Washington, D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the
following statement today on Congress sending the fiscal year 2008 Intelligence
Authorization Act Conference Report to the President. President Bush has threatened to veto the
legislation because it extends the prohibition on torture contained in the Army
Field Manual to Intelligence Community personnel.
“Our ability to protect and defend the American people in a
dangerous world rests on nation’s ability to obtain accurate, timely, and
actionable intelligence. By investing in
human intelligence, counterterrorism operations, and analysis, the New
Direction Congress is meeting its primary obligation of making
“Extending the Army Field Manual’s prohibition on torture to
Intelligence Community personnel ensures that interrogation practices do not
vary on an agency-by-agency basis and that practices employed are lawful,
effective, and reflective of our values.
Many intelligence professionals have stated that torture is ineffective:
it is unlikely to produce the kind of timely and reliable information needed to
disrupt terrorist plots. In addition, it
increases the risks for our military personnel, diplomatic officers, and
intelligence agents around the world.
“