House Democrats Call For Investigation in the Bush Administration's Interrogation Techniques

Washington, D.C.— U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI), Judiciary Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and fifty three other members of the House sent the following letter to the Attorney General on Saturday requesting a special counsel to investigate whether the Bush Administration’s policies regarding the interrogation of detainees have violated federal criminal laws.  

“I believe the Bush Administration’s interrogation techniques amount to government sanctioned torture and are a violation of U.S. and international law,” said U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).  “Instead of improving our security, these techniques have made our country less secure, tarnished our reputation and put our troops at greater risk.  Appointing a special counsel to investigate these abuses is the first step in reclaiming our position as a leader on human rights and restoring our nation’s credibility by showing the rest of the world that we are still a nation of laws.”

“The use of harsh and degrading interrogation methods by this Administration represents a truly shameful episode in our history," Conyers said.  "Our committee is actively investigating the role of Administration lawyers in approving such tactics and is considering legislation to help prevent such abuse in the future.  But we also need an impartial criminal investigation.  Because these apparent 'enhanced interrogation techniques' were used under cover of Justice Department legal opinions, the need for an outside special prosecutor is obvious.”

“It has become abundantly clear that an independent investigation into these matters is long overdue and that Justice Department lacks the political independence to conduct an impartial investigation,” said Rep. Nadler.  “A special counsel is the best way to investigate how the Bush Administration created interrogation policies that have resulted in the widespread abuse of detainees in U.S. custody and control.  Torture is un-American and it is high time that we find out exactly what happened, and how those decisions were made.”