Bright new day; filth exposed to sunlight * Updated *

[hat tip: Greenwald.]

Today President Obama decided to release four secret memos of law written to provide legal cover for the torture of prisoners held by the United States. These memos, as Glenn Greenwald has said, "constitute what can only be described as secret law under which the U.S. was governed during the Bush era."

Defying resistance from the intelligence establishment, which feared that agents would be exposed to potential prosecution, Obama has ordered these memos released in their entirety, with only the agents' names redacted. In a statement today, however, he has guaranteed that no agents who relied on these memos in good faith will be subject to prosecution:

In releasing these memos, it is our intention to assure those who carried out their duties relying in good faith upon legal advice from the Department of Justice that they will not be subject to prosecution. The men and women of our intelligence community serve courageously on the front lines of a dangerous world. Their accomplishments are unsung and their names unknown, but because of their sacrifices, every single American is safer. We must protect their identities as vigilantly as they protect our security, and we must provide them with the confidence that they can do their jobs.

But the truth must come out, so the filth can be burnt away by the sun, and this never happens again.

Update:

Here they are.

Update 2:

Oh, man. These are so fucked up -- a nightmare. Absolutely read them.

Update 3:

The image above isn't just an illustration. Please read what it says. Remember the context: this is a memo drafted by a government lawyer at the request of the Bush CIA to give an opinion as to whether the interrogation techniques they'd adopted were legal.