The Democratic and even a big chunk of the Republican foreign policy establishments are now on record against Cheney’s pro-torture policy. The Partnership for a Secure America, a group founded by summer by former Sen. Warren Rudman (R-NH) and former Rep. Lee Hamilton (D-IN), released a statement today that says,
“Cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners under American control makes us less safe, violates our nations values, damages Americas reputation in the world, and cannot be justified.”
Just look at this list of signatories! Howard Baker, Zbigniew Brzezinski and Lawrence Eagleburger are not among the usual suspects for bleeding-heart status…
Warren Rudman US Senator (R-NH) 1980-92
Lee Hamilton US Congressman (D-IN) 1965-99, Vice Chair, 9/11 Commission
Madeleine Albright Secretary of State 1997-2001
Howard Baker US Senator (R-TN) 1967-85
Samuel Berger National Security Advisor 1997- 2001
Zbigniew Brzezinski National Security Advisor 1977-81
Warren Christopher Secretary of State 1993-97
Lawrence Eagleburger Secretary of State 1992-93
Gary Hart US Senator (D-CO) 1975-87
Rita Hauser Chair International Peace Academy 1992-present
Carla Hills US Trade Representative 1989-93
Richard Holbrooke Ambassador to UN 1999-2001
Nancy Kassebaum Baker US Senator (R-KS) 1978-97
Thomas Kean Governor New Jersey 1982-1990, Chairman, 9/11 Commission
Anthony Lake National Security Advisor 1993-97
Robert McFarlane National Security Advisor 1983-85
Donald McHenry Ambassador to UN 1979-81
Sam Nunn US Senator (D-GA) 1972-96
William Perry Secretary of Defense 1994-97
Thomas Pickering Undersecretary of State 1997-2000
Ted Sorenson White House Special Counsel 1961-63
John C. Whitehead Deputy Secretary of State 1985-88
Frank Wisner Undersecretary of Defense 1993-94
If they’re not going to even listen to Scowcroft, much less take his advice, no way they’ll listen to these signatories.
Well, maybe the outrage and backlash is finally starting to gain momentum. One can hope.
But we need to remember that torture is recognized by EVERYBODY except possibly “civil libertarian” Al “Thumbscrews” Dershowitz (Al Gonzales and Al Dershowitz, what a pair) as ineffective as an interrogation technique. Torture, in fact, is a terror technique — which is why Bush and Co. want so badly to be able to use it.
Naomi Klein’s 12-May-2005 article in The Nation, “Torture’s Dirty Secret: It Works” spells it all out quite nicely.
URL: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20050530/klein
A few paragraphs from the article:
No Torture! No exceptions.