The subsequent memos, from May 2005, were written by Steven Bradbury and corroborate Mr Bybee's reasoning.

ECONOMIST: Torture and the CIA

"These memos make it clear that Mr. Bybee is unfit for a job that requires legal judgment and a respect for the Constitution, " the newspaper editorialized.

CNN: Ex-CIA chief: Obama risks national security

Shelly Bybee, 42, a teacher visiting from Austin, Texas, said the idea of public safety was more on her mind, and particularly in New York, given the Sept. 11 attacks.

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Hayes II, Jay S. Bybee and David S. Addington.

CNN: Judge OKs probe of torture complaint against Bush officials

There are some calls in the House of Representatives to impeach a sitting federal district judge, Jay Bybee, who sits on the 9th District Court of Appeals, confirmed by the Senate in 2003.

WHITEHOUSE: White House Press Briefing

But in a sharply worded editorial Sunday, The New York Times called for the impeachment of Jay Bybee, a federal appeals court judge who was a Justice Department official when he wrote one of the memos that authorized those techniques.

CNN: Ex-CIA chief: Obama risks national security

In my case, he let loose the ethics investigators of the Justice Department's Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) to smear my reputation and that of Jay Bybee, who now sits as a federal judge on the court of appeals in San Francisco.

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Mr Bybee said yes.

ECONOMIST: Torture and the CIA