Attorney general Quote by Tim Weiner
““On August 1, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel granted the CIA’s request to begin water-boarding Abu Zubaydah. The technique, tantamount to torture, was designed to elicit confessions through the threat of imminent death by drowning. That same day John Yoo, now a deputy to Attorney General Ashcroft, advised the White House that the laws against torture did not apply to American interrogators. The president, the vice president, the secretary of defense, and the director of Central Intelligence approved. The””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Pentagon Papers, 1996
The memo authorized harsh interrogation, showing how legal rationalizations can enable torture despite moral objections.
In simple terms: Legal loopholes allowed torture.
Key Takeaway
Question authority, demand accountability.
Themes
law
ethics
government
human rights
Mood
critical
serious
reflective
Type
statement
historical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- military training
- human rights advocacy
- journalistic investigation
Key Concepts
torture
legal counsel
executive power
Questions to Reflect On
- Who should be held responsible for policy decisions?
- How can legal systems prevent abuse?
A Different Perspective
Legal justifications can be contested and overturned.
![“[Re: J. Edgar Hoover] His knowledge was enormous, though his mind was narrow.” quote by Tim Weiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/63b/tim-weiner-19114_j-edgar-hoover_re-j-edgar-hoover-his-knowledge-was-enor_1513227.jpg)
