A Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by the ACLU to be decided this week will test the Obama administration’s upcoming decision on whether to release more interrogation memos with information about the Bush administration’s methods in the War on Terror. Some officials, including Attorney General Eric Holder, have argued that the memos should be released quickly, but former CIA officials oppose the release, saying that could offend active CIA agents. Though President Obama and Holder have both expressed disapproval of the Bush administration’s interrogation tactics, they have not yet released documents. But the administration could be pressured to release the documents in response to the ACLU suit. (New York Times)The Obama Administration decided Tuesday to attempt to join the U.N. Human Rights Council, a reversal from the Bush Administration, which shunned the council, saying that the council was illegitimate because of the inclusion of Syria and Iran. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice told the Washington Post that “working from within, we can make the council a more effective forum to promote and protect human rights.” (Washington Post)
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=144280