Letter to The President
March 1, 2005
President Bush
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
There are now dozens of well-documented allegations of torture, abuse, and otherwise questionable detention practices that appear to have been imposed upon individuals held in U.S. custody at detention facilities from Iraq to Afghanistan to Guantanamo Bay.
Understanding what has gone wrong and what can be done to avoid systemic failure in the future is essential not only to ensure that those who may be responsible are held accountable for any wrongdoing, but also to ensure that the effectiveness of the U.S. military and intelligence operations is not compromised by an atmosphere of permissiveness, ambiguity, or confusion.
While I welcome the investigations now underway into instances of abuse in U.S. detention and interrogation practices, none of them is sufficiently comprehensive or independent to effectively identify and recommend how to address any underlying causes of such widespread abuse.
I urge you to commit — immediately and publicly — to support the creation of an independent commission to investigate and report on the detention and interrogation practices of U.S. military and intelligence agencies deployed in the global “war on terror.” The commission should be modeled on successful efforts — such as the just-concluded 9/11 Commission.
As a former Marine with respect for the Geneva Conventions and the safety of our own men and women, I urge you to commit to such an inquiry today.
Sincerely,
James Landrith