Cheney, Other Top Officials Authorized Waterboarding

Staff / Truthdig Apr 12, 2008 Bush administration officials Vice President Dick Cheney, current Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her predecessor, Colin Powell, and then-Attorney General John Ashcroft were among those who deliberated over, and eventually approved, the use of "harsh interrogation techniques" (which some would call torture) at meetings following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

The President’s Right to Poke Out Eyes

Staff / Truthdig Apr 8, 2008 More shocking details are emerging from the 2003 81-page memo by former Justice Department senior lawyer John Yoo, who determined that the commander in chief can order poking out of eyes, slitting of body parts and throwing acid at prisoners, and none of that would constitute torture because it would not result in "death, organ failure or serious impairment of bodily functions." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )