Kennedy & Durbin Call For Probe Of WH Coercion On Torture Policy

September 14, 2006


The Honorable Arlen Specter
Chairman
Committee on Judiciary
United States Senate
224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Specter,

We recently learned of allegations that, in meeting earlier this week, the White House and Department of Defense General Counsel William J. Haynes pressured senior judge advocates general into signing a letter on the Administration’s proposed revisions to the War Crimes Act and Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions. It is alleged that the JAGs were kept in this meeting for several hours, until they agreed to sign the letter. That letter was subsequently used to suggest that the JAGs supported the Administration’s proposals.

These allegations are disturbingly similar to other allegations that Mr. Haynes has ignored, circumvented, or overruled the nation’s senior military lawyers. The Judiciary Committee has explored Mr. Haynes’ attempts to overrule the JAGs in preparing interrogation guidelines that departed from long-standing military tradition and led to detainee abuses.

We believe these new allegations raise serious further questions about Mr. Haynes’ fitness to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. We urge you to thoroughly investigate and hold hearings on these claims and others relating to Mr. Haynes’ treatment of the JAGs before the committee takes any further action on his nomination.

Sincerely,



Edward M. Kennedy Richard J. Durbin