ACLU has them posted:
For walling, a flexible false wall will be constructed. The individual is placed with his heels touching the wall. The interrogator pulls the individual forward and then quickly and firmly pushes the individual into the wall. It is the individual’s shoulder blades that hit the wall. During this motion, the head and neck are supported with a rolled hood or towel that provides a c-collar effect to help prevent whiplash. To further reduce the probability of injury, the individual is allowed to rebound from the flexible wall.
Oh, and did I mention that they were using Abu Zubaydah as a human guinea pig, to test out methods they wanted to get approved? I ask, you see, because Abu Zubaydah told the ICRC that they only put in the "flexible false wall" after they started this technique…
A sample:
What follows this introduction is a long narrative justifying each of these techniques as being something other than torture. While the absurdity of the logic is the most striking feature at first glance, it’s the detachment of the authors that becomes increasingly monstrous. It really does sound like some of the lingo in the German descriptions of their extermination camps, as if they’re talking about something other than human beings – things like "… the head and neck are supported with a rolled hood or towel that provides a c-collar effect to help prevent whiplash," as if whiplash is the problem. It’s hard to imagine that the White House got involved with such things [such pointless things].And the idea that these techniques would "… dislocate his expectations regarding the treatment he will receive" is ludicrous. This man thinks we are "the Great Satan" so we’re going to change his expectations by torturing him? Not good thinking. All we did was prove him right. And, in fact, he was right. In calmer moments, I believe that 9/11 drove our leaders crazy. In more angry moments, I think it unleashed their pre-existing sadism and insanity.
One thing these memos make clear. These lawyers were answering specific questions that were posed or at least processed by the White House. I would love to see the memos or letters requesting these opinions. It sounds like they sent a detailed plan for approval, about a specific prisoner in this case. Very nasty business, this. During the Viet Nam War, I thought we were misguided. But with this Iraq War, I feel deeply ashamed of our country…
I agree with President Obama about going forward but we also need to stop other Administrations from ever doing this again. If we let those responsible off the hook than we will be setting a precedent giving others an excuse to do it again. Keith Olbermann’s special comment was absolutely 100% right in my opinion.
It seems obvious to me, too, that the memos were written as cya documents and that everybody was very very worried that they were going too far and would be liable to presecution.
If we ever get access to the emails ABOUT the memos, that will be the real treasure trove.
Interesting slip in my above comment: “presecution” — a combination of the intended “prosecution” + the “persecution” that I think torture is and what the torturers probably feared would happen to them.