President Obama Signs Executive Order Against Torture

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Read the complete text of the Executive Order

Read a press release from RHR-NA

One of the guiding principles of Rabbis for Human Rights-North America and K'vod Habriot: A Jewish Human Rights Network is "Do what is just and right (la'asot tzedek u'mishpat): For a nation to have legitimacy, it must enforce a system of law that is fair, equitable, and just." Since 2005, we have fought for the United States to uphold the moral values at the core of our nation by ending the torture of detainees held in America custody. We have demanded that our country honor the image of God found in every person by ending harsh interrogation techniques and the practice of extraordinary rendition.

And today, we can announce some success. This morning, President Obama issued an Executive Order that will bring an end to this terrible chapter in our history. This order bans torture by requiring that the Army field manual be used as the guide for terror interrogations. The order essentially ends the Bush administration's CIA program of enhanced interrogation methods, though it falls short of declaring these methods to be torture. Orders issued today also end the CIA's ability to keep terrorism suspects in indefinite secret custody, by closing CIA secret prisons and prohibiting the CIA from operating detention facilities in the future.

Details of the Executive Order

Today's Executive Order revokes Executive Order 13440 that interpreted Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions to allow a broad variety of harsh techniques. It requires that all interrogations of detainees in armed conflict, by any government agency, follow the Army Field Manual interrogation guidelines. The Order also prohibits reliance on any Department of Justice or other legal advice concerning interrogation that was issued between September 11, 2001 and January 20, 2009. The Order requires all departments and agencies to provide the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to detainees in a manner consistent with Department of Defense regulations and practice.

President Obama's order also creates a Special Task Force to both conduct a review of the Army Field Manual interrogation guidelines to determine whether different or additional guidance is necessary for the CIA, and to at the practice of rendition. This Task Force will ensure that American policies and practices comply with all obligations and are sufficient to ensure that individuals do not face torture and cruel treatment if transferred. We are encouraged by the fact that this Task Force will be led by the new Attorney General, Eric Holder, who has been so forceful in his rejection of waterboarding and other torture techniques. This Task Force will be led by the Attorney General with the Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence as co-Vice Chairs.

As he issued the Executive Order, President Obama cited the need for the United States to comply with all international treaties, including the Geneva Conventions, and that the United States can abide by a rule that says that we do not torture and still get effective intelligence. He called for American adherence to "core standards of conduct, not just when it was easy but also when it was hard." He was surrounded by a group of retired military flag officers, who had urged him to uphold our constitutional ideals as a nation and protect American troops by ending the practice of torture.

In a conference call with the Transition Team on January 16th, Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster reminded the new Administration that President Obama, who had spoken about tikkun olam during the campaign, had the ability to repair the world immediately upon taking office by ending U.S.-sponsored torture. And today he has taken that step: he has helped to bring healing to our world. No longer will the United States' moral standing be compromised by the degrading, ineffective techniques that we have employed out of a place of fear.

But there is still more work to be done. We call on President Obama to publically affirm that any and all interrogation techniques used by the United States, from this day forward, comply with a "golden rule" standard. We must pledge to never use techniques on our enemies that we would not consider moral or legal if used upon a captured American. It is also essential that any additional techniques determined by the Special Task Force are humane, effective, and available for public scrutiny. Anything less--for any branch of government, including the CIA--risks a return to the secret abuses of the past.  Those responsible for the abuses of the past must also be investigated and held accountable.

We ask you to call the White House today at 202-456-1111. Thank the President for his efforts to end U.S.-sponsored torture and for today's Executive Orders. Ask him to publically commit to a Golden Rule standard for American detention and interrogation policy: that we will not use techniques on any detainee that we would not consider legal or moral if used on our own troops and citizens. Please also ask for accountability at the highest levels for previous abuses.

Did you call the White House? Let us know!

It is wonderful to be able to share today's news with you. Thank you so much for the sacred work you have done to honor the image of God found in every person and bring about an end to U.S.-sponsored torture. We look forward to continuing to work together, along with our new President, to heal our world.

Kol tuv,

Rabbi Brian Walt,
Executive Director

Rabbi Gerry Serotta,
Chair

Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster,
Director of Education and Outreach