Peter’s Blog

The NY Times story on the CIA tapes had this interesting note:

The CIA has said that the Justice Department and other elements of the executive branch reviewed and approved the use of a set of harsh techniques before they were used on any prisoners, and that the Justice Department issued a classified legal opinion in August 2002 that provided explicit authorization for their use.

Since when do Justice Departments issue secret rulings? I thought the whole point of the rule of law, from the Code of Hammurabi on down, is that the laws are public. But I guess that’s pre-9/11 thinking for you.