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Category: American Enterprise Institute (page 1 of 1)

John Yoo: Executive Powers – from War to Waterboarding

John Yoo, American Enterprise Institute

John Yoo of American Enterprise Institute speaks with Peter Robinson of Hoover Institution

Presented with the kind permission of Hoover Institution

December 18 2009: John Yoo is a professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley and a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

From 2001 to 2003, he served as deputy assistant attorney general in the Office of Legal Counsel in the Justice Department of President George W. Bush.

Professor Yoo is the author, most recently, of Crisis and Command: A History of Executive Power from George Washington to George W. Bush.

Yoo, who played a significant role in developing a legal justification for the Bush administration’s policy in the War on Terror, reflects on the controversial legal and policy positions taken by the Bush administration on interrogating captured terrorists after 9/11.

Beginning with a discussion of the war powers of the executive branch, Yoo asserts, “Today’s conflict over presidential power does not truly arise over whether the authorities in question exist, but whether now is the right time to exercise them,” addressing the fundamental questions at the heart of the debate over “enhanced interrogation techniques.”

As a strictly legal matter, does water boarding amount to torture, as the current Justice Department regards it? And are we safer because the Bush administration made use of enhanced interrogation?

Finally, Yoo challenges the wisdom of the Obama administration’s decision to try Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in a federal court in New York City.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Wikipedia

On 13 November 2009 US Attorney General Eric Holder announced that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Ramzi Bin al-Shibh, Walid bin Attash, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali and Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi will all be transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York for trial. He also expressed confidence that an impartial jury would be found “to ensure a fair trial in New York.”

On 21 January 2010 all charges have been withdrawn in the military commissions against the five suspects in the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks being held at Guantanamo Bay. The charges were dropped “without prejudice” – a procedural move that allows federal officials to transfer the men to trial in a civilian court and also leaves the door open, if necessary, to bring charges again in military commissions.

In February 2010 Fox News reported that the legal counsel of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and the legal counsel of several other captives, was halted without warning. The attorneys had made the trip to Guantanamo in the usual manner—a trip that requires advising authorities of the purpose of their trip.

However, upon their arrival in Guantanamo, they were informed they were no longer allowed to see their clients. They were told that letters to their clients, telling them that they had travelled to Cuba, to see them, could not be delivered, as they were no longer authorized to write to their clients. Camp authorities told them that since the charges against their clients had been dropped, while the Department of Justice figured out where to charge them, they no longer needed legal counsel. Camp authorities told them that, henceforward, all access to the captives had to be approved by Jay Johnson, the Department of Defense’s General Counsel. Fox reported that during earlier periods when the charges had been dropped the captives had still been allowed to see their attorneys. Fox claimed that questions they asked camp authorities lead to the captives’ access to their attorneys being restored.

On 1 February 2010 White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told CNN that “Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is going to meet justice and he’s going to meet his maker. He will be brought to justice and he’s likely to be executed for the heinous crimes he committed”.

The White House spokesperson’s statement has been criticized as violating the principle of the presumption of innocence and has been characterized as egregious by an attorney of Guantanamo Bay detainees

FTV/Hoov: 12.18.09

Steven F Hayward: Deconstructing The Left

Steven F Hayward

Steven F Hayward

Presented with the kind permission of American Enterprise Institute and thanks to Young America’s Foundation

July 20 2007: Steven Hayward talked about liberal political values and the appeal of liberalism to portions of the electorate.

He also talked about countering progressive political arguments with conservative ideology.

Stephen Hayward is the author of Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders, published by Crown Forum.

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Steven F Hayward: Greatness – Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders

Stephen Hayward: Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders

Stephen Hayward: Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders

With thanks to Ashbrook Center & C-SPAN for this video

Nov 10 2005: Steven F Hayward talked about his book Greatness: Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders, published by Crown Forum.

In his book, the author compared the leadership skills of Ronald Reagan and Winston Churchill. He explained that the two conservative figures had a lot in common, including their stance on national defense, their evolution from Left to Right politically, and their gift for communicating with the public.

Mr. Hayward explained that Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech defined the beginning of the Cold War while President Reagan’s “tear down this wall” demand defined its end.

Following his presentation, Mr. Hayward responded to questions and comments submitted by members of the audience. Mr. Schramm introduced the speaker and moderated the question segment.