Thank you for your recent message.
On June 14, I spoke on the Senate floor about my heartfelt concern
regarding the treatment of prisoners and detainees at Guantanamo and in
other places. I noted that many others, including former Secretary of
State Colin Powell, have raised legitimate concerns about whether the
policies of this Administration are truly making us safer and whether some
of those policies might tarnish America's image around the world and
jeopardize our soldiers.
During that speech, I read an account from an FBI agent describing the
mistreatment of prisoners at Guantanamo, including situations in which
detainees were chained hand and foot in a fetal position on the floor,
with no chair and no food or water for 18-24 hours or more, and subjected
to extreme temperature variation that left them shaking with cold or
nearly unconscious due to heat.
I then made a characterization of that agent's account using what I now
know, in retrospect, was a very poor choice of words. It was not my
intention to disparage our soldiers. It was not my intention to diminish
the horrific history of torture and death inflicted by murderous regimes
of the past. My intention was only to raise legitimate questions about
the policies of this Administration which add to the risks our soldiers
face.
My words were twisted and misrepresented by some who sought to gain a
political advantage, but they also hurt some people who were sympathetic
to my message. And the firestorm surrounding my words obscured that
message. I did not want to leave any misunderstanding, so I returned to
the Senate floor on June 21 and apologized for the characterization that
had caused offense for many good-hearted Americans.
Our troops around the world and their families at home deserve our
respect, admiration, and total support. I have seen our troops in Iraq
and Afghanistan, and I am humbled by their courage and the sacrifices they
are making. I have visited Walter Reed Hospital many times and spoken
with young soldiers who have suffered horrific injuries in this war. I
have spoken with and met with the families of those who have given their
lives in service to our nation. They are the best our nation has to offer
and I never intended any disrespect toward them.
I believe that America is a shining beacon for freedom and human dignity
in this world. When we fall short of our own standards, saying so
enhances our moral standing. I will continue to speak out on the issues I
think are important to the people of Illinois and the nation, including
the issue of torture and the mistreatment of prisoners in American
detention centers.
The Administration's policies regarding these abuses are not only
inconsistent with the moral values our nation stands for, they risk
increasing the danger to our own soldiers. When we hold ourselves to the
highest standards of civilized behavior, rather than lowering ourselves to
the standards of our enemies, I believe it makes our troops safer, and our
nation more secure. And that is a goal I hope we can all agree on.
Sincerely,
Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator
He backed down and has no spine. Never getting my vote again.