The instructions went out to our people to adhere to law. That ought to comfort you. We’re a nation of law. We adhere to laws. We have laws on the books. You might look at those laws, and that might provide comfort for you. And those were the instructions out of — from me to the government.
In order to respect the President’s inherent authority to manage a military campaign, 18 U.S.c. s. 2340A (the prohibition against torture) must be construed as inapplicable to interrogations undertaken pursuant to his Commander-in-Chief authority.
—Working Group Report on Detainee Interrogations in the Global War on Terrorism: Assessment of Legal, Historical, Operational, and Policy Considerations (the “torture memo”)