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 To them, the Geneva Convention is not "quaint" or outdated; it is the bedrock institution guaranteeing that no one -- no matter how powerful -- is above the law.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.
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?
http://nationalnewswire.blogspot.com/2007/07/bill-richardson-top-tier-diplomat.html
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.
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?
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.