U.S. Presidents, Cabinet Members and Senators Opposing Torture
- President Jimmy Carter
"Freedom from torture is one of the most fundamental of all human rights principles ... We have made important advances in ridding the world of torture and degrading treatment, and we must be vigilant in continuing on this path, even in these challenging times." (Hilton Foundation press release, August 22, 2003)
- President Ronald Reagan
"The United States participated actively and effectively in the negotiation of the Convention [against Torture]. It marks a significant step in the development during this century of international measures against torture and other inhuman treatment or punishment. Ratification of the Convention by the United States will clearly express United States opposition to torture, an abhorrent practice unfortunately still prevalent in the world today." (Message to the Senate on the Convention Against Torture, May 20, 1988)
- President William Jefferson Clinton
"Today I am pleased to sign into law H.R. 4309, the "Torture Victims Relief Act of 1998." This Act authorizes continued and expanded U.S. contributions to treatment centers, both in the United States and around the world, for persons who suffer from the mental and physical anguish of having been tortured. The United States has contributed to these centers for many years ... to mitigate the effects of this serious, and far too pervasive, human rights violation ... I want to stress, however, that assisting torture victims does not end the curse of torture. The United States will continue its efforts to shine a spotlight on this horrible practice wherever it occurs, and we will do all we can to bring it to an end." (Signing the Torture Victims Relief Act, October 30, 1998)
- Secretary of State Colin Powell, Four Star General and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
"Torture of any kind is unacceptable ... Torture is torture is torture. It is unacceptable. It is not the way you treat human beings." (CNN, May 17, 2004)
- Senator Lindsay Graham
"When you start looking at torture statutes and you look at ways around the spirit of the law . . . you're losing the moral high ground. And that was the counsel from the Secretary of State's office, that once you start down this road that it is very hard to come back. So I do believe we have lost our way." (Confirmation hearing of Judge Alberto Gonzales for Attorney General, January 6, 2005)
- Senator John McCain, former Prisoner of War
Discussing international law, including the Geneva Conventions, "These conventions and these rules are in place for a reason because you get on a slippery slope and you don't know where to get off...The thing that separates us from the enemy is our respect for human rights." (Interview on ABC's "This Week")
- Senator John Warner, Former Undersecretary of the Navy and current Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee
"[T]his mistreatment of prisoners represents an appalling and totally unacceptable breach of military regulations and conduct. The damage done to the reputation and credibility of our nation and the armed forces has the potential to undermine substantial gains and the sacrifices by our forces and their families and those of our allies fighting with us in the cause of freedom." (May 11, 2004)
- The United States ratified the UN Convention against Torture in October 1994. Reporting on implementation to the Committee against Torture, the US Government wrote
"Torture is prohibited by law throughout the United States. It is categorically denounced as a matter of policy and as a tool of state authority. Every act constituting torture under the Convention constitutes a criminal offense under the law of the United States. No official of the government, federal, state or local, civilian or military, is authorized to commit or to instruct anyone else to commit torture. Nor may any official condone or tolerate torture in any form. No exceptional circumstances may be invoked as a justification of torture. US law contains no provision permitting otherwise prohibited acts of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment to be employed on grounds of exigent circumstances (for example, during a "state of public emergency") or on orders from a superior officer or public authority, and the protective mechanisms of an independent judiciary are not subject to suspension." (Report of the United States to the UN Committee against Torture, October 15, 1999, UN Doc. CAT/C/28/Add.5, February 9, 2000, para. 6.)
