Torture Must Not Be Condoned By the U.S.

TORTURE MUST NOT BE CONDONED BY THE U.S. -- (House of Representatives - November 02, 2005)

(Mr. McGOVERN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, this morning the top story on the front page of the Washington Post describes in detail how the CIA has been hiding and interrogating al Qaeda and other prisoners in covert prisons around the globe. No one knows what the rules of the game are for the interrogations that take place there. There is no accountability, no genuine oversight. In fact, information about these facilities and their practices has been deliberately withheld from the Congress and the American people. In effect, the prisoners in these jails simply disappear.

Mr. Speaker, this is not what America stands for, this is more like Chile under Pinochet or Argentina under the junta.

We know now why Vice President Cheney is so determined that the final defense appropriations conference report include exceptions to Senator McCain's provision against torture and the Markey provision prohibiting rendition. If those provisions are watered down or struck down by the defense conferees, then mark my words, Mr. Speaker, America will lose a piece of its soul. Let us reclaim the values and the principles that have made this country great.

Mr. Speaker, the text of the article in today's Washington Post is as follows:

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