Kerry on Amendment to Require Reports on Clandestine Detention Facilities

[kerrygoddess]

John Kerry’s Statement on Amendment to Require Reports on Clandestine Detention Facilities
November 10th, 2005

Senator John Kerry just offered an amendment on the Senate floor demanding reports to Congress on the CIA’s now-public secret prisons in Eastern Europe. Here’s a breakdown of the amendment:

Purpose: To require reports on clandestine facilities for the detention of individuals captured in the global war on terrorism. The amendment does not shut them down (if they exist), rather it demands oversight.

Report of the Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense will deliver to the Armed Services Committees of the House and Senate a classified a detailed report on his knowledge, or the knowledge of personnel of the Department of Defense, of clandestine detention facilities for individuals captured in the War on Terrorism.

Report of the Director of National Intelligence
The Director of National Intelligence will deliver a classified report to the House and Senate intelligence committees providing a full accounting on any clandestine prison or detention facility operated by the United States Government, regardless of its location, where detainees in the Global War on Terrorism are held.

Kerry Statement on Amendment to Require Reports on Clandestine Detention Facilities (As Prepared):

Mr. President, in recent weeks we have heard allegations about the existence of secret prison facilities operated by the United States government in various countries around the world. I know that many of my colleagues take this matter very seriously. The Central Intelligence Agency has reportedly requested a Justice Department investigation of how classified intelligence information made its way into print. Clearly, the revelation of these programs is a serious national security matter that we can all agree on, no matter where we sit.

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1114

[blm]

1. Does he still have a floor speech coming at 3;00 on Iraq?

.

[flpoljunkie]

6. Kerry already spoke. Warner said Roberts or Rockefeller would come to the

floor to make a statement regarding Kerry's amendment soon. There is a quorum call at the moment in the Senate.

[kerrygoddess]

11. Kerry is to speak on Iraq and offer another amendment around 3:00

This was a different matter.

[Mass]

8. Yes - There is a speech at 3:00 on Iraq

with an amendment to come.

[flpoljunkie]

9. Perhaps he is speaking again on the amendment.

[karynnj]

10. Suppose to be Iraq - there are a group of Senators

working on this - Kerry being one of them.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. What happens

if they find conditions/actions taken in these prisons are so appalling that they fall into the category of crimes against humanity? Would they then shut them down?

[jillan]

4. That's why it is so important that Kerry's amendment passes

So we can see what the he11 is going on there.

[karynnj]

5. I think that would be the general idea

This forces the Republicans to go on record for or against accountability. Then if it wins - they get oversight. If it's crimes against humanity level, the Republican Senators will be put on the spot - if they ok it they can be called on it.

[jillan]

3. Kerry did an excellent job of presenting this, in a way that even the

repugs can't argue. He is not attacking them, he carefully used his words to say - bring this out in the open.

Excerpt:
The Executive Branch cannot win this war by itself. It needs Congress to do its job too. In this case, that job is oversight-even of clandestine prisons and detention facilities.

[flpoljunkie]

7. The man is thoughtful, careful--something tragically lacking in Dubya.

If only John Kerry were president today. And to think that we have three more years of Bushco. We must fight them tooth and nail to do what we can to reclaim our democracy.

Franklin's quote has never been more poignant..."You ask me what kind of government we gave you. We gave you a Republic, if you can keep it" - Benjamin Franklin

[Catamount]

13. Hi Kerrygoddess, good to hear from you! I still consider him

to be our prez, and it's so good to hear him speak and see him assert himself.
As always he makes so much sense.
:kick:

[MH1]

12. Agree.

Will the republicans in Congress do their duty or shirk it?

We know they want to shirk it. But this amendment by Kerry forces them to go on record.

[McCamy Taylor]

14. Expect Red Cross visits, the works---very nice Sen Kerry.

[second edition]

15. I want the repubs to come up with am excuse why the selected

committies should not be informed about such things as this. It would seem to be a logicalrequest. Good for Kerry.

[incapsulated]

16. So...

Is it a fact that neither the Armed Services Committee or any of the intelligence committees were informed of this? Or were the Chairs given this info? And then Cheney just spills this to all his repuke minions at a meeting. Unreal.

[jillan]

17. WOOOOHOOOO - IT PASSED

Huge 87 yays!!!

Kerry:yourock:

[MH1]

19. Yowza!!

Great news to come home to.

:woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo:

:applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause:

:toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast:

[ProSense]

18. Excellent! Excellent! Excellent!

Go Kerry!

[jillan]

20. I view this as a

"Go f* yourself" to Mr Cheney. lol!!

[ProSense]

23. Um....

tee hee!

[Fire Walk With Me]

21. Shh... Do you hear the sound of cleanup teams being dispatched

to eliminate evidence of torture?

[frogmarch]

22. FABULOUS!

:applause: This makes my day!