|
||||||||||||||||
Opening Statement
On the topic of this hearing, my government’s position is clear: U.S. criminal law and treaty obligations prohibit torture, and the United States will not engage in or condone it anywhere. As the President said in 2004: “. . . Torture is wrong no matter where it occurs, and the United States will continue to lead the fight to eliminate it everywhere” My country is committed to upholding our national and international
obligations to eradicate torture and to prevent cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment. We also are committed to
transparency about our policies and actions, and we hope other
countries will be equally forthcoming. This is not just a legal
obligation -- we are fulfilling a higher moral obligation, which
our nation has embraced since its earliest days. Indeed, the United
States is proud that it was among the leaders in the international
community who established the Convention against Torture. The United States has a long tradition of international leadership against torture. As the most senior officials of my government have repeatedly affirmed, and as we will make clear again today, when allegations of torture arise – including allegations against government officials – they are investigated and, if substantiated, prosecuted. Our commitment to protecting individuals from abuses does not stop with torture. My government is similarly committed to investigating and prosecuting credible allegations of other such forms of unlawful treatment against persons in custody of law enforcement – including in the War on Terror. Abuses, such as those that notoriously occurred at Abu Ghraib, sickened the American people – just as they appalled people around the world. They were inexcusable and indefensible. The United States government and people sincerely regret these incidents and have taken steps to hold people accountable. In fact, my government has carried out more than 600 criminal investigations into allegations of mistreatment, and more than 250 individuals have been held accountable for detainee abuse. Their punishments have included courts-martial, prison terms for as long as ten years, formal reprimands and separation from our military services. And as recent headlines show, the investigations and charges continue. Transparency and Self-Corrective Mechanisms As this record reflects, when we make mistakes, we take corrective measures. Our system is designed to do just that. Investigations and law enforcement mechanisms operating under law are an important, but not the only, means to address allegations of torture or other mistreatment. We are an open society. I am sure you have read about or seen the vigorous public debate in my country about allegations of abuses and how best to prevent future problems. Our media, our civil society organizations, and our citizens’ groups, all have spoken to these issues, and the government has listened and made changes. For example, more than 1,000 international journalists have now traveled to Guantanamo to learn about detainee operations there. A parliamentary group from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe visited Guantanamo and one of its members later told journalists it was a “model prison.” Further, the President of the International Committee of the Red Cross said recently that conditions at the facility had “improved considerably” and that the ICRC was satisfied with its access to detainees there. Our system of government provides for other means of improving
our policies and practices. Our Constitution’s system of
checks and balances relies on the separation and independence
of the three branches of government: executive, legislative and
judicial. The push and pull between the branches has led to specific
reforms. The Courts have rendered decisions and the Congress has
passed legislation such as the Detainee Treatment Act, which John
Bellinger will discuss. A vital part of our efforts to combat torture worldwide entails
engagement with other nations on their human rights situations.
In the annual reports on country situations prepared by my bureau
at the State Department, we devote substantial attention to the
issue of torture. A number of key non-governmental organizations
stated that the U.S. “pulled no punches” in the Human
Rights Reports assessments – even of allies and friends.
These reports are very useful in our bilateral efforts to persuade
nations to improve their own policies, and they are often used
by non-governmental groups or the citizens of those countries
for the same end. Thank you. |