Senate Report Marks Important Step Forward in Efforts to Learn from Past Prisoner Abuse, Improve National Security
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the Senate Armed Services Committee released an unclassified version of 232-page report on detainee treatment, a document that reaffirms Human Rights First's assertion that detention and interrogation practices implemented in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks violated U.S. laws and have made Americans less safe.
"This report is an important step towards a fuller public understanding of how the policies of torture and abuse of prisoners have weakened our nation," stated Elisa Massimino, CEO and executive director of Human Rights First. "Now, we must take the next step. The Obama administration should use this document as the foundation for a non-partisan inquiry to ensure that we do not repeat this shameful chapter in our nation's history. We must strengthen the bulwark against those who continue to press the false choice between security and our values."
In March 2009, Human Rights First submitted a statement for the record to the Senate Judiciary Committee calling for the establishment of an independent commission to examine post-9/11 abuses. The organization has consistently urged President Obama to lead this effort and investigate the facts and circumstances of post 9-11 U.S. government detention and interrogation operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo and at secret prison sites throughout the world.
This independent inquiry would be based on the findings of today's Senate report, which concludes that the use of torture and other harsh interrogation techniques—authorized at the highest level of the Bush administration—has damaged U.S. security. The report also reveals these activities have endangered Americans by complicating the U.S.'s "ability to attract allies to our side, strengthens the hand of our enemies, and reduces our ability to collect intelligence that can save lives."
"Only through a comprehensive and independent inquiry can we develop policies that will restore the reputation of the United States as a country committed to human rights and end the practices of official cruelty and arbitrary detention. Without a full appreciation for the errors of our past, we will not be able to provide interrogators with the training, clear guidance, and professional support they require to perform their duties humanely and effectively," said Devon Chaffee, advocacy counsel for Human Rights First.
In October 2008, Human Rights First released "How to End Torture and Cruel Treatment: Blueprint for the Next Administration," a detailed blueprint to the new administration on ending torture and cruel treatment. Among other recommendations, the blueprint advises investment in effective and humane intelligence gathering, and the establishment of a nonpartisan commission to investigate the facts relating to U.S. government detention and interrogation operations since September 11.
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