LEAHY: "Mukasey Failed To Condemn Even The Waterboarding Of Americans"

[kpete]

U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

CONTACT: Office of Senator Leahy, 202-224-4242
VERMONT


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Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy
Chairman, Senate Judiciary Committee
On The Nomination Of Michael B. Mukasey
To Be Attorney General Of The United States

November 8, 2007



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The Administration has compounded its lawlessness by cloaking its policies and miscalculations under a veil of secrecy, leaving Congress, the courts, and the American people in the dark about what they are doing. The President says that we do not torture, but had his lawyers redefine torture down in secret memos, in fundamental conflict with American values and law.

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If an American were waterboarded anywhere in the world, no Senator and no American would have to know the “circumstances” and purported justifications for it before condemning it. Tragically, this Administration has so twisted America’s role, law and values that apparently our own State Department is now ordered that it cannot say that waterboarding of an American is illegal. That is how far we have sunk.

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Torture should not be what America stands for. Indeed, the better example is set by the Army Field Manual, which instructs our forces to consider how we would react if what a soldier was about to do to someone was done to an American soldier. Sadly, when I cited this very standard in a written question to Judge Mukasey and asked if it would be an abuse if a foreign country waterboarded an American, the nominee sidestepped the question and failed to condemn even the waterboarding of Americans.

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No one is more eager to restore strong leadership and independence to the Department of Justice than I. What we need most right now is an Attorney General who believes and understands that there must be limitations on Executive power. America needs to be certain of the bedrock principles in our laws and our values that no President and no American can be authorized to violate. That is why I will vote no on the President’s nomination.

more at:
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200711/110807e.html