Steven G. Bradbury

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Official portrait of Steven G. Bradbury (2017)

Steven G. Bradbury (* 1958 in Portland , Oregon) is an American lawyer and was Deputy Head of the Office of Legal Counsel at the United States Department of Justice during George W. Bush's second term from 2005 to 2009 . Because the management position was vacant for most of the time, he was the head of this department for legal advice to the Minister of Justice, which can also work directly for the President and other authorities. During his tenure, he wrote several legal opinions that torture or so-called. " Enhanced interrogation techniques " (enhanced interrogation techniques) absegneten against suspected terrorists. His appointment as Assistant Attorney General by George W. Bush failed due to a lack of approval from the Senate.

From July 2009 to June 2017, he was a partner at the law firm Dechert LLP in Washington, DC In June 2017, he was appointed General Counsel (head of the legal department) of the United States Department of Transportation by US President Donald Trump .

Life

Bradbury grew up as the youngest of four children; his father died when he was eleven months old. He graduated from Stanford University and received a law degree ( JD ) from the University of Michigan Law School .

politics

In April 2004 he was appointed Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and from 2005 he was Deputy Assistant Attorney General. His promotion to Assistant Attorney General was approved by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary , but Senate approval was blocked by four Democrats because of the torture he allowed and "unanswered questions about his involvement in NSA surveillance programs."

At the request of the CIA , Bradbury wrote several secret legal opinions in May 2005 that narrowly defined torture. According to these reports, several “advanced interrogation methods” were allowed, including waterboarding , stress positions, beatings, extreme cold, dousing prisoners with cold water and up to 180 hours of sleep deprivation (7½ days). The combined use of interrogation methods is also permitted.

With regard to Hamdan v. Rumsfeld , a 2006 ruling by the United States Supreme Court , described Bradbury's parts of the Geneva Conventions that prohibit torture as "hopelessly vague" and advocated the admission of information as evidence to military commissions, even if obtained through torture .

Bradbury issued another opinion in 2007 to make the permitted interrogation methods compatible with recently passed laws (including the Detainee Treatment Act and the Military Commissions Act ). Without rejecting the methods already approved, this opinion justified a limited number of interrogation methods, including a. Food deprivation with no less than 1000 kcal (4184 kJ) per day, up to four days of sleep deprivation through forced standing and blows.

During Barack Obama's tenure, Bradbury's successor, David J. Barron , dismissed four opinions regarding CIA interrogation methods, including three by Bradbury.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Justice Nomination Seen as Snub to Democrats . In: The New York Times , January 24, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2015. 
  2. ↑ Steven G. Bradbury . Dechert. nd Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  3. ^ Gina Passarella: DOJ Lawyer Who Argued Legality of Waterboarding Scores BigLaw Partnership . The Legal Intelligencer . July 13, 2009. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved on December 28, 2015.
  4. ↑ 'Torture memo' author nominated for Trump administration post . In: Politico , June 5, 2017. Retrieved June 6, 2017. 
  5. ↑ Scott Shane, David Johnston, James Risen: Secret US Endorsement of Severe Interrogations . October 4, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  6. ^ Scott Shane: US struggles with taint of torture . In: The New York Times , October 29, 2007. Retrieved August 28, 2016. 
  7. ↑ a b Satyam Khanna: Durbin, Feingold, Kennedy Demand Bush Withdraw Nominee For DOJ Office Of Legal Counsel . October 16, 2007. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  8. ^ Webb opens, closes vacant Senate session , CNN. December 26, 2007. 
  9. ↑ a b Interrogation Memos Detail Harsh Tactics by the CIA . In: The New York Times , April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 17, 2009. 
  10. ^ A b c Mark Benjamin: Waterboarding for dummies . March 9, 2010 .: "Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Steven Bradbury wrote in a May 10, 2005, memo authorizing continued use of waterboarding"
  11. ↑ a b Obama assures intelligence officials they won't be prosecuted over interrogations . In: Los Angeles Times , April 17, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2016. 
  12. ↑ Secret Prisons . In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , May 17, 2010. Retrieved October 16, 2016. 
  13. ^ Steven G. Bradbury: Memorandum for John Rizzo . ACLU. May 10, 2005. Archived from the original on November 6, 2011. Retrieved on October 24, 2011.
  14. ^ Steven G. Bradbury: Memorandum for John Rizzo . ACLU. May 10, 2005. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved on October 24, 2011.
  15. ^ Steven G. Bradbury: Memorandum for John Rizzo . ACLU. May 30, 2005. Archived from the original on August 12, 2011. Retrieved on October 24, 2011.
  16. ^ Charlie Savage: Election to Decide Future Interrogation Methods in Terrorism Cases . In: The New York Times , September 27, 2012. Retrieved August 28, 2016. 
  17. ^ Steven G. Bradbury: Ask the White House . September 18, 2006. Retrieved on August 28, 2016: “But other provisions of Common Article 3 are hopelessly vague and subject to almost unlimited interpretation - such as its prohibition on“ outrages upon person dignity, in particular, humiliating and degrading treatment ”. "
  18. ↑ Geneva Conventions cover Gitmo detainees . In: USA Today , July 11, 2006. Retrieved December 28, 2015. 
  19. ↑ Kate Zernike: White House Prods Congress to Curb Detainee Rights . In: The New York Times , July 13, 2006. Retrieved July 10, 2016. 
  20. ↑ Steven G. Bradbury: Memorandum for John A. Rizzo Acting General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency - Re: Application of the War Crimes Act, the Detainee Treatment Act, and Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions to Certain Techniques that May Be Used by the CIA in the Interrogation of High Value al Qaeda Detainees , United States Department of Justice . September 3, 2009. 
  21. ↑ Daphne Eviatar: Memos Suggest Legal cherry-picking in Justifying Torture: DOJ Lawyers' Analysis Changed Little Despite New Legal Backdrop . In: Washington Independent , August 27, 2009. Archived from the original on August 29, 2009. Retrieved on December 28, 2015. 
  22. ^ David J. Barron: Withdrawl of Office of Legal Counsel CIA Interrogation Opinions . Office of Legal Counsel . April 15, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2016: "Four previous opinions of the Office of Legal Counsel concerning interrogations by the Central Intelligence Agency are withdrawn and no longer represent the views of the Office."
personal data
SURNAME Bradbury, Steven G.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American lawyer
DATE OF BIRTH 1958
PLACE OF BIRTH Portland , Oregon