Jerrold Nadler Quotes
Torture, including practices like waterboarding, violates the legal and moral standards of all civilized nations.
Nadler, Jerrold. "Statement on Interrogation and Torture." Congressman Jerrold Nadler, U.S. House of Representatives, 2008.
This was untrue. The CIA used several forms of torture on high value detainees. The torture was psychological and physical. Even the FBI had agents who observed CIA interrogations and complained to their supervisors. For cover, the George W. Bush administration, got 3 Justice Department Attorneys to write a secret memo defining certain types of torture as “enhanced interrogation”. Water Boarding, for which American soldiers had been court martialed and convicted for torture then became enhanced interrogation, and was used on a few terrorists. Because of the rigged Justice Department memo, the CIA claimed that they did not torture people. Another thing the CIA did was to turn over enemy to the intelligence services of third countries like Egypt, where torture was used commonly with no regard for the Geneva convention or other human rights provision. CIA agents then watched and asked questions but they claimed that they did not torture which was in some sense literally true.
When TR came to office, the U. S. was in the midst of war with Philippine insurgents who were fighting an asymmetric , guerrilla war against the U. S. Army. The war had become very brutal with the insurgents using terror and atrocities and some Army units executing prisoners and torturing captives. Roosevelt, actually fired the General who was in charge of the field troops rather than just discipline lower level officers as usually has happened.
He was finally brought to justice after being protected by the right wing for many years. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison. See related quote.
He was referring to the police interrogation methods that Turkey had used in the past but was in the process of reforming.
The Senate was debating a law to make torture of foreigners and captives illegal under all circumstances. Vice President Cheney was very strongly opposed wanting an exception made for the CIA.
There were however several instances of torture being used. The administration used the term “enhanced interrogation” for waterboarding and other acts that the US has previously punished Americans for using. The George W. Bush administration actually had a team of their lawyers in the Justice Department write a memo to uniquely define torture so as not to include the torture techniques that were used as “enhanced interrogation”.
Jerrold Lewis Nadler is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 10th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he is in his 15th term in Congress, having served since 1992. He was originally elected to represent the state's 17th congressional district (1992–1993) which was renumbered the 8th congressional district (1993–2013) and now is the 10th congressional district. Nadler has been Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee since 2019.
