnm or but & not amount to tortmt, Thus, they appear to p&under intartati~~~alaw, an aggressive mtaptcmtion as m what amounts to t o m- leavingthat abel to be appliedonlywbae anemeCL +%aces adst

V. T h e Pnsidcnt's Commander-ia-Cbjef PowerE m f an interrogation method arguably were to violate Sean 2340A, tbc

statute would be d n m o n a l if it iinprPaiSSt'bly encroached on the Prrsident's


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morning of Septemba 11, 2001. These ~~ werc aimed at ait ical govemnentbuildings in the Nation's capital and landmark buildings in its & a x i a l center- Thesemeats rezcha different xale ofdestmdivcness than&-a terrorist epkiodq such as thedesimdonof theMunahBuildkgmOkkhmaCityin1994- They caused h o ~ s t i sfdeaths. Air f l c nd commmricaIionswitbktk = t d Statcswtrc dsropttd,d o n a lstock exchanges were shut for scver;al days; and damage the aaack has beenestimated tonm nto thd tens ofbini~cls fdollars. Moteover, these attacks are part ofaviolent campaign against theUnited States that is believed to irtclade aummcmssMattempt to destroy ana i k n 1 3 c c d q r2001; a suicidebombing attack in Yeznenonthe U3.S Cole in 2000; the bambingsof hcUaited States EmbassiesmKenya arrd mTarzania in 1998; a truck bomb attadc on a US.mr'fitary housing complex in SaudiArabia in 1996; an umccssfnlattarrpt todestroy theW d d TradeCenter in 199% and .the ambushofUS- exvicemen in Somalia in 1993. TheUnited States and ts ovaseaspasoandand imtahtimshave bcth attachdas arcmk ofUsmaBin Laden's call fbr a

In nqonsc, the Gov- has=gaged m a broad&kt athome and abroad tacounter t d s m . pursuaOt to his authities as C--ip.chief; thePnsidmtinOctober, 2001, ordkred the Armed Forces to ;btadc a1 Qaeda pummel and assets inAfghanistan,d heT&ian militia thatharbored them. Thatmilitary campaign appezsto be nearing its dme with the retreat of d Qada a d Taliban f o m dnm theirsfm&olds and tbe hstdhtion of a Gedy pmvizioaal govermpmt m A&b&aaCongress has provided its sappaa for the use of forces against those linked to theSeptember 11 attacks, and bas recognkd the Pnsidart's constitutionalpower to usef o x e to prevent and deter f&m attacksboth withinand oaside heUnitedSbtes, S. 3-R- 23,Pub. L O. 07-40, 115 Stat. 224 (2001)-]


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B. IattrpretatimtoAvoid ConstttadondProblems


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them8ract ofopexations dnring a war. Seq ag.,Memomdm for Daniel J- Bryant,AssistantAft- Genaai,mctofLegisla* Afb& &Jar PatlickF.Ptrilb*-ssistantAttorneyGeneral,M c c fLq# Coimd, Re-- Sd$ JusticeA&-on A u(Apr. 8,2002); M forT k L yE anima DeputyCounsel to theW - d wAcudk&, we would constme Seetian 2340A O amid this constitntid difficulty,and w~Eodehat it does nu t ~ I Yo fhc PtxzSdent'1 dctrntiaa and -gation ofcsemy~ambztantsursuantto hisCammaader-inae-

This appmachb corskknt with '@ow decisions of our Ofice involving thcapplidm ofMad crimiaai law. For exampk, we have previously amstrucd thecangressianaf mntcmpt stahrte not to apply to ex&e brancfi officials wbo rehe tocamplywithm o n a l - buause of anassertionofexcnrtiveprivilege- In apubliskd 1984opinion,we fiemdudtdthat


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it must be ;pdmittEb as a netessay conscqucnc~~,hat there can be wlimitation of that admity*which is to cfividc for the M i ndpr4m of&S -ty, i~ m;rtter to itseffica~y-


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One of the carr functions of tht Co-& in a d s that of cap-- -a

4 JJ

It 2s wdl d e d &at the Phsikt may seize ;rbd dr?tain enemy


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In the foreg@ipzdsof his m@mormkm, w ebviz dunonstrated that thebaa ontorture in W o a 2340A is Wted to onfy the most cxtrcmt htms of physicat andm d arm. Wc have alto deznoosaafed thar Section 23404 as appEtd toinrcrrogatians of enemy cornbmts ordtrcd by the President pursuant to hisCammandez-in-chiefpowerwould be ~ 1 1 ~ t u t i o l l a .ven ifan nterrogatiaqm e t i dh~wwcr,might arguably aass the line dxawn in Sccticm 2340, and applicationof hestdhdt was not held to be an -aal Mbganeat of the P d d sdan th - we believe^^^j U d o t l defe~sr,m@% available &at -te aimkd


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*necessity ddknse_may mvc espuidly rtfcvant in the cmrmt kmmaesit bas bem dtscn'bed in the case law and lit- thepurpose behind necessity isdne ofpublic policy. Accarding to LaFave and Scott, ''the law oaght to promote the;ochicpanmtofbi@q values at thc ~xpa r r tf e s sa yaiues, and s wm~m t she greatergbod fir society will be accamplishe!d by violating the Ekral language of the criminallaw." LaFzwe & Scots at 629. h xtjcufar, the necessity defmse can justLfy thei n t a t i dkillingof onepasan to save two others bec;uw Yt isbdter that two iives besaved and one lost than that two be lost a d nesavcd" I d Or,putin the languageofachoice ~f vils, "the cvil imroLved in viobting the tanis of* aiminal law (, , oeataking mo tha ' s life) may be 1 5 han that which would d t n hxai courp-withthelaw(,,.two~veslost)." I d


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E. .mc h h a l - e m;lde a determination of4 ~ "iC at 629. Tbas, if Congresscxplidtlyhas made clear tbm M'alationof a statute cannot be outweighed by the hannavoided, oaHscarmot~ t c o p i z che aEcessityddcast. LaFave and Lsratlprovide-asnexam@lcan abortion sbtute made dear that abortions awn to save thc life of thc~ w a u f d s t i l l b e a ~ t ; i n s a c h c a + e s i h e n e c t s s i ~ d e ~ w o n t d b e r m a ~ k12. at 630. Hae, howcver, Cu n p s bas not qLicitlymade a d e t e rm i d o n ofvabs* 8 , v i r ~ I n ~ C a n g r c s s e 3 9 , ~ ~ ~ o v t d d o r t s t o ~ o v t t o m a ~ ~weighingofvaluespermittedby thenecessityd&knseZf


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Pleaseletusknowifwe canbeof fbtherassktmcc.


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a Plaintiffaras beaten idb t y governmenttmopswhileprotestingthedcsmdon of herpropaty.See W " i .Byd Dur& PexmIem, 2002W L3 19887 at '7 (S3S.Y. FA-8,2002). ,


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D c # d a a t w a s ~ e d w i t h ~s~~ aedrrfitatEdlyhitintheheadw-hhthebutt ofagun as he unained trapped in his truckby his attackers- 'Zheattackem then doustd the vehiclewithgasoline. Althoughhemanaged to get out


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I)axdatwas abducted, alangwith fivcctthas- He nd the o m erescPcrdybeatenandhewas fixed to drink dieselo i l Hewas thessnmmady exaxzed.Taciiianov.Mqpbe, No. 00Cip. 646vEAJCF,2 0 22 424598at+4(SDJ4.Y. July 1,ZOM).

doj torture interrogation memo from alberto gonzales to the president: disbar torture lawyers

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