General Wesley Clark is on another mission, and he needs your help. This time, it involves the senior U.S. Senator from our own state of Virginia, John Warner. As many of you are aware, Senator Warner is Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, charged with the authority and responsibility for overseeing the U.S. military. This oversight authority includes U.S. military detention facilities located in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- all places where prisoner abuse, humiliation, and torture have taken place. To date, however, no civilians in the Bush Administration have been held accountable for these abuses -- only military personnel and mostly low-level ones at that. This is not right.That's one main reason why General Clark is calling on Senator Warner to "investigate the Bush Administration's role in prisoner abuse now!" As General Clark says, this abuse "has motivated our enemies in the war on terror and endangers the well-being of our fighting forces. " Clark continues:
For generations, the United States has been a powerful voice of moral authority in the world...Unfortunately, the Bush Administration has squandered our legacy of moral leadership.I need your help to protect the honor of our men and women in uniform and to set us on the right course to win the war on terror. Although the President has said the United States is "committed to the worldwide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example," the Administration's actions don't match his words.
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While some are blaming individual soldiers, doesn't at least some of the responsibility rest with the civilian leadership of our government? Don't the American people deserve the truth? Shouldn't Congress lead an investigation?
Yes, we do deserve the truth, and we do need a thorough investigation of the Bush Administration. If you agree with these things, I urge you to go sign General Clark's petition right away. If enough of us tell Senator Warner how we feel, perhaps we can get him to look into this important matter and, in doing so, help restore the badly-tarnished honor and prestige of the United States of America.
At least as importantly, such an investigation could help protect the lives of America's fighting men and women. As Clark correctly points out, "The conduct of this Administration may ultimately lead to a green-light for our enemies to torture our soldiers when captured -- we owe it to our men and women in uniform and their families to investigate." A green light to torture our soldiers? That is not acceptable, which is why we need to put up a bright red light in response.
In his petition to Senator Warner, General Clark asks the critically important question, "How can we win the war on terrorism, a fight for democracy and freedom in America and around the world, if we forsake the very principles and institutions for which we are fighting?" This is a great question, and one that the Senate Armed Services Committee needs to be asking. That's why, if you care about our soldiers, our ideals as a nation, and our standing in the world, you should go sign General Clark's petition and tell Senator Warner to start investigating right away. Thank you.