Dick Durbin: “It is clear that our enemies do not respect the rules in their relentless quest to kill Americans. The barbaric…”

“It is clear that our enemies do not respect the rules in their relentless quest to kill Americans. The barbaric treatment of Nicholas Berg and Paul Johnson have reminded us all of that fact. But this is what distinguishes the United States from the terrorists we fight. There are some lines we in the United States will not cross. Torture is one of them. We have said repeatedly, since the time of President Abraham Lincoln, that torture is inconsistent with the principles of liberty and the rule of law that underpins our democracy. Two weeks ago, Attorney General Ashcroft appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee as our Nation's chief law enforcement officer. He said on the record that the administration opposes torture and that torture is not justified or, in his words, productive. But he refused at that time to provide us with the Justice Department memos dealing with coercive interrogation tactics.”