Memo? What Memo?

Attorney General John Ashcroft, whose subordinates have written confidential legal memorandums seemingly approving of torture, told a Senate committee today that President Bush had “made no order that would require or direct the violation” of either the international treaties or domestic laws prohibiting torture.

“I believe it is essential to the operation of the executive branch that the president have the opportunity to get information from the attorney general that is confidential,” he said … Ashcroft said he would not be drawn into a discussion of the legal boundaries of aggressive interrogation, in part because it would reveal too much to al Qaeda.

He said his department would investigate vigorously anyone accused of it who is outside military jurisdiction.

My interpretation Ashcroft’s masterpiece of dissimulation derives from the explicit strategy outlined in these memos. The memos describe how “torture” of captives is not torture as long as it follows specific guidelines and proceeds from direct Presidential orders to preserve the Constitution as described within the memos. Therefore no US agents have engaged in torture, merely non-torture “aggressive questioning”. Therefore Ashcroft can blithely insist that no torture has taken place. I bet Ashcroft will anoint himself with an extra large dose of frying oil tonight!

Earlier here.