Bush Order Governs CIA Interrogation Techniques

By William Branigin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 20, 2007; 4:06 PM



President Bush today signed an executive order governing the interrogation of terrorism suspects by the CIA and barring torture, degrading treatment and serious acts of violence, the White House announced.

The order "interprets the meaning and application" of Common Article 3 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions for purposes of the CIA's detention and interrogation program, which is designed to extract information from "captured al-Qaeda terrorists" about attack plans and the whereabouts of senior leaders, White House spokesman Tony Snow said in a statement.

CIA Director Michael V. Hayden said in a separate statement that the executive order gives CIA interrogators new legal protections against claims of wrongdoing.

"The president has insisted on clear legal standards so that CIA officers involved in this essential work are not placed in jeopardy for doing their job -- and keeping America safe from attacks," Snow said. He said the order, which resulted from an extensive interagency review, clarifies "vague terms in Common Article 3" and complies with the interpretations of international tribunals.

The order prohibits broad categories of abuse while authorizing "a program of detention and interrogation operated by the Central Intelligence Agency."

It does not spell out which interrogation techniques are allowed but instructs the CIA director to "issue written policies to govern the program," including guidelines for CIA personnel.

The guidelines are to include requirements to ensure "the development of an approved plan of interrogation tailored for each detainee," as well as "effective monitoring of the program" and "compliance with applicable law," the order says.

A law signed by Bush in October, the Military Commissions Act of 2006, authorized military trials for terrorism suspects and allowed a formerly secret CIA detention program to continue. It also defined certain prohibitions in Common Article 3 and authorized Bush to interpret the meaning of the Geneva Conventions in implementing the law.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...2001264_pf.html