You get more sense from a Seinfeld episode

A big part of the torture spin by US Attorney-General nominee Alberto Gonzales seems to resolve around a distinction between laws, directives, and policies. Policies are the mom-and-apple-pie stuff that everyone wants, it's just that when it comes to actually codifying them in laws and directives, then things get tricky. So:

Officers of the Central Intelligence Agency and other nonmilitary personnel fall outside the bounds of a 2002 directive issued by President Bush that pledged the humane treatment of prisoners in American custody, Alberto R. Gonzales, the White House counsel, said in documents released on Tuesday.

In written responses to questions posed by senators as part of his confirmation for attorney general, Mr. Gonzales also said a separate Congressional ban on cruel, unusual and inhumane treatment had "a limited reach" and did not apply in all cases to "aliens overseas" ...

At the same time, however, the president has a clear policy opposing torture, and "the C.I.A. and other nonmilitary personnel are fully bound" by it, Mr. Gonzales said.

An absurdity which reminded us of the classic "Little Jerry Seinfeld" cockfighting episode:

New scene in the bodega, starts with a shot of Marcelino's cash register with Jerry's clown check attached under a sign that reads "checks no longer accepted from:".
JERRY: Again, I'm really sorry about the check, Marcelino.
MARCELINO: People seem to like the clowns.
JERRY (takes out his wallet): Look, let me just give you the forty, plus another twenty for your trouble.
MARCELINO: 'Kay.
JERRY (turning to leave): Aren't you going to take the check down?
MARCELINO: Sorry, no. It's store policy.
JERRY: But it's your bodega.
MARCELINO: Even I am not above the policy.