Congress is in the dark, intentionally, about the interrogation techniques used by the CIA and other government entities. So, for instance: “I don’t know what the CIA has been doing,  nor should I know,” said Senator Jeff Sessions. What an astounding attitude from a United States Senator.

Sullivan:

I’m amazed that, in the context of what we now know this president has authorized for the CIA, and wants to retain for use by the CIA, an obvious connection has not been made more forcefully. When you look at the photographs from Abu Ghraib, what do you see? You see exactly the “alternative methods” this administration is trying to preserve: long-time standing, nakedness, degradation, stress positions, sleep deprivation – and much worse as well that will now be clearly banned: rape and murder. (Worryingly, sexual abuse short of penetration seems
to be a gray area in the proposal.) It strains credibility to believe that these images were not related by clear signals from the very top that the “gloves were off” and that the president and defense secretary gave torture and abuse cover and approval.
…

“Doused with cold water” and “deprived of sleep for days at a time.” Sound familiar? One point we must repeat insistently is that the torture bill being unwisely rushed through the Senate may well legalize many of the abuses at Abu Ghaib, Bagram, Camp Cropper, Camp Nama, and
many in the dozens of sites of torture and abuse in this war for … democracy and human rights.

Remember how you felt when you first saw some of those photographs. Remember the shame. Now remember we may be about to legalize and endorse some of it as American policy. Should we not take the time to get it right?

Not only would the bill open the door to these abuses, but it would make it nearly impossible to hold the Bush administration to account for their approval of such techniques. Boggles the mind.

Please, call your Senators and representative today. Remind them that this is an affront to human dignity, as well as to Christian Ethics (if they are themselves people of the Christian faith).