At war with the rule of law. The media are reporting on a disturbing memo drawn up by attorneys from the Bush administration that essentially grants the president carte blanche to ignore international accords on prisoner torture. On its face, it would appear this draft memo is an attempt to avoid restrictions and prosecutions stemming from the Geneva Conventions, the 1994 Convention Against Torture, the federal Torture Statute and the U.S. Constitution.

Reportedly, this legal exercise was prompted by frustrated officials who said conventional methods were not yielding information from prisoners held at Guantanamo. Attorney General John Ashcroft assured angry senators this week that the United States does not practice torture, nor has the president approved of it. But he refused to release supporting documents that would put minds at ease.

The public is still not certain what methods are being used at Guantanamo and whether they are the same methods used at Abu Ghraib and other U.S.-run prisons in Iraq and Afghanistan. The information will come out at some point, so it’s important the Bush administration hasten its release. The public needs to be in on the discussion of what constitutes torture and when, if ever, it is appropriate.

Secrecy is only serving to undermine our credibility and moral standing in the world.

No stomach for prisoner abuse. There are a lot of things Charles Robert McNabb could do if he weren’t in jail. One of them, a lawyer has argued on his behalf, is kill himself through starvation.

Attorney David Blair-Loy says a court order allowing Spokane County to force feed its jail tenant — whose weight reportedly has dropped from about 180 to about 100 pounds during a four-month hunger strike — violates his civil rights.

If McNabb had a sudden craving for pizza, or a movie, or a stroll through Riverfront Park, being a jail inmate would interfere with his desires. But what he says he does desire is to bring about his own unnatural death.

Obviously, Spokane County can’t be a partner in that enterprise, which is what it would amount to if jailers just stood by and watched McNabb die. Some prisoners look forward to having a special meal once they’re released from custody. McNabb can look forward to not having one.