Torture Ted strikes again

...out, that is. Senator Stevens' record on torture is looking worse and worse, and this time he's got help from Senator Lisa Murkowski. This report from the Irregular Times describes how both Stevens and Murkowski voted against an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, proposed by Senator Carl Levin of Michigan. The purpose of the amendment was to "establish a national commission on policies and practices on the treatment of detainees since September 11, 2001." The amendment failed, 55 to 43, with only one Democrat voting against it. On reading the text of the amendment, it appears that the reason it failed was that it would be too thorough, and could look at any policy or any person responsible, whether in Congress, a private company or contractor, or even (gasp!) the White House. Weird how the Republicans are starting to look like the Pro-Torture Party. Guess our senators just don't want people looking too closely at those slimy things that the White House administration has been breeding under the rocks...

Here's part of the text:

SA 2430, SEC. 1501. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) The vast majority of the members of the Armed Forces have served honorably and upheld the highest standards of professionalism and morality.

(2) While there have been numerous reviews, inspections, and investigations by the Department of Defense and others regarding aspects of the treatment of individuals detained in the course of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or United States activities to counter international terrorism since September 11, 2001, none has provided a comprehensive, objective, and independent investigation of United States policies and practices relating to the treatment of such detainees.

(3) The reports of the various reviews, inspections, and investigations conducted by the Department of Defense and others have left numerous omissions and reached conflicting conclusions regarding institutional and personal responsibility for United States policies and practices on the treatment of the detainees described in paragraph (2) that may have caused or contributed to the mistreatment of such detainees.

(4) Omissions in the reports produced to date also include omissions relating to--

(A) the authorities of the intelligence community for activities to counter international terrorism since September 11, 2001, including the rendition of detainees to foreign countries, and whether such authorities differed from the authorities of the military for the detention and interrogation of detainees;

(B) the role of intelligence personnel in the detention and interrogation of detainees;

(C) the role of special operations forces in the detention and interrogation of detainees; and

(D) the role of contract employees in the detention and interrogation of detainees.

For previous posts on Alaska's senators and their stance on torture, go here and here. I've got posts on Lisa Murkowski and civil rights of detainees here and here.