Statement in Response to Release of Torture Memos from Vice Admiral Lee Gunn (Ret.), Lieutenant General Charles Otstott (Ret.), and Rear Admiral John Hutson (Ret.)
We are three members of a larger group of dozens of retired generals and admirals who have worked over the past four years to restore U.S. adherence to humane treatment standards. We believe the Obama Administration made the right decision in releasing the Office of Legal Counsel memos on interrogation this afternoon. Airing the facts about past mistakes is essential to ensuring that the right policies are in place to prevent future abuses while making our country stronger. The authorization and use of the so-called "enhanced" techniques was counterproductive and our nation is made more secure by President Obama’s decision to abandon such policies of official cruelty.
Biographical Information
Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.)
Vice Admiral Gunn served as the Inspector General of the Department of the Navy from 1997 until retirement in August 2000. Admiral Gunn's sea duty included: command of the frigate USS Barbey; command of Destroyer Squadron 31, the Navy's tactical and technical development anti-submarine warfare squadron; and command of Amphibious Group Three, supporting the First Marine Expeditionary Force in Southwest Asia and East Africa. Gunn is from Bakersfield, California and is a graduate of UCLA, having received his commission from the Naval ROTC program at UCLA in June 1965
Lieutenant General Charles Otstott, USA (Ret.)
General Otstott served 32 years in the Army. As an Infantryman, he commanded at every echelon including command of the 25th Infantry Division (Light) from 1988-1990. His service included two combat tours in Vietnam. He completed his service in uniform as Deputy Chairman, NATO Military Committee, 1990-1992.
Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, USN (Ret.)
Rear Admiral John D. Hutson served in the U. S. Navy from 1973 to 2000. He was the Navy's Judge Advocate General from 1997 to 2000. Admiral Hutson now serves as President and Dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center in Concord, New Hampshire. He also joined Human Rights First’s Board of Directors in 2005.
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