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For Immediate Release
April, 22 2009, 01:32pm EDT
Contact:
Matthew Allee, (202) 580-6922 or mallee@constitutionproject.org
Senate Report Furthers the Need for Nonpartisan Commission of Inquiry
The Senate Armed Services Committee
released its much-anticipated and newly-declassified report late
yesterday on the treatment of detainees while in U.S. custody. The 232
page report--the result of an 18 month investigation by the
Committee--shows that harsh interrogation methods used on detainees
were authorized at the highest levels of the Bush White House. This
follows last Thursday's release of four Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)
memos that provided the legal rationale justifying the interrogation
methods.
WASHINGTON
The Senate Armed Services Committee
released its much-anticipated and newly-declassified report late
yesterday on the treatment of detainees while in U.S. custody. The 232
page report--the result of an 18 month investigation by the
Committee--shows that harsh interrogation methods used on detainees
were authorized at the highest levels of the Bush White House. This
follows last Thursday's release of four Office of Legal Counsel (OLC)
memos that provided the legal rationale justifying the interrogation
methods.
"The Senate Armed Services Committee
report, in conjunction with last week's release of the OLC memos,
underscore the need for an independent nonpartisan commission of
inquiry into the detention, transfer, interrogation, and treatment of
suspected terrorists," said Virginia Sloan, president of the
Constitution Project. "Through a comprehensive examination of the past,
our nation can understand how we were led astray and know we are now
headed in the right direction. Only with this hindsight can we ensure
the rule of law has been restored in America."
The Constitution Project submitted a
statement in support of a nonpartisan commission to the Senate
Judiciary Committee in March, in connection with the Committee's
hearing to examine the creation of a truth commission. The Constitution
Project also joined a bipartisan group of advocacy organizations and
leaders from across the political spectrum in February to call on
President Obama to appoint a nonpartisan commission to examine policies
related to the detention, treatment, and transfer of detainees held in
U.S. custody.
To view the statement submitted to the Senate Judiciary Committee, go to:
https://www.constitutionproject.org/manage/file/108.pdf
To view the group statement to President Obama, go to:
https://www.constitutionproject.org/pdf/accountability_statement.pdf
The Constitution Project is a politically independent think tank established in 1997 to promote and defend constitutional safeguards. More information about the Constitution Project is available at https://constitutionproject.org/.
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