A Letter from the Libertarian Party

October 31, 2007
Contact: Andrew Davis
E-mail: andrew.davis@lp.org
Office: 202-333-0008 ext. 225
Mobile: 202-731-0002
FROM THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY:
Libertarian Party: "Torture should not even be a question"

Party calls outlawing torture "common sense"

Quick Quotes:
Shane Cory, Executive Director, Libertarian Party
-"The issue of whether or not the United States should engage in torture should not even be a question for any civilized society."

-"The United States should set the standard for how the world treats captured prisoners. We should not lower ourselves down to the depraved levels of the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11."

-"Instead of asking ourselves if torture should be used, perhaps we should be asking if this is the way we would expect our soldiers to be treated should they be captured. The answer to that question should be the answer to both: no."

Washington, D.C. – The Libertarian Party says that the use of torture "should not even be a question," while commenting on the current debate over the use of "waterboarding," a torture technique that simulates the psychological feeling of drowning. The debate over the use of torture may become the key topic in the confirmation hearing of Attorney General appointee Michael Mukasey. "The issue of whether or not the United States should engage in torture should not even be a question for any civilized society," says Shane Cory, executive director of the Libertarian Party.

"The question of whether or not torture is permissible, regardless of legality, is simple: absolutely not," Cory continued. "In a civilized society that values the sanctity of life, torture should not be permitted in any way, shape, or form. The United States should set the standard for how the world treats captured prisoners. We should not lower ourselves down to the depraved levels of the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11. Torture is disgusting, abhorrent and beyond every moral standard of Western civilization. Why it is even an issue for debate is beyond me."

The Libertarian Party believes the torture of persons in U.S. captivity should be illegal, stating the effectiveness of torture has not been proven, especially compared to alternative means of interrogation that do not involve physical abuse. Given its unproven track record of effectiveness and moral reprehensibility, the Libertarian Party condemns its use by the United States.

"Instead of asking ourselves if torture should be used, perhaps we should be asking if this is the way we would expect our soldiers to be treated should they be captured," Cory concluded. "The answer to that question should be the answer to both: no."
The Libertarian Party is America's third largest political party, founded in 1971 as an alternative to the two main political parties. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party by visiting www.lp.org. The Libertarian Party proudly stands for smaller government, lower taxes and more freedom.