Jeff Bingaman: “I strongly believe that due process rights of some sort are at the bedrock of American values and they should not be…”

“I strongly believe that due process rights of some sort are at the bedrock of American values and they should not be discarded lightly, due process rights that apply even to individuals who are not citizens of this country. It is disappointing that in the eyes of the world, the United States has drifted from its longstanding adherence to the rule of law. In my view, we have an obligation to the American people to confront these difficult issues, and I believe Congress needs to act in that regard. Establishing this independent commission to look into these prisoner issues is an important first step. There have been multiple abuse scandals over the last couple of years that have hurt our image abroad and tainted the image of a vast majority of our soldiers who serve with honor and distinction. Now the European Union is investigating news reports that the CIA is holding suspected terrorists in Soviet-era detention facilities in eastern European countries. This is a troublesome development considering the widespread reports that our own Vice President continues to urge that bipartisan legislation passed in this Senate that would prohibit the CIA from using interrogation techniques that amount to cruel and inhuman treatment in these types of facilities be deleted from legislation on its way to the President. Our own President is in the very awkward position.…”