Bond: U.S. Should Close Guantanamo Bay Prison, Cia Secret Prisons; Ban Torture And Extraordinary Rendition

74 Russell Senate Office Bldg.
Washington D.C. 20510
(202) 224-5721

November 30, 2009 | Public Statement

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Sen. Kit Bond, Vice Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, releases the following statement to citizens of the Show-Me State and for other Americans to consider as well:

"My Fellow Missourians, following the terrorist attacks on 9-11, former President George Bush and Vice-President Dick Cheney gave numerous and repeated public assurances during the last eight years, stating that the United States does not engage in the use of torture. Because of these assurances and because our nation was at war, I and many other loyal Americans gave our Commander-in-Chief the benefit of the doubt. But in our zeal to protect America, events have transpired which made me realize that these assurances were not true.

"In recent years the United States Senate Armed Services Committee has investigated whether the abuses seen at Abu Graib and Guantanamo's detention centers were carried out by a few rogue elements in the Army or if the abuses had been authorized by officials in the White House. On December 11, our Senate investigation's published conclusion was that: 'The abuse of detainees in U.S. custody cannot simply be attributed to the actions of 'a few bad apples' acting on their own. The fact is that senior officials in the United States government solicited information on how to use aggressive techniques, redefined the law to create the appearance of their legality, and authorized their use against detainees.'

"Recent studies by distinguished former military officers have also concluded that harsh interrogation techniques which constitute torture were used but have not been effective in obtaining intelligence that was useful and seems to have increased attacks on U.S. troops from combatants who traveled to Iraq specifically to fight Coalition troops. It appears these tactics have created more enemies that they have defeated.

"In addition to torture, the U.S. Supreme Court has also twice ruled against the military tribunals first set up by the Bush administration.

"In the heat of war, mistakes are sometimes made and policies tried that may or may not be effective in achieving victory. But our intention has always been to support the Commander-in-Chief in making these decisions and to offer advice when they prove ineffective. It is for these reasons that I wish to now announce my support for the stated changes that President Obama made in regard to U.S. prison detainees and setting new standards for interrogations of detainees.

"I regret my previous vote and statements on harsh interrogation techniques which may have inadvertently fueled the insurgency and caused further attacks on American troops. I would hope that if my son who is serving proudly in the Marines was ever captured by the enemy that they would extend the same standards of treatment of their prisoners we shall to theirs.

"And I pledge that I will support and work closely with President Obama's administration in setting up trials for detainees here in U.S. courts with all the legal protections given by the Constitution and the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners. I do support the closure of Guantanamo and the CIA's secret prisons and will also support legislation to ban extraordinary renditions and transportation of detainees to foreign governments or to private contractors where torture is used to interrogate prisoners."

For more information, contact Senator Bond's Capitol office at (202) 224-5721.

Source: http://bondnewsroom.org/

Guantanamo Statement from Bond Newsroom on Vimeo.