Boohoo: Jay Bybee's Anonymous Friends Claim Bybee Regrets His Role in Approving Torture

Posted by Faiz Shakir, Think Progress at 8:58 AM on April 25, 2009.

The Washington Post interviews a number of friends and colleagues of Jay Bybee, who anonymously tell the paper that the judge regrets writing the torture memos:

"I've heard him express regret at the contents of the memo," said a fellow legal scholar and longtime friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity while offering remarks that might appear as "piling on." "I've heard him express regret that the memo was misused. I've heard him express regret at the lack of context -- of the enormous pressure and the enormous time pressure that he was under. And anyone would have regrets simply because of the notoriety."

"On the primary memo, that legitimated and defined torture, he just felt it got away from him," said the scholar. "I got the impression that he was not pleased with that bit of scholarship," said an associate who asked not be identified sharing private conversations. "I don't know that he 'owned it.' ... The way he put it was: He was head of the OLC, and it was written, and he was not pleased with it."

Tagged as: impeach, judge jay bybee, bye bye bybee

Faiz Shakir is the Research Director at the Center for American Progress and serves as Editor of ThinkProgress.org and The Progress Report.