Pentagon says Rumsfeld can override new detainee interrogation directive News
Pentagon says Rumsfeld can override new detainee interrogation directive

[JURIST] A Pentagon spokesperson has said that US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld [official profile] is authorized to override the new Department of Defense Directive [PDF text; JURIST report] released Tuesday requiring all interrogations of detainees to be conducted in a humane manner. The authority to override the directive comes from the text of the new rule, stating

Intelligence interrogations will be conducted in accordance with applicable law, this Directive and implementing plans, policies, orders, directives, and doctrine developed by DoD Components and approved by USD(I), unless otherwise authorized, in writing, by the Secretary of Defense or Deputy Secretary of Defense
The spokesperson maintained that there was nothing unusual about the caveat, since the Secretary of Defense always has the power to override directives. AFP has more.

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