Amnesty International 'Deeply Disturbed' by New Detainee Legislation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SEPTEMBER 22, 2006
2:21 PM

Amnesty International 'Deeply Disturbed' by New Detainee Legislation

WASHINGTON - September 22 - Larry Cox, Amnesty International USA's executive director, issued the following statement in response to the proposed agreement reached by President Bush and Senate Republicans regarding detainee legislation:

"Amnesty International is deeply disturbed by the proposed compromise between Senate leaders and the White House on detainee legislation. Without further clarification the legislation leaves loopholes big enough to drive a Humvee through. The parties appear to have negotiated themselves right back to the starting line. The core of the public debate between senior Republican leaders and the administration largely hinged on the president's ability to interpret the Geneva Conventions as he saw fit and as he basically granted himself authority to do in the war on terror. Key Senators argued, rightly, that the Conventions must stay intact. Yet, in the alleged 'win-win' compromise, it appears that the president can reinterpret the Conventions, amend the War Crimes Act and even give a greenlight to treatment long- considered torture. Without additional clarity, the proposed agreement betrays American values of justice and long-held agreements and obligations on basic humane treatment. There can be no compromise for torture.

This is not a time for electoral calculations on either side of the aisle. Winning or losing elections doesn't matter if the price of victory is a profound betrayal of principle -- and, make no mistake about it, the proposed legislation has that potential. This bill could confirm America as a nation unbound by human rights standards Americans lived by, fought for and promoted for decades."

Amnesty International has launched the "America I Believe In" campaign because we believe that the United States is facing a defining moment: the nation can continue to be one of the world's leaders on human rights or lose its moral authority on fairness and justice. Some of the campaign activities have included advertisements in major print and online publications and personal calls and visits to congressional members. Actually, over the past week, Amnesty International members and other citizens sent nearly 50,000 letters to Congress urging lawmakers to keep the Conventions intact and not to cede the nation's values.

###