Hey presto!

A little sleight of hand...
A lot of slight of mind, and...

...you have the new presidential dictum (Dictum? Damn near killed 'im!) that provides legal cover for torture under the guise of prohibiting it. You gotta gives these Bushistas one thing - they may be chickenhawks, but they have balls of adamant.

Think Progress

Today, the AP reports that President Bush has issued a new executive order “prohibiting cruel and inhuman treatment, humiliation or denigration of prisoners’ religious beliefs.” The order seems to be an effort to bring the administration’s interrogation regime closer to the requirements stipulated in the Geneva Convention.

The new order is intended to apply to CIA interrogators. “The White House declined to say whether the CIA currently has a detention and interrogation program, but said if it did, it must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the executive order.”

The new order does not appear to shut down the “black sites.” Moreover, the text of the executive order suggests that any CIA personnel or others who engage in violations of the new regime will not be subject to any repercussions.

And what saith the text?

TPMmuckraker July 20, 2007 2:29 PM

Sec. 5. General Provisions.

(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, this order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, against the United States, its departments, agencies, or other entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.

(b) Nothing in this order shall be construed to prevent or limit reliance upon this order in a civil, criminal, or administrative proceeding, or otherwise, by the Central Intelligence Agency or by any individual acting on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency in connection with the program addressed in this order.

Ain't nuthin' but a "get outta jail FREE!" card for CIA inquisitors! "Torture is bad; America doesn't torture. But if we did [wink, nudge], it would still be bad, but not prosecutable. So, don't torture, or we'll leave lotsa lumps in your mashed potatoes (or sumthin' like that)."

Craven casuistry like this hasn't been seen since the days of poll taxes and literacy tests.

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