Senate will advance torture commission

Senate will advance torture commission

www.salon.com

Feb. 24, 2009 | WASHINGTON -- The Senate Judiciary Committee plans to move forward with a commission to investigate torture during the Bush administration. Committee Chairman Pat Leahy, D-Vt., told Salon Tuesday that his panel would soon announce a hearing to study various commission plans. His staff said the announcement could come as early as Wednesday.

While Michigan Democrat Rep. John Conyers and North Carolina Republican Rep. Walter Jones drafted a bill to create a commission to review abuse of war powers during the Bush administration, Leahy's Senate commission would represent the first concrete steps toward a broad review of U.S. torture since 9/11.

Spearheading Senate efforts to establish a torture commission is Rhode Island Democrat Sheldon Whitehouse. As a member of both the Judiciary Committee and the Intelligence Committee, Whitehouse is privy to information about interrogations he can't yet share. Still, regarding a potential torture commission, he told Salon, "I am convinced it is going to happen." In fact, his fervor on the issue was palpable. When asked if there is a lot the public still does not know about these issues during the Bush administration, his eyes grew large and he nodded slowly. "Stay on this," he said. "This is going to be big."

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Thank goodness. I want to know what really happened in the Bush administration. If they do an investigation while Obama is more future leaning it'll be good because we will know what really happened and we'll make laws preventing the Obama administration from continuing the same mistakes.

I'm glad for this. This is a good thing. Obama might have seemed like he would reverse his position on torture for a while but I am glad that the Senate looks to be still remain strong in their position and hopefully they can make the unlawful torture illegal.

www.salon.com
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