In 2010, UWisconsin professor of history Alfred McCoy was invited to the 8th Annual Western Regional International Health Conference "War & Global Health" held at the University of Washington in Seattle. He gave a lecture mostly on torture and public policy.

In this lecture, Dr. Alfred McCoy claims that there was a bitter debate in the 2000s between the Justice Department and the Judge Advocate General's Corps [Famously broadcast television's JAGs] over torture [1]. He alleges that the JAGs were against the vast expansion of Executive power under the Bush administration (continued under Pres. Obama).

It is tinfoil-y to make broad sweeping narratives about the powers that be. All the same, on the basis of Dr. McCoy's speculation and public knowledge about John Yoo [2], I presume that if the Justice Department and the Navy are fighting that the Navy are the good guys.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy_jjwid3YM#t=52m21s [portion of immediate interest at 53:45]

[2] http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2010/04/08/they-did-authoriz...