We asked earlier about what Dick Cheney might have been referring to when he said President Obama had reserved the right to order enhanced interrogation when he deems it appropriate.
Could Cheney have been referring to this passage from Obama’s executive order on interrogations?
The mission of the Special Task Force shall be:
(i) to study and evaluate whether the interrogation practices and techniques in Army Field Manual 2 22.3, when employed by departments or agencies outside the military, provide an appropriate means of acquiring the intelligence necessary to protect the Nation, and, if warranted, to recommend any additional or different guidance for other departments or agencies…
Of course, studying whether there’s a need for other means if a different thing from “reserv[ing] unto himself the right to order the use of enhanced interrogation should he deem it appropriate,” as Cheney put it. But the former veep isn’t known to let those kind of nuances get in the way of a good political hit.
It’s also worth noting that Leon Panetta appears to have banned CIA interrogations beyond the field manual.
We’ve got a call in to Cheney’s “transition” office, and will let you know what we hear.
