Senator McCain’s anti-torture amendment passed the senate in a 90-9 vote today!
Hell yeah, McCain!
On the heals of a court order to release more Abu Ghraib footage, this is a huge victory for our country and shows that we are not afraid to stand up to an overzealous president.
In a July 25th press briefing, a reporter asked the following question to Scott McClellan:
Last Thursday the White House threatened to veto the defense bill if it includes standards for the humane treatment of prisoners, drafted by Republican Senator John McCain. And also on Thursday the Pentagon refused to comply with a court order to release photos and videos of prisoner abuse in Iraq. Don’t these documented cases of abuse suggest that the U.S. military should adopt higher standards for the humane treatment of prisoners?
Scott’s response:
We want to make sure that there is nothing that restricts the President’s authority to be able to do what he needs to do to protect the American people and prevent attacks from happening in the first place, and bring to justice those who seek to murder innocent civilians.
Innocent civilians like the innocent taxi driver, Dilawar, tortured to death by Americans who struck him just to hear him cry ‘Allah’?
While the bill still needs to be passed, this amendment is a win for the American people who hold themselves to a higher standard. It’s a win for those who understand that torture under the guise of liberation is not true liberation. And it’s a win for those who realize democracy cannot be forced through the barrel of a gun.
Read the amendment for yourself.