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U.S.
Senator Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release Wednesday , February 13, 2008 |
CONTACT:Stephanie Valencia – 202-228-3630 |
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| Sen. Salazar Statement on Passage of Intelligence Authorization Act WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United States Senate voted 51 to 45 to pass the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2092) Conference Report. The bill would authorize appropriations for the Director of National Intelligence and the U.S. government’s 16 intelligence agencies and entities and also has important provisions related to interrogation techniques used by the United States. “America has been without an intelligence authorization bill for nearly three years. It is time that we pass a bill that works to bolster our intelligence capabilities so we can strengthen our ability to fight terrorism and keep our Nation safe. “But this conference report also includes a very important provision that would ensure that we stand by some fundamental principles when it comes to the interrogation techniques we accept as a country. It would ensure that no U.S. government agency can use a form of torture or other inhumane interrogation technique that is illegal under the Geneva Convention or not authorized by the U.S. Army Field Manual. “In November, I opposed Attorney General Mukasey’s nomination because I was deeply troubled that he has been unwilling to clearly and unambiguously state that he will uphold U.S. law barring the use of water-boarding. Two weeks ago, testifying in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee he disappointed yet again, as he continued to refute that waterboarding was illegal. I truly believe that there are some fundamental, core principles for which our Nation must stand. These principles are tested, no doubt, in the face of violence and war, but it is in these moments when they are all the more important. That is what the provision in this bill addresses. “This is about more than just waterboarding. This is about the fundamental moral standard we set when we say that torture -- in any form -- is acceptable. The fact that we do not torture is fundamental to who we are and, in conflict after conflict, has helped ensure that American prisoners are treated with the same dignity that we afford our enemies. For me, this is not a complex issue. It is not open to interpretation or equivocation.” ###
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