In the wake of the infamous torture photos against prisoners at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison, United States legislators have been maintaining a firm stance against the mistreatment of those prisoners. A congressional ban against the inhumane treatment and torture of prisoners in U.S. custody was approved with a 90-9 vote in the Senate.
However, the ban is being contested by the Bush administration, which has publicly declared that it does not, and did not, condone torturing prisoners. Yet the administration has threatened to veto the legislation because the Congressional guidelines do not provide a grey area that would allow the government to engage in such a practice given extreme circumstances. Although it might sound idealistic, or even na+
with respect to terrorists who are not citizens of the United States. That exemption would completely undermine the purpose of the legislation and leaves far too much margin for error to be considered. Even in extreme cases, cruel and inhumane treatment is unacceptable. The perception that the United States accepts that practice is extremely detrimental to the country's already-suffering world image. Adding that exemption seems to be an attempt by the Bush administration to add a loophole to the legislation banning torture, thus allowing the administration to appear to back the legislation and still leave room for torturing prisoners.
If the Bush administration purports to condone the ban of torture tactics, it should follow through and support the ban, rather than threatening a veto unless there are loopholes added. Our country's executive power should recognize the legislation as an attempt to sideswipe the disturbing actions against prisons that occur. 17
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