From a Guardian article about Cheney endorsing water boarding:
“Would you agree a dunk in water is a no-brainer if it can save lives?" Mr. Hennen asked.
"Well, it's a no-brainer for me," Mr. Cheney replied
Further down in the same article:
Military officials said such techniques did not yield reliable intelligence from prisoners.
Here’s a link to an article that outlines Bush and Cheney’s steps towards allowing them to declare martial law (without congressional approval). I saw these steps in my recent research on the Marcos regime in the Philippines — there is a step by step process before the final leap, and despite effectively being an end to democracy, martial law is often accepted by much of the population, given all the extraordinary circumstances and specious justifications established prior to the declaration.
