Wednesday, December 10, 2014

McCain: "I Know the Use of Torture Compromises That Which Distinguishes Us From Our Enemies"

Posted By on Wed, Dec 10, 2014 at 10:00 AM

Sen. John McCain took to the Senate floor to denounce the torturous methods laid out in yesterday's Senate Intelligence Committee's report. Talking Points Memo reports:

McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam, said on the Senate floor that his personal experience has shown abused prisoners offer up more bad than good, or even deliberately misleading, intelligence.

"Most of all, I know the use of torture compromises that which most distinguishes us from our enemies," he said. "Our belief that all people, even captured enemies, possess basic human rights which are protected by international conventions, [which] the United States not only joined but for the most part, authored."

McCain did acknowledge that the CIA resorted to extreme interrogation techniques with the goal of protecting Americans, but argued the ends didn't justify those means.

"I dispute wholeheartedly it was right for [CIA officers] to use these methods, which this report makes clear were neither in the best interest of justice, nor our security, nor the ideals we have sacrificed so much blood and treasure to defend," he said.

TPM rounds up the "most horrific revelations" here. Andrew Sullivan live-blogged the breaking news here.