New Book Alleges Bush Lawyers "Hoodwinked" Military Chief Into Allowing Gitmo Torture

Retired Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers was "hoodwinked" into believing aggressive interrogation techniques used on Guantánamo detainees were taken from the army's field manual, University College London law professor Philippe Sands claims in his new book, Torture Team, scheduled for release in May. Excerpts from the book were published by the UK Guardian newspaper Saturday. Sands alleges the new techniques, approved by then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, were actually developed by inexperienced Guantánamo lawyers and pushed through by senior Bush administration lawyers Alberto Gonzales, David Addington and William Haynes.

Myers reportedly believed the prisoners were protected against torture by the Geneva conventions' Common Article 3 even though a memo written by Haynes made it clear the Guantánamo detainees could not rely on the protections. According to former chief of staff to then Secretary of State Colin Powell, Larry Wilkerson, Rumsfeld recommended Myers for the job because he "was not a very powerful chairman" and was easily cut out of important meetings and plans. The Guardian has more.