in the following weeks, mora actively argued with a large number of the most senior lawyers and officials of the military and the defense department that the interrogation techniques that had been approved were unlawful. on january 15, 2003, he received word from william haynes, the general counsel of the department of defense, that rumsfeld would be suspending the authority for the extraordinary interrogation techniques later that day. mora was "delighted" and "reported the news widely".