Just trying to help

Despite all the paper trail and all the centralization of authority and all the urgings from the White House and the Cabinet to "take the gloves off," some naifs still found it plausible that the desire to torture prisoners came from below. Rummy was just trying to help with their desperate pleas for guidance; he didn't really want to torture.

Rumsfeld is a man who modeled military strategy on the successes of the Wehrmacht (note: no, I'm not calling him a Nazi). Blitzkrieg, centralized command and control, shock and awe. He was not a Secretary who fostered improvisation (other than planning for security post-campaign). He was not shy about slapping down anyone who had the temerity to disagree with him.

If some colonel had written him from Guantánamo demanding guidance on torture and Rummy didn't want it, could anyone in the world believe he'd meekly go along? Bullshit.

Torture was the considered policy of the Bushists from very early on. It was obvious to anyone strong enough to notice that the emperor wasn't even wearing a fig leaf, much less new clothes.