It’s Not Just that Levin Was Ousted–It’s Bradbury’s Trial Run on Torture

[maddezmom]

It’s Not Just that Levin Was Ousted–It’s Bradbury’s Trial Run on Torture
By: emptywheel Friday June 20, 2008 5:38 am

ABC reports something that had been somewhat clear for some time. Daniel Levin was ousted from the Office of Legal Counsel after he wrote a memo that limited the use of torture.

Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, now under investigation for allegedly politicizing the Justice Department, ousted a top lawyer for failing to adopt the administration's position on torture and then promised him a position as a U.S. attorney to placate him, highly placed sources tell ABC News.

Gonzales, who was just taking over as attorney general, asked Justice Department lawyer Daniel Levin to leave in early 2005, shortly after Levin wrote a legal opinion that declared "torture is abhorrent" and limited the administration's use of harsh interrogation techniques.

~snip~

As ABC points out, Kyle Sampson floated Levin's name to replace Kevin Ryan in San Francisco.

But what ABC only hints at is what happened next: the trial run of Stephen Bradbury for the position of OLC head. Within months after Levin was ousted, we know, Bradbury wrote three new memos on torture, endorsing the combined use of harsh techniques.

When the Justice Department publicly declared torture “abhorrent” in a legal opinion in December 2004, the Bush administration appeared to have abandoned its assertion of nearly unlimited presidential authority to order brutal interrogations.

~snip~

more: http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/06/20/its-not-just-that-levin-was-ousted-its-that-bradbury-was-tested-out/