Cornyn Applauds Signing Of Critical National Security Bill
Establishes Legal Framework for Prosecuting Detainees and Protecting CIA Interrogators
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a member of the Senate Judiciary and Armed Services Committees, made the following statement regarding the Military Commissions Act of 2006 which was signed into law this morning by President Bush:
“This legislation gives the President and our nation another critical tool for fighting the war on terror and prosecuting captured terrorists like Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who was the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.
“This enemy we face today knows no border, wears no uniform, and beheads those they capture instead of imprisoning them. They have no respect for any law or international treaty obligation but only a dedication to violent fundamentalism and the destruction of democracy.
“Yet, it is the legal framework enshrined in this legislation that sets America and its people apart. Through this legislation, classified information will be protected, the CIA’s invaluable interrogation program will continue and yet, captured terrorists will be brought to justice with comprehensive legal protections that they would most assuredly not extend to our own captured soldiers. In fact, a detainee under the U.S. system will have a number of procedural protections that a captured American soldier would not have even under the Geneva Conventions.
“We are a people that respect the rule of law, but a nation determined to protect its homeland from future attacks. The President now has the clear authority called for by the Supreme Court to prosecute those who threaten our nation and ensure that they are brought to justice.”
“This legislation gives the President and our nation another critical tool for fighting the war on terror and prosecuting captured terrorists like Khalid Sheik Mohammed, who was the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.
“This enemy we face today knows no border, wears no uniform, and beheads those they capture instead of imprisoning them. They have no respect for any law or international treaty obligation but only a dedication to violent fundamentalism and the destruction of democracy.
“Yet, it is the legal framework enshrined in this legislation that sets America and its people apart. Through this legislation, classified information will be protected, the CIA’s invaluable interrogation program will continue and yet, captured terrorists will be brought to justice with comprehensive legal protections that they would most assuredly not extend to our own captured soldiers. In fact, a detainee under the U.S. system will have a number of procedural protections that a captured American soldier would not have even under the Geneva Conventions.
“We are a people that respect the rule of law, but a nation determined to protect its homeland from future attacks. The President now has the clear authority called for by the Supreme Court to prosecute those who threaten our nation and ensure that they are brought to justice.”
