Patrick Leahy: “senior State Department legal officers are told that waterboarding, which has been recognized as torture, not for the…”

“senior State Department legal officers are told that waterboarding, which has been recognized as torture, not for the last 10 years or 50 years or 100 years, but has been recognized as torture for the last 500 years, is a ``technique'' they cannot rule out as something a foreign intelligence service might be justified in using against Americans. This is ``Alice in Wonderland.'' Never mind that President Teddy Roosevelt, no shrinking violet he, prosecuted American soldiers for this more than 100 years ago. Never mind that we prosecuted Japanese soldiers for waterboarding Americans during World War II. Never mind what repressive regimes are doing to this day around the world. It is appalling. When it comes to our core values--the things that make our country great, that define America's place in the world--it does not depend on the circumstances; it depends on our core values. America, the great and good nation that has been a beacon to the rest of the world on human rights, does not torture, it should not stand for torture, and it should stand against torture.”