Letter from John Edwards RE: Disclosure of Torture Documents

I wrote to John Edwards regarding the White House's refusal to disclose all the documents on prisoner treatment in Iraq and this is the e-mail response I got:
_ _ _ _ _

Thank you for contacting me regarding the need for public disclosure of Administration memoranda on torture. I appreciate hearing from you.

America's military personnel exhibit tremendous courage serving our country. These men and women make great sacrifices - endangering their health, risking their lives, leaving their loved ones - all to defend this great nation. Like you, I feel strongly that we owe America's service personnel a debt of gratitude.

We must continue to support our troops and their efforts to bring stability to Iraq, as well as the many civilian contractors who are working there. At the same time, we must fully investigate the abuses against prisoners and ensure that such acts never happen again. As our top military commanders in Iraq have said, it is critical that we show the Iraqi people and the world that we will not tolerate such acts - and that we will hold responsible those involved, no matter how high up the chain of command.

We must also ensure that American laws and treaty obligations are upheld, not abandoned. I was dismayed to learn that that Administration officials vigorously attempted to justify legal arguments ignoring these obligations. I am especially disappointed that Attorney General Ashcroft refused to supply to the Senate Judiciary Committee the 23 Department of Justice memos in which these legal arguments were advanced, even though he was unable to cite legal authority for his refusal. I joined my colleagues in the Senate Judiciary Committee to demand a subpoena for the 20 memos that have not yet been disclosed for congressional oversight. Unfortunately, these efforts were rebuffed by the Attorney General and other Administration officials.

The Senate recently reaffirmed that our country is obligated by our Constitution and international law to refrain from torture or other cruel, inhumane treatment of prisoners. On June 16, 2004, the Senate voted in favor of a measure offered by Senator Durbin that would require the Secretary of Defense to issue guidelines for compliance with these standards. Under this amendment, these guidelines must be shared with Congress to ensure proper legislative oversight.

The use of torture undermines our efforts to stop terrorism and belies the values that make America a beacon of freedom and civility. Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind when consideration of this issue continues in the Senate.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please feel free to keep in touch.

Yours sincerely,

John Edwards
United States Senate