Regaining the Moral High Ground
From Kate Mewhiney
The United States is a country that has gained a pretty bad reputation among the international community, and for good reason. We rushed into war without the support of our allies, our government has shown nothing but contempt for the United Nations, and charges of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Guantanamo are becoming more and more common. However, help may be on the way from an unlikely place: three Republican senators.
Senators John McCain (AZ), John Warner (VA), and Lindsey Graham (SC) have introduced legislation that would explicitly forbid cruel, inhumane, or degrading methods of treatment or interrogation of U.S. detainees. The senators want to attach the legislation as an amendment to a defense bill. The president has threatened to veto the bill if the amendments are passed because, as Vice President Cheney tried to explain to the senators in a meeting, the legislation would interfere with the president's ability to fight terrorism. So far, the senators are not budging.
This represents a radical move in the Republican Party, which has so far been almost entirely united behind the White House. Breaking ranks is a gutsy move for the Republican senators, and there's no telling what kind of pressure they will face. The political pressure could be particularly difficult for McCain, whose name is being tossed around as potential 2008 GOP presidential candidate.
McCain's office has released a letter signed by retired officers lending their support to his effort. In it McCain says the prisoner abuse is "Anathema to the values Americans have held dear for generations."
The abuse scandals have tarnished America's reputation as a world leader, making it impossible for us to claim any kind of moral superiority. And yet, the administration insists on forcing its will on other sovereign nations in the name of bringing "freedom." Embracing this legislation is the first step in putting a stop to the hypocrisy of our foreign policy. Last week, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama argued that guidelines and restrictions aren't necessary because the detainees aren't prisoners of war, but terrorists. Senator McCain answered this charge saying, "[It] is not about who they are. It's about who we are."
The United States is a country that has gained a pretty bad reputation among the international community, and for good reason. We rushed into war without the support of our allies, our government has shown nothing but contempt for the United Nations, and charges of prisoner abuse in Iraq and Guantanamo are becoming more and more common. However, help may be on the way from an unlikely place: three Republican senators.
Senators John McCain (AZ), John Warner (VA), and Lindsey Graham (SC) have introduced legislation that would explicitly forbid cruel, inhumane, or degrading methods of treatment or interrogation of U.S. detainees. The senators want to attach the legislation as an amendment to a defense bill. The president has threatened to veto the bill if the amendments are passed because, as Vice President Cheney tried to explain to the senators in a meeting, the legislation would interfere with the president's ability to fight terrorism. So far, the senators are not budging.
This represents a radical move in the Republican Party, which has so far been almost entirely united behind the White House. Breaking ranks is a gutsy move for the Republican senators, and there's no telling what kind of pressure they will face. The political pressure could be particularly difficult for McCain, whose name is being tossed around as potential 2008 GOP presidential candidate.
McCain's office has released a letter signed by retired officers lending their support to his effort. In it McCain says the prisoner abuse is "Anathema to the values Americans have held dear for generations."
The abuse scandals have tarnished America's reputation as a world leader, making it impossible for us to claim any kind of moral superiority. And yet, the administration insists on forcing its will on other sovereign nations in the name of bringing "freedom." Embracing this legislation is the first step in putting a stop to the hypocrisy of our foreign policy. Last week, Republican Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama argued that guidelines and restrictions aren't necessary because the detainees aren't prisoners of war, but terrorists. Senator McCain answered this charge saying, "[It] is not about who they are. It's about who we are."
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