Secret Bush memos made public by Obama

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department has released a long-secret legal document from 2001 in which the Bush administration claimed the military could search and seize terror suspects in the United States without warrants.

The legal memo was written about a month after the Sept. 11 terror attacks. It says constitutional protections against unlawful search and seizure would not apply to terror suspects in the U.S., as long as the president or another high official authorized the action.

Even after the Bush administration rescinded that legal analysis, the Justice Department refused to release its contents, prompting a standoff with congressional Democrats. The memo was one of nine released Monday by the Obama administration.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9...;show_article=1

Note: I have begun searching for those memos!

Edited March 2, 2009 by Mister_Bill

[Otto 83]

Prelude to the Patriot Act perhaps... which isn't so 'secret'...

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

More like Nixon's "if the President does it, it isn't illegal".

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, March 2, 2009

WWW.USDOJ.GOVAG

(202) 514-2007

TDD (202) 514-1888

<H1 class=prtitle style="CLEAR: both">Department of Justice Releases Nine Office of Legal Counsel Memoranda and Opinions</H1><H2 class=prtitle></H2>WASHINGTON -- The Department of Justice today released two previously undisclosed Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memoranda and seven previously undisclosed opinions.

"Americans deserve a government that operates with transparency and openness," said Attorney General Eric Holder. "It is my goal to make OLC opinions available when possible while still protecting national security information and ensuring robust internal executive branch debate and decision-making."

The two memoranda memorialized that certain legal propositions in ten OLC opinions issued between 2001 and 2003 no longer reflected the views of OLC and "should not be treated as authoritative for any purpose." They further explained that some of the underlying opinions had been withdrawn or superseded and that "caution should be exercised" by the executive branch "before relying in other respects" on the other opinions that had not been superseded or withdrawn.

In light of the legitimate and substantial public interest in many of the questions raised in those opinions and in the evolution of OLC's views on those questions, the Department has released the six of those underlying opinions from 2001-2003 that are not classified and that had not previously been disclosed.

In November 2008, the Department filed a motion in a pending civil action to submit two of those underlying OLC opinions, along with one other, to the court under seal. The Department has determined that there is no longer any reason the three opinions should remain under seal and is therefore withdrawing its motion.

The opinions and memoranda are available at http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/documents/olc-memos.htm.

###

09-181

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I'm liking our new AG more everyday. A man who champions our Constitutional Rights.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I'm liking our new AG more everyday. A man who champions our Constitutional Rights.

There are some long reads there! That should keep you busy for a while.

[justashooter 430]

I'm liking our new AG more everyday. A man who champions our Constitutional Rights.

[almaty 19]

you liked ashcroft or gonzales better?

[spookyturtle 9,465]

you liked ashcroft or gonzales better?

Why ask? Consider the source. You're not dealing with a rocket scientist.

[almaty 19]

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

I liked Janet Reno. There was a man's man!

[rclouse 0]

you liked ashcroft or gonzales better?

Why ask? Consider the source. You're not dealing with a rocket scientist.

[alienlovechild 75]

I'm liking our new AG more everyday. A man who champions our Constitutional Rights.

That's odd. So many posters used the slippery slope analogy on the erosion of civil liberities so frequently and so adamantly, that no one could stop the snowball effect so easily and so quickly.

An issue blown way out of proportion countered by an AG with so little else to do so far that he most well-known quote dealt with calling Americans cowards in a race baiting bid.

[HAL 9000 96]

I'm liking our new AG more everyday. A man who champions our Constitutional Rights.

Annoy an A$$hole. Protect constitutional rights.