U.S. Senator Ken Salazar Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees 2300 15^th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510
For Immediate Release October 6, 2006		CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852
Sen. Salazar’s Statement on the Recent Military Tribunals Bill Washington, D.C. – “I voted for the military tribunals bill to jumpstart the process to determine the guilt or innocence of hundreds of people the Bush Administration has held in captivity and in limbo for years. Some of these individuals are guilty, others may not be. But no process has been in place to move forward with these prisoners until now. “I fought the Bush Administration’s proposal to abandon the Geneva Convention and allow torture of persons in captivity. I joined with Democratic and Republican Senators to ensure that the final bill preserved the Geneva Convention and barred torture. The final bill also requires evidence to be shared with defendants so they have the ability to defend themselves and bars the use of any evidence obtained by torture. “The final bill has its faults. It does not include the right of habeas corpus for these prisoners. I fought to include the provisions of habeas corpus. The Bush Administration and Republican leadership resisted these efforts. I will continue to fight so that these prisoners may petition the courts. “Finally, I voted for a Congressional review of the entire system within 5 years. This effort was defeated by the Republican leadership. I will work with his colleagues to ensure that thorough oversight and a meaningful review of this legislation occurs." # # #