Senator McConnell's Column Supporting Legislation To Continue The Interrogation Of Captured Terrorists
Senator McConnell's Column Supporting Legislation To Continue The Interrogation Of Captured Terrorists
Five years after September 11, 2001, we have yet to be attacked again on American soil.
In the days and weeks immediately following 9/11, almost no one believed this would be the case. Yet, for five years, we have successfully prevented the terrorists from launching another deadly attack on our shores.
How is this possible?
America's decision to be aggressive in the War on Terror, and to take the fight to the terrorists where they live and operate instead of just playing defense here at home, stands as one clear reason.
This aggressive stance in the War on Terror means more than committing troops abroad to hunt down terrorists. It also means taking every step available, within the law, to interrogate captured terrorists and learn as much from them as possible about their plans.
Since America began fighting back in the War on Terror after September 11, 2001, many terrorist enemies have been captured in places like Afghanistan and Iraq. The interrogation of these masterminds of mass murder has directly led to saving American lives.
President Bush has told us that the interrogation of captured terrorists "has helped us to take potential mass murderers off the streets before they were able to kill." Terrorists in American custody have revealed Al Qaeda's efforts to procure biological weapons. They've admitted to plots on American embassies overseas and American troops stationed abroad. And they have helped us to successfully capture key terrorist leaders who were responsible for hatching the 9/11 attacks.
You might think that, with such a record of success, few would oppose our efforts to continue to legally interrogate captured terrorists as thoroughly as possible. Our procedures for interrogating these would-be killers are safe, lawful, respectful of the Constitution, and consistent with our obligations to international treaties, including the Geneva Conventions.
But due to a recent Supreme Court decision, the legality of our interrogation efforts has been thrown into doubt. Unless Congress acts, the rules for interrogating and prosecuting terrorists will be unclear, and a terrorist could sue a U.S. citizen in an American court simply for doing his or her job.
A recent Washington Post article even reported that CIA counterterrorist agents have been reduced to buying insurance to cover legal costs in case they are sued. That's outrageous. The men and women who risk their lives to get crucial information and save American lives are heroes who ought to be thanked, not sued.
The Senate is considering legislation that ensures there are clear guidelines so we can interrogate these plotters of destruction, as aggressively as necessary, to save lives while respecting our laws and treaty obligations. It also ensures that terrorists can't sue government agents for doing their jobs, and that terrorists won't have access to classified information that must be kept secret for security reasons when they go to trial.
It can't be disputed that for the last five years, the interrogation of captured terrorists, within the law, has yielded vital information to stop the followers of a twisted strain of radical Islam from killing again. Passing legislation so that our government keeps every tool available to continue the War on Terror is crucial.
Imagine the loss of life and damage to our economy that would ensue if the terrorists hit us again as they did on 9/11but this time, with a weapon of mass destruction. Good intelligence could make the difference between a foiled attempt and a successful one.
Those who oppose America's efforts to get as much life-saving information out of captured terrorists as we can ought to explain why they would rid the government of this effective tool. And they ought to do so fast. It's time to stop debating and resume fighting the War on Terror.
http://mcconnell.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=263809&start=1