Rep. Nadler Examines Bush Interrogation Techniques; Seeks Key Witness

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-08), chair of the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties today held an oversight hearing on the role that Bush Administration lawyers played in creating abusive interrogation policies that have resulted in the widespread abuse of detainees in U.S. custody and control.  Prior to the hearing, the Subcommittee also considered a resolution to authorize the Committee Chairman to issue subpoenas to compel the testimony of a certain witness.

“Torture is un-American and yet it has been used by this government against those in our custody and control,” said Rep. Nadler.  “And now we know that these so-called ‘enhanced’ interrogation techniques were approved at the highest levels of government.  Torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, besides being contrary to American values and traditions, have proven to be an ineffective means to obtaining actionable intelligence.”

The Bush Administration’s policies regarding interrogation techniques have been sanctioned and guided by various secret legal opinions and memoranda, making it clear that harsh, and possibly illegal, methods were approved at the highest levels of government.

Rep. Nadler and Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. had previously invited a number of the alleged key architects of the Administration’s legal and policy framework for interrogations:  John Yoo, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General, David Addington, Chief of Staff to Vice President Richard Cheney, John Ashcroft, former Attorney General, Douglas Feith, former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, George Tenet, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Daniel Levin, former Assistant Attorney General.

Prior to the hearing, the subcommittee considered a resolution to authorize the Committee Chairman to issue a subpoena for Addington, who has declined to appear voluntarily.  Ashcroft and Yoo have agreed to appear at a later date, and Feith, Tenet and Levin remain in dialogue about their availability.  Tuesday’s hearing will lay the groundwork for subsequent proceedings and investigations, which will include Yoo, Addington, Ashcroft, Feith, Tenet and Levin.

“Congress has the prerogative and duty to demand the truth from the Executive,” Nadler added.  “Our system of checks and balances must be honored – especially during times of crisis.  In our efforts to preserve this great democracy, we must not undermine the very ideals that we seek to protect.”