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Zelikow: I Think Cheney Tried To Destroy My Torture Memo
Mother Jones has advanced the story of an alleged bid by the Bushies to destroy a memo, written by a top state department lawyer, that offered an alternative view on the legality of torture.
Last month, as we noted, Philip Zelikow, a top lawyer for Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, wrote that the Bush White House "attempted to collect and destroy all copies" of the memo. But he hadn't said who at the White House he suspected of being behind that effort.
Now, the muckraking mag reports:
Zelikow tells Mother Jones that he doesn't know for sure who in the White House ordered the suppression of his memo, but he says that his "supposition at the time" was that the office of Vice President Dick Cheney was behind the cover-up. In an email exchange with Mother Jones, Zelikow notes that Cheney's office did not have the authority to request that his memo be deep-sixed: "They didn't run the interagency process. Such a request would more likely have come from the White House Counsel's office or from NSC staff." But that request did not reach him in written form. "It was conveyed to me, and I ignored it," Zelikow recalls. But he suspected that Team Cheney was probably behind it.
A group of lawmakers has written to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and to the National Archives, seeking the memo. And Zelikow is scheduled to testify before Congress May 13th.
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Josh
Zachary
Curiouser and curiouser....
May 6, 2009 12:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
The most curious thing about this whole exercise is that Philip Zelikow has not come up with a copy of his "memo".
It is unrealistic to believe that he did not keep a copy and since there has been no indication that this memo was classified, he could release it at any time he wished to support his claim that it existed.
May 6, 2009 5:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Even more curious is this statement:
"Zelikow tells Mother Jones that he doesn't know for sure who in the White House ordered the suppression of his memo."
Zelikow apparently doesn't even know that the "White House" was involved in supressing his anti-torture memo. However, he should know who ordered him to give up his copies of that memo or who collected his copies from him.
He is being less than open about this whole fiasco.
May 6, 2009 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
I guess now we know what those man-sized safes were for.
May 6, 2009 12:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
My apologies for a partial re-post, although it is intended for additional mention and a reminder as this/these appear(s) to be an ongoing concern(s), and (that I somewhat inadvertantly did not include) in the original post that the (seemingly illegal and/or un-constitutional)
1) Nixon pardons from President Ford included Oliver North (School of the Americas, Cerebus=Chrysler=2 Billion Dollars from Obama Administartion=weeks later Bankrupt and another possibly very important Hedge fund wrongdoings I may mention at a later time//(re-research)) and Cheney, Rumsfield allocations for pardons=President Ford et all pardoned all with no further proceedings.
2) As mentioned many times, that President Obama and his Executive Branch do not have an exclusive or unconstitutional Pardon Powers and ability and to the no such thing, hipocracy of a pre-pardon.
Thank you for your time and consdieration.
-------------------Attachment----------------
I am concerned that many seem not be be aware that of the 'CIA Secret Experiments on Humans' and to my recollection, our own US Military Troops in the 1950's and the subsequent Rockefeller Commission on these exect matters in the 1970's.
It was widely reported that the Rockefeller Commission had and has to this day many factual errors, many ommissions and ambiguious and also alleged then that Dick Cheney (CIA?) and Rumsfeld (CIA?) also withheld relevant facts and information and that then President Gerald Ford (seemingly un-constitutional and un-timely pardons, Nixon) blocked all further attempts at hearings, Adjudication ecetra.
Therefore, as seemingly could easily be surmised that Cheney and Rumsfeld could and/or should (or could be today) have been held in US Congressional Contempt of allegedly illegal secret holding of at least Congressional Documents, ecetra? and most likely have been successfully prosecuted and therefore at least would not have been available to ever serve in any sworn position our US Government and/or would have been in jail, prison, or appropriate confinement today, if alive.
Also with a proper and forthright Transparency and with the mandated US Constitutional, Bill of Rights 'Oversight and Accountability' our Country would have had the availability and ability to also have achieved a more proper and substantiated US Constitutional course of direction.
Please, US Executive, Legislative and Judicial Leaders and all, please today allow for at least 'Federal Employee Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Restoration Act and for all prior cases to be opened and/or re-opened, as applicable.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
May 6, 2009 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
TL;DR
Something to do with the 50s and equals signs? Huh?
May 6, 2009 1:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
My apologies in reference to your second line of which I am possibly able to comprehend some concern and, yes it well deserves an accommodation and a further explanation especially to clarify any, some and/or many possibly percieved ambiguities.
In my efforts to accomodate the many complaints, possibly such as yours, I will try to offer some accomodation to your, I presume, request for further clarification.
In an endeavor of a sentence (or two), I will suggest that a forward!! looking reply would be with the good wishes that 'We the People' continue to try to have the faith for the hope to the faith for the hope for 'The Change We Can Believe In' and within this area as you precievably mentioned as towards our 'In God We Trust' (written on all our US Currency Dollars) Dollar and especially within our (mandates) US Constitution, Bill of Rights and Democracy and our Declaration of Independence with Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for All and inclusive of the mandated Transparency with proper and forthright 'Oversight and Accountability'.
(Also, our US Executive, Legislative and Judicial Leaders and all, should immediately and/or today allow for at least the full floor vote for the 'Federal Employee Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Restoration Act and for all prior cases to be opened and/or re-opened, as applicable).
May 6, 2009 1:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
The word, "logorrhea" comes to mind.
May 6, 2009 3:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why the blog comment reply with your alleged (pathological) concern of 50 and = signs?
jzad clearly and I trust correctly stated the error which I have relayed my apology.
May 6, 2009 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Correction note;
My apologies and please remove the word (pathological) as written from my previous blog comment reply, as it is unnecessary.
May 6, 2009 11:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your history confuses me.
As I remember, Ollie North was convicted by a jury. He later walked because SCrOTUS ruled that the prosecution was aided by testimony that North gave to Congress under a grant of immunity.
Since North and Iran-Contra came well after Ford left office, you must be speaking in a metaphor that I am unable to decipher.
May 6, 2009 1:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
Most and/or all of these individuals and many others today in our US Government where and are associated with the School of Americas now renamed Institute.....
Many of these concerns, and if I presume correctly, your concerns, are within the direct concerns, if I presume correctly, of this so-called 9/2008 US Congressional 'Presidential Powers and Its Limitations''Impeachment Proceedings'.
Further, It would be presumed to be well known from our Leaders and a knowledgeable reasonable person and/or familiar with our US Constitution, Bill of Rights ecetra and/or seemingly proper and forthright Interpretation of US Constitution Law and/or common sense that no one or entity may pardon or not hear or grant immunity for an allegation against our US Constitution, Bill of Rights, Democracy and within our Declaration of Independence of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness for all.
jzap, from my comprehension from your concerns are valid and I hope I have provided you with some concurring concerns and answers to
your concerns.
I continue to try have the faith for the hope to the faith for the hope for the 'Change We Can Believe In' even though it appears as non-existent or possibly worse.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
May 6, 2009 1:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
tpmreader: take your meds and spare us your incoherent gibberish. that is all. also.
May 6, 2009 1:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
1) At my age, I surely appreciate Life sustaining meds (especially if they work as expected,advertised and/or within the expectations of being properly prescribed).
2) Again, as to your other allegations, there appears to be no substance to your direct allegations of gibberish and incoherency allegations.
May 6, 2009 1:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Also and hopefully the affordable and availability to the or a system that allows for the access to the availibility of the life sustaining meds.
May 6, 2009 2:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please note my apologies to all and my gratitude for the astute due dilligent response from jzap, that I trust, correctly corrects (in part) my above blog comment reply that implied Oliver North was directly pardoned by President Ford in reference to his years later Iran//Contra Jury conviction that was in my view was seemingly and/or may have seeminly been immorally, illegally and/or unconstitutionally somehow successfully to this day overturned and with no knew pending concerns other than the so-called US Congressional Judicary Committee, Chairman John Conyers 'Executive Powers and Its Limitations' Impeachment Hearings' of 9/2008 and so-called and/or presumed as ongoing.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
May 6, 2009 2:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Modification clarifiaction.... should read something to effect...overturned from an (seemingly)(impossible) Immunity grant from Congress and/or from a Congressional Immunity and/or acknowledgement intrepretation....
May 6, 2009 3:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
For further review and consideraton, if available and/or if legally precedent and/or seemingly legally non-precedent...........Also and apparently, After the fact of a Conviction would absolutely seem unlikely and completely US Constitutional, Bill of Rights Democratically impossible......... and to stand, as such, to this day.
May 6, 2009 3:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
If this is supposed to be a fair media, why haven't they tried to get any statement from Addington? He's the one behind all the legal defense for torture.
May 6, 2009 1:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is good news for the still improbable Cheney indictment, but it should also be recognized for what it also is... a CYA exercise by Z for himself and on behalf of Condi Rice.
It's the rats abandoning ship.... Zelikow's attitude is that he voiced his objections in the memo at the time, and that was enough, but it's not as if he went public or resigned... he was just a soldier, and ultimately he considered the torture option the less preferred one... but not something that you resign about, or leak to the media, or scream to the heavens about.
The memo was just there waiting to see if anyone got in trouble, in which case... CYA.
Condi's recent statement is that she was just conveying orders that were legal inherently because they came from the President.... blah blah blah.
May 6, 2009 1:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Goons Gone Wild...Is there anything sexier?
May 6, 2009 1:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Evidence, Mr. Zelikow? Everything you've offered up so far leads me to believe you're just covering your ass.
And you're bitter that you were passed over for a real NSC job, and had to settle for the 9/11 Commission.
And you're bitter that the Miller Center failed to land the George W. Bush library.
May 6, 2009 10:59 PM | Reply | Permalink