ACRU Prepared to Debate and Defend Legality of Enhanced Interrogation Policies

Garrett Murch | June 29, 2009 1:04 PM

The American Civil Rights Union (ACRU), a conservative alternative to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), recently tasked its legal experts with an in depth examination of the Justice Department's legal memos proposing and justifying detainee interrogation policies implemented by the Bush Administration.

In refreshing, thoughtful contrast to much of the hyperbole and nonsense put forth by political candidates, liberal activists and the media, ACRU general counsel Peter Ferrara states, in his Washington Times column:

"We found that those memos involve a thorough, well-reasoned, praiseworthy legal effort and analysis. We agree that their conclusions as to the legality of waterboarding and the other CIA enhanced interrogation techniques are correct under applicable law, and we are prepared to debate that point in any forum...

...It is those who are asserting this libel against America who are undermining America's standing in the world and promoting the recruitment of additional terrorists (though ample numbers of terrorists seem to have been recruited before the CIA interrogated any of them).

Indeed, in these circumstances, the suggested, unprecedented prosecution of the lawyers who authored the thorough, carefully reasoned legal memos finding this waterboarding practice to be legal under U.S. law is extremist and offensive - offensive to American political traditions and to the social fabric that holds us together as Americans."

The ACRU's full report can be found here.