Ronald Wilson Reagan On Torture

You probably won't hear it from the nattering nabobs of negativity now currently known as the GOP, but the UN Convention Against Torture was signed by the 40th President of These United States, Ronald Wilson Reagan in April 1988 (that's more than 20 years ago, by the way).

Sending it to the Congress for ratification, The Gipper wrote:

The United States participated actively and effectively in the negotiation of the Convention . It marks a significant step in the development during this century of international measures against torture and other inhuman treatment or punishment. Ratification of the Convention by the United States will clearly express United States opposition to torture, an abhorrent practice unfortunately still prevalent in the world today.

The core provisions of the Convention establish a regime for international cooperation in the criminal prosecution of torturers relying on so-called "universal jurisdiction." Each State Party is required either to prosecute torturers who are found in its territory or to extradite them to other countries for prosecution.

And then finally:

By giving its advice and consent to ratification of this Convention, the Senate of the United States will demonstrate unequivocally our desire to bring an end to the abhorrent practice of torture.

It was finally ratified by the Congress in 1994 (that's 15 years ago).

Article 2 of the Convention says:

1. Each State Party shall take effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture in any territory under its jurisdiction.
2. No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat or war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.
3. An order from a superior officer or a public authority may not be invoked as a justification of torture.

It's the law. And it has been for some time now.

I feel as if I've written on this before.

Good golly, I have!

Investigate and prosecute the torture.