Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I had intended to offer an amendment that would have restated the policy of our country against the use of torture. The reason that I was going to offer that amendment is that I do represent this body in the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe; and in many of our meetings, the issue of the use of torture has been raised, particularly in light of our war against terrorism. I might tell you there have also been press accounts recently that call into question the use of torture in regards to the campaign against terrorism. However, Mr. Chairman, I think the President of the United States, along with the representatives from the State Department and Defense Department, have made it very clear on the U.S. policy in this regard. Let me just point out that on June 26, the International Day in Support of the Victims of Torture, President Bush declared that "Torture anywhere is an affront to human dignity everywhere." He observed that "Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right." The State Department also noted that "Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right, and the prohibition of torture is a basic principle of international human rights law.”