The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-8 along party lines to send Alberto Gonzales' nomination to the full Senate for confirmation.
Yet Gonzales prompted further criticism with responses to follow-up written questions, including his belief the United States may technically have the right to hold foreigners indefinitely in secret locations overseas and subject them to abusive treatment.
TORTURE IS 'UNLAWFUL'
Gonzales also wrote, however, that any torture by American personnel would be unlawful. "As the president has made clear, the United States will not engage in torture and U.S. personnel are prohibited from doing so," Gonzales declared.
At a White House news conference on Wednesday, Bush called on the Senate "to promptly act and confirm Judge Al Gonzales."
Asked about Gonzales' written response the CIA was not specifically forbidden from abusing detainees overseas, Bush said: "Listen, Al Gonzales reflects our policy, and that is we don't sanction torture. He will be a great attorney general."
Ugh.
Notice how Gonzales says "the U.S. will not engage in torture," future tense, carefully avoiding the fact that the U.S. has in fact engaged in torture and that he has personally justified it. Then the Preznit chimes in with "we do not sanction torture," another non-denial denial. We don't sanction it, but that doesn't mean we don't practice it.
