WASHINGTON, March 18 (UPI) -- The American Civil Liberties Union Friday slammed the nomination of Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz to be the new head of the World Bank.
The ACLU said the nomination continues a pattern of rewarding those involved in crafting torture policies with prestigious appointments.
"As privates and sergeants are getting jail time, top level officials are getting promotions," said Christopher Anders, an ACLU legislative counsel. "Government documents show the torture at Abu Ghraib wasn't an isolated incident. The only way to get to the bottom of the issue is if we go straight to the top."
Documents turned over to the ACLU through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit reveal the Defense Department used "torture techniques" on detainees at Guantanamo, the group said. The documents include e-mails indicating the FBI raised objections over interrogation techniques that were specifically authorized by Wolfowitz, the ACLU said.
The ACLU also criticized new Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and new Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.
