ACLU tests whether Obama will keep his word

Now that President Obama has advised federal officials to process records requests with a presumption of the openness, the ACLU is trying to obtain at least 50 secret Justice Department memos which supposingly justify or provide details of interrogations or wire tapping. The McClatchy Washington Bureau site provides links to the request letter, a list of the missing memos and more on Obama's executive order. Click More Here below.

Dozens of secret documents justifying the Bush administration's spying and interrogation programs could see the light of day because of a new presidential directive.

The American Civil Liberties Union asked the Obama administration on Wednesday to release Justice Department memos that provided the legal underpinning for harsh interrogations, eavesdropping and secret prisons.

For years, the Bush administration refused to release them, citing national security, attorney-client privilege and the need to protect the government's deliberative process.

More here.