[JURIST] Notes from a series of Pentagon meetings in 2003 show that General Counsel of the Department of the Navy Alberto Mora [Navy profile] warned high-level officials that Guantanamo interrogation techniques could expose them to criminal prosecution, according to ABC News. Mora's reluctance to completely support the interrogations at Guantanamo was known earlier, but his warning to some officials that they could face prosecution and possibly prison had been previously undisclosed. The White House has insisted [press briefing] that the tactics employed for detainee interrogation have always been legal and continue to be legal. ABC News has more.

In related news, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe [official website] – essentially the conference of European foreign ministers – Thursday urged the the United States government [statement text] to "ensure that the rights of all detainees are secured and that the principle of the rule of law is fully respected." The statement followed a Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly resolution [text; JURIST report] in April strongly condemning US detention policies.