I think it would be worthwhile to each grab a copy of the memos from the ACLU and closely read them for any pieces of important information. Unfortunately they are not able for copy-pasting, and thus those portions would have to be transcribed. But the more people involved in this, the better. If we have several people on each document, each taking a particular page, we can get through these pretty efficiently.
On a cursory glance, the redactions appear to be a bit more than names, and of course it's unclear exactly what they're redacting.
I will update as I go along.
So, let's pitch in. I'm on the first memo:
Memo #1: A 18-page memo, dated August 1, 2002, from Jay Bybee, Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA.
Memo #2: A 46-page memo, dated May 10, 2005, from Steven Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA.
Memo #3: A 20-page memo, dated May 10, 2005, from Steven Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA.
Memo #4: A 40-page memo, dated May 30, 2005, from Steven Bradbury, Acting Assistant Attorney General, OLC, to John A. Rizzo, General Counsel CIA.
UPDATE: Memo #1 is about interrogations of Abu Zubaydah, who has been seen as the guinea pig upon which multiple techniques were tested. "You would like to employ ten techniques that you believe will dislocate his expectations regarding the treatment he believes he will receive and encourage him to disclose the crucial information mentioned above." A note: Zubaydah has since been found to be mentally ill and in possession of no such crucial information.
"These ten techniques are: (1) attention grasp; (2) walling; (3) facial hold; (4) facial slap (insult slap); (5) cramped confinement; (6) wall standing; (7) stress positions; (8) sleep deprivation; (9) insects placed in a confinement box; and (10) the water board."
I believe the insects and the "walling," which is pushing people into a wall, are new (at least to me). More...
The interrogators apparently believed Zubaydah had a fear of insects, and that by telling him a stinging insect would be in the box with him they could get him to talk. In actuality they would place a caterpillar.
The use of SERE psychological personnel in this always disturbs me.
UPDATE: Basically, the convenient out used by Bybee to allow the above 10 techniques is that none of them would cause permanent mental or physical damage. He takes Zubaydah's experience as allegedly writing the Al Qaeda manual on resistance techniques into account in accepting the use of these techniques. And while acknowledging that "when the waterboard is used, the subject's body responds as if the subject were drowning" (note: that's because he IS), Bybee concluded that it did not rise to the level of actual physical harm.
UPDATE: Well this is interesting.
On p. 15 of Memo #1, Bybee concludes that waterboarding "constitutes a threat of imminent death," because it creates the "uncontrollable physiological sensation that someone is drowning." NONETHELESS, it was approved, because "prolonged mental harm must nonetheless result to violate the statutory prohibition on infliction of severe mental pain or suffering." So, the Bush OLC approved a technique that they admitted constitutes a threat of imminent death. Wow.
UPDATE: The fact that the interrogators don't INTEND to cause physical harm, and the fact that some of these methods are used in SERE training are two other rationales given to approve these acts. I don't know how Jay Bybee sleeps at night.
UPDATE: Via Fleet Admiral J in comments, here's the top of Memo #2:
By it's terms, Article 16 [of the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment] is limited to conduct within "territory under [United States] jurisdiction."...Based on CIA assurances, we understad that the interrogations do not take place in any such areas. We therefore conclude that those practices cannot violate Article 16.
This was the justification for placing the prisoners at Guantanamo all along, to keep them in a legal black hole off of US soil. The entire enterprise was undertaken to allow for the maximum possible crimes.
UPDATE: Still reading Memo #3, so far mostly a rehash. Here's a statement from John Conyers:
"I highly commend the President, Attorney General, and Director of National Intelligence for their decision to release Office of Legal Counsel memos concerning techniques used in the interrogation of terrorism suspects between 2002 and 2005. This release, as well as the decision to ban the use of such techniques in the future, will strengthen both our national security and our commitment to the rule of law and help restore our country's standing in the international community. The legal analysis and some of the techniques in these memos are truly shocking and mark a disturbing chapter in our nation's history. Hopefully these practices have been ended for all time. Critical questions still remain, including the role and legal culpability of high-ranking officials in the former Administration in directing and approving the use of these troubling techniques. I urge the Administration to continue to ensure that the rule of law is upheld concerning this matter."
UPDATE: From Memo #3:
Walling "is one of the most effective interrogation techniques because it wears down the [detainee] physically, heightens uncertainty in the detainee about what the interrogator may do to him, and creates a sense of dread when the [detainee] knows he is about to be walled again."
Reads like a proud papa describing his son the star running back.