Bush Circumvents Torture Ban by Michael E. Telzrow

Last December, under considerable pressure from Congress, President Bush signed into law the Defense Department Appropriation Act, even though it included guidelines he had earlier opposed prohibiting the use of torture to extract information from detainees. The newly passed law bans “cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment” against individuals, regardless of nationality or physical location, held in custody by the U.S. government. It was an action befitting a leader of a civilized nation. But within hours of signing the bill, Mr. Bush issued a bill-signing statement reserving the right to interpret the law according to his increasingly broad definition of presidential power.