“Prohibitions on Torture Are Quaint and Obsolete” 16x20, Oil on canvas, Sandra Koponen © 2015OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENTAlberto Gonzalez, White House Counsel Jan. 20, 2001 - Feb. 3, 2005Attorney General Feb. 3, 2005 - Sept. 17, 2007A member of the self-styled “War Council” composed of senior Bush administration lawyers, Gonzales helped craft the legal justification for the torture program. He recommended that Bush override legal and policy objections by the State Department and refuse to accord to detainees the protections of the Geneva Conventions, setting the stage for the torture to come. In making his recommendations, Gonzales argued that a benefit of not recognizing Geneva Convention protections would be a lower risk of future domestic criminal prosecution.In May 2002, Gonzales and others were consulted by the CIA about using brutal methods, including waterboarding, on Abu Zubaydah… . he visited Guantanamo Bay in September 2002 along with other administration lawyers, reportedly to observe interrogations and influence the methods used. Gonzales and the War Council also circumvented the typical review process for sensitive memos of the Office of Legal Counsel, ensuring minimal review and opportunity for dissent. Gonzales maintained his positions despite mounting internal and public reports of abuses and even deaths of detainees in DOD and CIA custody.** https://www.aclu.org/infographic/infographic-torture-architects

“Prohibitions on Torture Are Quaint and Obsolete”

16x20, Oil on canvas, Sandra Koponen © 2015

OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

Alberto Gonzalez, White House Counsel Jan. 20, 2001 - Feb. 3, 2005

Attorney General Feb. 3, 2005 - Sept. 17, 2007

A member of the self-styled “War Council” composed of senior Bush administration lawyers, Gonzales helped craft the legal justification for the torture program. He recommended that Bush override legal and policy objections by the State Department and refuse to accord to detainees the protections of the Geneva Conventions, setting the stage for the torture to come. In making his recommendations, Gonzales argued that a benefit of not recognizing Geneva Convention protections would be a lower risk of future domestic criminal prosecution.

In May 2002, Gonzales and others were consulted by the CIA about using brutal methods, including waterboarding, on Abu Zubaydah… . he visited Guantanamo Bay in September 2002 along with other administration lawyers, reportedly to observe interrogations and influence the methods used. Gonzales and the War Council also circumvented the typical review process for sensitive memos of the Office of Legal Counsel, ensuring minimal review and opportunity for dissent. Gonzales maintained his positions despite mounting internal and public reports of abuses and even deaths of detainees in DOD and CIA custody.*

* https://www.aclu.org/infographic/infographic-torture-architects