Torture: Leadership Requires Accountability, All the Way to the Top

We learned this week that the CIA destroyed tapes of American officials committing torture. The American people deserve to know whether laws were violated and whether the President was directly involved in illegal activities. Torture is a black and white moral issue. A failure to act decisively in this case will be an unacceptable failure of leadership.

Torture is un-American, it violates international law, and it is wrong. And when I am President, I will make sure that those who are responsible for torture are held accountable for their actions.

When I have secured the release of people held in captivity overseas, I have seen the fear in the eyes of captured men and women, and I have spoken with their scared families. To them, the Geneva Convention is not "quaint" or outdated; it is the bedrock institution guaranteeing that no one -- no matter how powerful -- is above the law.

And yet, in the thirteen months since winning back the House and Senate, Democrats in Congress have done too little to force this administration to stop torturing.

Perhaps one reason that Bush and Cheney have been so comfortable with torture is that they feel they will never be held accountable for their actions.

Indeed, despite consistently stating that they can't accomplish anything because they lack a filibuster-proof majority, Senate Democrats failed even to block an Attorney General who equivocated on torture.

They have taken no action on the International Criminal Court.

They have failed to appoint a Special Prosecutor to provide for high-level accountability.

They failed to restore habeas corpus.

They have done nothing to enforce the Constitution or any of our laws against torture.

This must change. If Congress won't act, then our next President must.

The next President must be clearly and unequivocally committed to changing our country's stand on torture, and that is exactly what I pledge to do. Strong leaders are not afraid to be held accountable, nor are they afraid to hold others accountable for acts that we all know are wrong.

As soon I am inaugurated, I will order investigations to find out who is responsible for torture -- those who allowed it, those who sanctioned it, and those who carried it out. We can and will find out who is responsible.

And, once we've completed those investigations -- and if we find cause for prosecution -- I will insist on criminal prosecutions of anyone we find responsible for torture in this current administration. No one will be given a pass. NO ONE is above the law.

John Early, seen in the video below, is a testament to why we must hold people accountable and why we must restore our anti-torture commitment. John was captured in Sudan in 1996 - a dangerous time in a dangerous place. I went to Sudan to help bring John home.

UPDATE: Due to a question of image rights, the video is currently not available for viewing.

When you see this video, you understand the terror that John and his family felt when he was a prisoner. This has real-world implications that affect us all.

As you read this, hundreds of thousands of American men and women are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every day that they stay, they remain in harm's way in a hostile land. And every day that we don't hold people accountable for allowing torture in our name, we place them in ever greater danger. For if we no longer abide by international law, how can we expect or demand that someone else follow it?

America's reputation, liberties, and moral leadership continue to be assaulted by Vice President Cheney and President Bush. If this Congress again fails to get to the bottom of these outrages, I will begin serious investigations as President on January 20th, 2009. We can and must find out who is responsible. If necessary, there will be prosecutions. No one is above the law. No one.

This post is the second in a series on seven by Governor Bill Richardson leading up to the January Caucuses and Primaries. The first post in the series was: Iraq: The Elephant In The Room.

Comments

[cognate]

A government that tortures is more dangerous to its own people than any number of terrorists.

And that's just the beginning. The Patriot Act allows warrantless searches of Americans and makes it illegal for the searchee to tell anyone about it.

Who is in charge here, Stalin?

[BThomasCooper]

America deserves honesty and transparency, neither of which has been demonstrated with any veracity by George W. Bush and his cronies. Bill Richardson brings diversity and a keen understanding to his presidential bid. If Governor Richardson should win the nomination and become this nations" next president, rest assured, this shameful period of US unilateral paranoia will come to an end.
http://nationalnewswire.blogspot.com/2007/07/bill-richardson-top-tier-diplomat.html

[mamacat]

It seems that you are clear in your opposition to Bush's unproductive, illegal, and immoral actions. Thank you.

[TazeMe65]

Tucker and Manchaca.

[QuestionEverything1982]

Hey governor, why didn't you stand up for democracy and condemn dennis kucinich and mike gravel's exclusion from this most recent debate as well as others? Seems you put your interests in front of those of democracy by staying silent about this shame act. guess you care too much about getting that vice-president role than to stand up for whats right.

I'm voting for Kucinich in the primary AND thinking about writing him in if he doesn't get nominated, which is likely thanks to the democratic party marginalizing him.

[raptor]

Good job, Governor. Even Reagan could admit "It happened on my watch".

[MoNut]

The Bush Administration's first order of business was to take the United States out of the International Criminal Court....

Why Democrats haven't raised their voices loud and clear, far and wide about that questionable move once in all of the past 7 years is beyond comprehension.

Why they haven't impeached is even more questionable.

Afraid of upholding their oaths? Upholding the very ideals and principles that separate us from 'them'?

Republicans scrounge about the floor for any crumb of something that could be spun into impeachment....

Democrats are still waiting for clarification on what qualifies as high crimes and misdemeanors, scared of a backlash.

Worse than Nixon. Worse than ever. If not now, when?

[Ryter]

I'm proud to have a "Richardson for President" banner hanging outside of my home. I'm proud to vote for this man. And I'm looking forward to a new America, one where we can hold our heads up and look the rest of the world in the eye again.

I just don't feel that is remotely possible with any of the other candidates - from either side of the aisle.

Keep up the good work, Governor. Hit 'em out of the park!

[Lazslo]

Gov. Richardson - as always you are clear in your proposals, and always on the right side of things for America. But emphasis on torture now, a few short weeks from the Iowa caucus is not the best subject to be talking about. Give this some thought: I think the way for you to gain big ground in the next few weeks is to promise to the American people that you will capture Osama Bin Laden during your first term in office as president. We know you'll get out of Iraq, and correctly so, but the American people want Bin Laden captured and Al Qieda dismantled. The only person who has spoken to this is Obama, and he is rising in the polls. He said that he would act without Musharrif approval if we had intelligence on where Bin Laden was. You need to say that you will capture Bin Laden, and I believe that you will rise to the top.

[SamThornton]

I echo your sentiments, Governor. However, the Democratic Gang of Four in the Congress (Pelosi, Hoyer, Reid, and Durbin) have evidently opted for what they see as long-term realpolitik over short-term equity, acting to preserve, rather than attempt to reverse, policies the electorate find at once repugnant and linked to the Republican party.

It's one way to hold the Administration and its Congressional Republican enablers responsible for their excesses and failures.

Realistically, this may actually be the most effective way of bringing about real change than what some might characterize as tilting at windmills. Putting up some resistance, even if token, then giving the Republicans their head doubly damns the President and his party.

At least, I take this to be the overarching Democratic strategy. I could be wrong, of course, and the Democratic leadership might be the idiots they sometimes appear to be.

[FullChat]

Under Bush's leadership, over 100 captives have died while in US care. Sounds like torture to me...

[freespeach]

Great post on torture, Bill.

I like the way you frame the issue as "as soon as you are inaugurated"....

Hillary, Obama, and Edwards avoid impeachment like the plague.

If you really want to be inaugurated, I suggest you get serious about impeachment for our filthy war criminals first.

While I prefer Kucinich, you seem to be a pretty straight arrow. Good luck with the rest of your campaign. You're one of the good guys.

[OETKB]

Kudos to the Governor. Maybe some may have different positions on a variety of issues but on ones that count: War and Peace, Sane Foreign Policy, and protecting our own Civil Liberties, Bill Richardson by action, not words, is a standout. He has taken a bold stand on bringing the troops home which you have noticed has caused all the others to follow and drop back on their gradual approach and he works tirelessly for votes by grass roots campaigning.

If you go to the Desmoines Register Website and look at who has done the most personal campaigning in Iowa, it is this candidate. He is no also ran. He seriously wants the position of President of the United States. His record to date is a proud one and speaks well of what we can expect during his presidency.

Iowa Causcus goers, if you are reading this, this is your candidate.

[Bladernr1001]

War is a dirty business.

The touchy feely morality rhetoric is very endearing but it will not win any kind of war. That is what the problem with Richardson's (and others) position on this is.

[sugarmoes]

imagine that... bush hadn't even stepped foot outside "murka" by the time he was selected to live in the white house and fuck up this country.