Prof. John Yoo, the legal theorist behind the President's claim of sweeping executive war powers, stated on June 15, 2004, the following in an article he wrote for the
UC Berkley news letter:
It is only appropriate that we have a public debate about the rules to confront terrorism, even if spurred by the leaking of classified information. But we should also realize that claims of violations of human-rights law or the Constitution must be evaluated in the context of the realities created by Sept. 11. (Emphasis mine)
As you can see, Prof. Yoo believes a public debate spurred by the leaking classified information is
appropriate.
In an effort to help my fellow kossacks locate accurate sources on Prof. Yoo's opinions and legal philosophy, I have put together a list of sources that can be used as a jumping off point for further research.
More on the flip.
In his live
radio address yesterday, President Bush clearly stated the legal argument he will employ to justify his despotic actions:
To fight the war on terror, I am using authority vested in me by Congress, including the Joint Authorization for Use of Military Force, which passed overwhelmingly in the first week after September the 11th. I'm also using constitutional authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chief.
John Yoo Sources
1. Prof. Yoo's UC Berkeley Law School faculty page
2. Memorandun Opinion drafted by Yoo on September 25, 2001, outlining the President's inherent constitutional powers to use military force
3. Transcript of an interview with Yoo from FrontLine's "The Torture Question" which ran on October 18, 2005
4. SSRN Abstract Database search page where you can retrieve numerous legal articles authored by Prof. Yoo
5. Wikipedia entry for Prof. Yoo
6. Institute for Corean-American Studies biographical sketch of Prof. Yoo
7. The Federalist Society
8. Joint Authorization of Use for Military Force[pdf]
I hope this is of some use. Thanks.