On The Front Lines
Rutherford Institute President Calls on President Bush, Members of Congress to Condemn Torture Tactics
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va--The Rutherford Institute, along with other concerned organizations and public officials, has called on President Bush and members of Congress to abide by the United States' century-old policy of prohibiting torture and to restore adherence to the U.S. Constitution. The letter, which was signed by a broad coalition of organizations and retired military officers, including Amnesty International USA, First Amendment Foundation, Bill of Rights Defense Committee, American Library Association, and the Presbyterian Church (USA), asked government leaders to affirm that the U.S. "may not, through its own actions or through others acting on its behalf or behest, engage in any acts of torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment anywhere in the world." A copy of the letter is available here."The United States must take the lead in condemning the use of torture as a grave legal and moral wrong," said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute. "If we are to help make the world a safer place, we must begin by showing that we are committed to respecting the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings, whether they are U.S. citizens or prisoners of war."
The joint appeal comes amid mounting reports of prisoner abuse by U.S. military and intelligence officials. Among these reports are allegations of U.S. soldiers stripping prisoners naked, threatening them with dogs, forcing them to pose in degrading and humiliating positions and conducting simulated/mock executions in front of them. Recent news reports have also suggested that the CIA has been hiding, interrogating and possibly torturing suspected terrorists at secret detention centers in Eastern Europe. In their letter to President Bush and members of Congress, the coalition condemned the rendering of prisoners to countries known to use torture, as well as the practices which have reportedly been used in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, Abu Ghraib and elsewhere as "absolute wrongs in themselves." Insisting that U.S. acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of prisoners make our country and the rest of the world less safe from the increasing reality of terrorism, the organizations assert that such acts also place U.S. military personnel in danger; damage our country's reputation among the international community; discourage other countries from supporting our efforts to combat terrorism; fuel hatred for the U.S.; and allow governments around the globe that are known for human rights abuses to cite the U.S. as a justification for their unacceptable actions. Citing the Army Field Manual's discouragement of torture as a poor technique that yields unreliable results, the letter reminds government officials that the U.S. is a party to various international treaties that forbid the use of torture, including the Geneva Convention and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In response to reports of prisoner abuse, Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) has proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (S. 1042) that would bar cruel and degrading treatment of any prisoners in U.S. custody. However, Vice President Cheney has reportedly requested that the CIA be exempt from the anti-torture bill, insisting that the legislation would undermine the nation's counterterrorism efforts.
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