In an August 1, 2002 legal memo that would later become a lightning ro

Answer is B for maintaining the idiom structure considered "permissible" and "irrelevant", without polluting the structure with either 'to be' or 'as' in the two factors under issue.

In an August 1, 2002 legal memo that would later become a lightning rod for controversy, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Jay Bybee went on record as one of the first and most senior government officials to consider controversial interrogation tactics to be permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions irrelevant in dealing with so-called unlawful enemy combatants.

Idiomatic use: consider X, Y; "consider as" and "consider to be" are wrong.

B is correct: consider controversial interrogation tactics permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions irrelevant in dealing

The right answer is option B.

Funny enough I got a similar question wrong today on an SC butler question, which tests the same idiom. Well, the good part is that I've learned from my mistake.

This question tests the idiom consider X Y with a tiny twist whereby there is a parallelism with other elements A B. So the idiom per the question is consider X Y and A B. X and A are nouns while Y and B are adjectives.

The wrong forms of this idiom are consider X to be Y and consider X as Y
Options A and D use Consider X to be Y and this is the wrong form of the idiom. Options C and E use the consider X as Y and this is also wrong. Eliminate A, C, D, and E.

We are left with option B, which uses the right form of the idiom Consider X Y and maintains this construction in a parallel manner.

In an August 1, 2002 legal memo that would later become a lightning rod for controversy, Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel Jay Bybee went on record as one of the first and most senior government officials to consider controversial interrogation tactics to be permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions irrelevant in dealing with so-called unlawful enemy combatants.

(A) controversial interrogation tactics to be permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions irrelevant in dealing to be is incorrect in the idiom.
(B) controversial interrogation tactics[/color] [color=#0000ff]permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions irrelevant in dealing. correct.
(C) controversial interrogation tactics as permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions irrelevant in dealing. as is incorrect in the idiom
(D) controversial interrogation tactics permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions to be irrelevant in dealing to be is incorrect in the idiom.
(E) controversial interrogation tactics permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions as irrelevant in dealing as is incorrect in the idiom.

MEANING
The AG was the first to consider 'interrogation tactics' permissible and 'international laws' irrelevant.

IDIOM: "consider X" without "as" or "to be".

Ans (B)

The correct idiom is “consider X Y”.

(A)...consider ... tactics to be... —> wrong

(B)...consider...tactics permissible and international laws ... irrelevant —> correct

(C)...consider ...tactics as permissible— wrong

(D)... consider ...tactics permissible and international laws ... to be irrelevant — wrong

(E)... consider ...tactics permissible and international laws ... as irrelevant — wrong

The correct answer is B

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IMO, B is the right answer here.
'to be' is redundant and the other options are not parallel.

Answer is B

...Jay Bybee went on record ... x permissable any y irrelevant ...

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OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

When using the word consider to mean believe or contend, the word as or to be should not be used. Consequently, the sentence structure with consider controversial interrogation...to be permissible should be changed such that to be is removed. The correct idiom is: to consider W X

The two things being considered (as well as how they are considered) should be parallel:
to consider W X and [to consider] Y Z where the second to consider is understood or implied and X and Z are parallel
to consider controversial integration tactics permissible and international laws such as the Geneva Conventions irrelevant

A. the words to be should be eliminated as they are unnecessary and break the proper idiom to consider W X
B. the idiom to consider W X and Y Z is properly used as to be has been removed
C. the sentence structure (to consider W as X and Y Z) is neither parallel nor idiomatic
D. the sentence structure (to consider W X and Y to be Z) is neither parallel nor idiomatic
E. the sentence structure (to consider W X and Y as Z) is neither parallel nor idiomatic