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Inflicting physical pain on prisoners in order to coerce them into talking is not "torture." 
"when I use a word," says George "Humpty Dumpty" Bush, "It means exactly what I want it to mean. No more; no less." 
Report: Secret Memo OK'd Interrogation Pain
Struggle Over Torture Definition Returns
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department under Alberto Gonzales' leadership issued a secret opinion in 2005 authorizing use of painful physical and psychological tactics against terrorism suspects, the New York Times reported Thursday.
The tactics included head slapping, simulated drownings and freezing temperatures, the newspaper reported.
The White House reacted to the story by officially declaring that the United States "does not torture."
Gonzales approved the legal memorandum over the objections of James B. Comey, the deputy attorney general, who was leaving his job after disagreements with the White House over its anti-terrorism actions.
Comey told colleagues at the department that they would all be "ashamed" when the world eventually learned of the memorandum, the paper reported.
The opinion came a year after the Justice Department publicly declared torture "abhorrent."
It was followed in 2005 with another opinion secretly declaring that none of the CIA's interrogation practices violated the standard in the new law, as Congress was moving to outlaw "cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment of prisoners, The New York Times said, citing interviews with unnamed current and former officials.
The legal opinions, approved by Gonzales, remain in effect, despite efforts by Congress and the courts to limit interrogation practices used by the government in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Gonzales resigned last month under withering criticism from congressional Democrats.
The authorizations came after the withdrawal of an earlier, secret Justice opinion, issued in 2002, that had allowed certain aggressive interrogation practices so long as they stopped short of producing pain equivalent to experiencing organ failure or death.
But that controversial memo was withdrawn in June 2004.
After Gonzales took office, the new secret opinions were issued.
The administration denied that the memo cleared the way for the return of painful interrogation tactics, or that it superseded U.S. anti-torture law.
"This country does not torture," White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters. "It is a policy of the United States that we do not torture and we do not."
Struggle Over Torture Definition Returns
WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department under Alberto Gonzales' leadership issued a secret opinion in 2005 authorizing use of painful physical and psychological tactics against terrorism suspects, the New York Times reported Thursday.
The tactics included head slapping, simulated drownings and freezing temperatures, the newspaper reported.
The White House reacted to the story by officially declaring that the United States "does not torture."
Gonzales approved the legal memorandum over the objections of James B. Comey, the deputy attorney general, who was leaving his job after disagreements with the White House over its anti-terrorism actions.
Comey told colleagues at the department that they would all be "ashamed" when the world eventually learned of the memorandum, the paper reported.
The opinion came a year after the Justice Department publicly declared torture "abhorrent."
It was followed in 2005 with another opinion secretly declaring that none of the CIA's interrogation practices violated the standard in the new law, as Congress was moving to outlaw "cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment of prisoners, The New York Times said, citing interviews with unnamed current and former officials.
The legal opinions, approved by Gonzales, remain in effect, despite efforts by Congress and the courts to limit interrogation practices used by the government in response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Gonzales resigned last month under withering criticism from congressional Democrats.
The authorizations came after the withdrawal of an earlier, secret Justice opinion, issued in 2002, that had allowed certain aggressive interrogation practices so long as they stopped short of producing pain equivalent to experiencing organ failure or death.
But that controversial memo was withdrawn in June 2004.
After Gonzales took office, the new secret opinions were issued.
The administration denied that the memo cleared the way for the return of painful interrogation tactics, or that it superseded U.S. anti-torture law.
"This country does not torture," White House press secretary Dana Perino told reporters. "It is a policy of the United States that we do not torture and we do not."
I'm a keen observer. It's no coincidence that even a person like Wezil in the other thread will say that tazering a person who can't even get up from the ground isn't torture and you, in this thread, says that it is.
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