In September 2006, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., authored the amendment to the military tribunals bill that would have effectively defined waterboarding as torture and made it subject to Common Article 3 under the Geneva Conventions.
The amendment itself focused on conduct of other countries, but said: “should any United States person to whom the Geneva Conventions apply be subjected to any of the following acts, the United States would consider such act to constitute a punishable offense under common Article 3 ... .”
The amendment listed “forcing the person to be naked, perform sexual acts, or pose in a sexual manner; applying beatings, electric shocks, burns, or other forms of physical pain to the person; waterboarding the person; using dogs on the person; inducing hypothermia or heat injury in the person; conducting a mock execution of the person; and depriving the person of necessary food, water, or medical care.”
The amendment failed to gain the needed 50 votes, failing 46-53. Specter and then-Sen. Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island were the only Republicans to vote in favor. Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., was the lone Democrat to oppose the measure.
And this was in 2006. I noticed right after the 9/11 attacks it seemed even the dims were supportive of what was being implemented to get information. The dims felt the same fear, uncertainty, and resolve against terrorism in the aftermath of 9/11 as we all did. At a later point the dims decided fighting terrorists was not nearly as important as fighting President Bush. As if that wasn’t bad enough- now with the Obama dims in power they think conservative Americans and especially Veterans are more dangerous than muslim extremists. Talk about out of touch with reality.
“To whom the Geneva Conventions Apply” -—
A United States Citizen who joined a terrorist organization, and attacked another country, while NOT wearing a uniform or being attached to any recognized government, would NOT be covered by the Geneva Conventions, and therefore, would NOT have been covered by the Kennedy waterboarding definition, even if Kennedy had gotten his way!
Wrong bill.