FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2008
Contact: Carol Wickersham, (608) 676-4583
Presbyterians Join Prominent Group to Call for a Ban on Torture
On Friday night, June 27 by action of the General Assembly, the Presbyterian Church (USA) became the first denomination or faith group to endorse a recently released declaration calling on the President to issue an executive order banning torture.
The Declaration of Principles for a Presidential Executive Order Prisoner Treatment, Torture and Cruelty, released on June 25, includes the signatures of a broad bipartisan coalition including former national security and defense officials from the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and both Bush Administrations and leaders from evangelical, Baptist, Catholic, and other faiths, including Rev. Dr. Clifton Kirkpatrick, who retired as Stated Clerk during the Assembly.
These principles would improve national security and recommit America to its values. The Principles are the fruit of a year-long initiative by the National Religious Coalition Against Torture, the Center For Victims of Torture and Evangelicals for Human Rights.
This action by the General Assembly reiterates Presbyterian longstanding commitment to human dignity and justice. The Declaration calls for the President to issue an executive order affirming principles including the rule of law, an end to rendition, Congressional and judicial oversight of detention and interrogation, uniform national standards for all prisoner treatment, and an end to any practice the US would not like to see used on Americans, such as water boarding, through adherence to the "golden rule."
Rev. Carol Wickersham, Coordinator of No2Torture and NRCAT Board member stated, "This statement represents a moral bottom-line held by people across the theological and political spectrum, not only condemning torture for the evil that it is, but insisting that we will not let fear cause us to forget who we are as a nation and in the eyes of God."
People of faith and others are urged to endorse the Declaration of Principles for a Presidential executive order at http://www.tortureisamoralissue.org/. Click on "Tell the President: Ban Torture".
Other programs and information are available from the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (http://www.tortureisamoralissue.org/). The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, in cooperation with No2Torture and the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/staff.html, can also provide information, study and worship materials.
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A full text of the statement with some of the signatories follows:
Declaration of Principles for a Presidential Executive Order On Prisoner Treatment, Torture and Cruelty
Though we come from a variety of backgrounds and walks of life, we agree that the use of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment against prisoners is immoral, unwise, and un-American. In our effort to secure ourselves, we have resorted to tactics which do not work, which endanger US personnel abroad, which discourage political, military, and intelligence cooperation from our allies, and which ultimately do not enhance our security. Our President must lead us by our core principles. We must be better than our enemies, and our treatment of prisoners captured in the battle against terrorism must reflect our character and values as Americans. Therefore, we believe the President of the United States should issue an Executive Order that provides as follows:
The "Golden Rule." We will not authorize or use any methods of interrogation that we would not find acceptable if used against Americans, be they civilians or soldiers.
One national standard. We will have one national standard for all US personnel and agencies for the interrogation and treatment of prisoners. Currently, the best expression of that standard is the US Army Field Manual, which will be used until any other interrogation technique has been approved based on the Golden Rule principle.
The rule of law. We will acknowledge all prisoners to our courts or the International Red Cross. We will in no circumstance hold persons in secret prisons or engage in disappearances. In all cases, prisoners will have the opportunity to prove their innocence in ways that fully conform to American principles of fairness.
Duty to protect. We acknowledge our historical commitment to end the use of torture and cruelty in the world. The US will not transfer any person to countries that use torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Checks and balances. Congress and the courts play an invaluable role in protecting the values and institutions of our nation and must have and will have access to the information they need to be fully informed about our detention and interrogation policies.
Clarity and accountability. All US personnel-whether soldiers or intelligence staff-deserve the certainty that they are implementing policy that complies fully with the law. Henceforth all US officials who authorize, implement, or fail in their duty to prevent the use of torture and ill-treatment of prisoners will be held accountable, regardless of rank or position.
National security and defense signatories include Former Secretaries of State George Shultz, Madeleine Albright, and Warren Christopher and Former Secretaries of Defense Harold Brown, William Perry and William Cohen, Former Deputy Secretaries of State Richard Armitage and John C. Whitehead; Former Under Secretaries of State Marc Grossman, Thomas R. Pickering, Frank Wisner, and Joseph Nye; Former Assistant Secretaries of State Lorne Craner and Harold Koh; Former Deputy Secretaries of Defense William H. Taft IV, Rudy deLeon, and John Hamre; Former Under Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn; Former Assistant Secretary of Defense Dr. Ashton B. Carter; Former National Security Advisors Zbigniew Brzezinski, Anthony Lake, and Samuel R. Berger; Harry McPherson, former Counsel to President Johnson; Former Senators Charles S. Robb (Chair of the Iraq Intelligence Commission), J. Bennett Johnston (Judge Advocate General Corps), John Glenn (also Colonel, USMC-Ret.), Sam Nunn, and Gary Hart; Former Governor Thomas Kean (9/11 Commission Chair); Former FBI security and counterterrorism expert Jack Cloonan; and retired CIA operations officer Burton Gerber.
Former military signatories include Retired Generals Joseph P. Hoar (USMC-Ret.), James L. Jones (USMC-Ret.), Paul J. Kern (USA-Ret.), Merrill A. McPeak (USAF-Ret., Former Chief of Staff, US Air Force), Volney F. Warner (USA-Ret.); Lt. Generals Robert G. Gard, Jr. (USA-Ret.), Harry E. Soyster (USA-Ret., Army Intelligence); Retired Admirals Archie Clemins (USN-Ret.) and Greg G. Johnson (USN-Ret.); and former US Navy General Counsel Alberto J. Mora.
Evangelical signatories include Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, (National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference), Rev. Dr. Richard Mouw, (Fuller Theological Seminary), Mr. David Neff, (Christianity Today Media Group), Rev. Dr. Joel C. Hunter, (Northland - A Church Distributed), Mr. Gary Haugen (International Justice Mission), Dr. Robert Michael Franklin (Morehouse College), Rev. Richard Cizik (National Association of Evangelicals), Rev. Tony Campolo (Eastern University), Dr. Robert Andringa (Council for Christian Colleges & Universities), Rev. Dr. Paul Alexander (Haggard Graduate School of Theology, Azusa Pacific University), and Dr. Stanley Burgess (Regent University School of Divinity).
Other religious signatories include Bishop Thomas G. Wenski (Committee on International Justice and Peace, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), Rabbi Steve Gutow (Jewish Council of Public Affairs), Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick (Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.), Rev. Dr. William Shaw (National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc.), Rabbi Eric Yoffe (Union for Reform Judaism), Dr. Ingrid Mattson (Islamic Society of North America), Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick (Former Archbishop of Washington, DC), Rabbi Gerald Serotta (Rabbis for Human Rights - North America).
