Allard opposes anti-torture measures: Didn't want to 'tie the hands' of the U.S. military

Rocky Mountain News
Oct. 07, 2005

WASHINGTON — Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., was one of only nine U.S. senators who voted this week to oppose tough, new anti-torture guidelines, saying he did not want to "tie the hands" of the U.S. military.

The Senate voted 90-9 for an amendment to a $440 billion defense spending bill backed by former prisoner of war Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. It would put strict new limits on interrogation techniques the military can use in Iraq and elsewhere.

President Bush has threatened to veto the whole spending bill, saying the restrictions would hurt the war on terror.

The changes were inspired by reported abuses of detainees in Iraq and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But Allard said changing the regulations "does not right the wrong committed by those individuals who were clearly acting outside the Army's existing regulations and laws of our country."

"In fact, all it does is tie the hands of the Department of Defense at a time when maximum flexibility within the boundaries of the U.S. law is needed," Allard said.

Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Denver, voted for the amendment, which still needs approval from the House of Representatives.

"If soldiers across this world know there are these standards the American military is going to abide by, it provides additional protection to our soldiers" if they are captured, Salazar said.

"I think it elevates the credibility of the United States of America as an international leader, where we can set forth to the world that we have standards with respect to how we treat prisoners of war."