Mike Levin: “The amendment would establish an independent commission on the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo…”

“The amendment would establish an independent commission on the treatment of detainees in Afghanistan, Iraq, Guantanamo, and elsewhere. This would be modeled after the bipartisan 9/11 Commission, which was an independent commission that we all recognize as being an extremely successful commission. This bipartisan independent commission would examine U.S. policies and practices related to the treatment of detainees, including their detention, interrogation, and rendition. It would also examine the causes of detainee abuses and assess the responsibility of military and civilian leaders within and outside the Department of Defense for policies, actions, and failures to act which may have contributed to such abuse. It would also evaluate the effectiveness and propriety of interrogation techniques and practices for producing intelligence. The independent commission would report on its findings and recommendations to the President and to the Congress. Mr. President, our troops serve honorably, they serve courageously across the globe. Their honor is besmirched when some of those who we capture are abused. And on top of that our troops' security is jeopardized when people that we detain are not treated as we rightfully insist others treat our troops when they are captured.…”