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9/11 Commission Bill: A Vote for Torture

By Jeralyn, Section Legislation
Posted on Thu Sep 30, 2004 at 04:00:18 PM EST
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Law Prof Michael Froomkin of Discourse.Net says a vote for Bush is a vote for Torture.

For more, visit Human Rights First (formerly Lawyers Committee for Human Rights). From their press release (received by email):

"SNEAK PROVISIONS" OF HOUSE 9/11 BILL WOULD PERMIT TORTURE
The House and Senate continued work this week on legislation to enact many of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission. While the Senate bill has focused on increasing cooperation among the nation's 15 intelligence agencies, the House bill includes provisions unrelated - or directly contrary - to the Commission's recommendations. Among the most disturbing provisions is one to evade U.S. obligations under the Convention Against Torture and permit the United States to "render" individuals to countries known to practice torture. The House bill also reintroduces provisions of the Domestic Security Enhancement Act of 2003, legislation that was tabled after Human Rights First and other groups denounced it as a threat to civil liberties with no benefits for national security.

In more legal terms,

Section 3006 would allow the return under expedited removal of non-citizens determined to have been in the U.S. for less than five years and who would face torture when deported.

H.R. 10 provides no means for persons subject to Section 3006 who fear they will be tortured if they are deported to make an application for protection under the Convention Against Torture (CAT), which was signed by the United States in 1989. The bill provides for referral to an asylum officer only for those who express an intention to apply for asylum or a fear of persecution. This omission sets the stage for very serious violations of the U.S.’s obligation under the CAT not to return people to countries where they would be tortured.

TalkLeft wrote about this here and provided a list of the bill's unwise and dangerous features here.

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