Barack Obama releases Bush-era terror memos

The Obama administration has thrown open the curtain on years of Bush-era secrets, revealing nine memos written by the Justice Department to justify controversial techniques in the fight against terrorism.

The opinions showed that after the September 11, 2001 attacks former President George W Bush's administration determined that certain constitutional rights would not apply during the coming fight. Within two weeks, government lawyers were discussing ways to wiretap US conversations without warrants.

A memo from Oct 23, 2001, said constitutional free-speech protections and a prohibition on unreasonable search and seizure could take a back seat to military needs in fighting terrorism inside the country.

The power to dispose of the liberty of individuals captured ... remain in the hands of the president alone," said a 2002 opinion written by then-assistant attorney general John Yoo on US methods for transferring suspects.

"Congress can no longer regulate the president's ability to detain and interrogate enemy combatants than it may regulate his ability to direct troop movements," according to another 2003 opinion written for Alberto Gonzales, then counsel for Bush, which detailed prerogatives for military interrogations...

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