Here's another item for the "Bush Won't Win Praise in the Media By Going Soft on Gitmo" file.
It was posted on Friday, pre-presidential colonoscopy (hence the snark about the Cheney administration), but I just came across it today.
In "Bush's Anti-Torture Executive Order! Uhm, Not So Fast," Time.com Washington editor Ana Marie Cox laments that the new Bush administration interrogation directives for Gitmo detainees will still allow sleep deprivation (emphasis mine):
Just got off a conference call with a "senior administration official" about the President's signing of an executive order related to the 2006 Military Commissions Act. The good news: We don't torture! The bad news: As to what torture is, as to how violators will be punished, as to whether or not torture ever took place, well, you'll have to take their word for it.
[...]
-- Though the executive order says all detainees should be provided with "basic human needs," "sleep" is not included. According to the SAO, "Sleep is not traditionally innumerated in the Geneva Convention." How quaint.
-- The SAO refused to discuss how the order may affect the CIA's current practices or if current practices provided the impetus for the order.
-- There is no specific enforcement mechanism for the order, except for the CIA. Which has done a great job so far -- as far as we know!
-- There is no guaranteed access for representatives of the Red Cross.
-- Of course everyone the CIA detains is a terrorist. Silly question.
Happy Cheney administration, everyone! Sleep well... while you can!
