It’s out, it will injure us and embolden our enemies, but it is what it is, and it’s not about torture. In fact the memos that Obama release clear the Bush administration more than could have been possibly imagined.

“At least one high-profile attorney says the declassified Department of Justice memos detailing interrogation techniques prove the U.S. did not torture, even as the ACLU and some lawmakers claim the memos are proof positive the Bush administration did.

David Rivkin, a constitutional lawyer and member of the Council on Foreign Relations, released a statement Friday saying the release of four memos provides a “great benefit” to the former president.

“This data is analyzed in great detail to establish that the use of these techniques does not inflict either physical or psychological damage,” said Rivkin, who served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. “The conclusions (the) memos reach — that the specific interrogation techniques used by the CIA did not constitute torture — are eminently reasonable.”

Of course this won’t satisfy the Glenn Greenwalds, and other terrorist sympathizers of the world, but who cares. The fact is that the memos – which I have read by the way – show that great care and study went into just what to do with those who were involved in the war on terror against the USA.

Over at the Ny Slimes, Rivkin continues.

“The release of these memos comes at a high price. By describing in great detail the most assertive set of interrogation techniques, that the United States has ever used — having determined them after a great deal of reflection and analysis to be legal — we have rendered them essentially unusable in the future. This is precisely because these techniques were not torture, did not feature brute force and worked primarily because of their psychological dimension. Now, having been exposed, these techniques would be studied by our enemies, who will then train their operatives to withstand them.

However, while this disclosure came at a great price, it also provides a great benefit. The memos are well-written, and feature careful and nuanced legal analysis. They weave together the facts and the law. They are grounded in real world experience, because nine out of 10 techniques, used against high-value detainees, were also used over a period of many years in SERE training courses, with thousands and thousands of American participants.”

Such as yours truly received. Unpleasant, hardly torture. Case is closed.

Technorati Tags: , ,