Pres. Ronald Reagan’s Views on Torture

From his signing statement ratifying the UN Convention on Torture from 1984:

“The United States participated actively and effectively in the negotiation of the Convention. It marks a significant step in the development during this century of international measures against torture and other inhuman treatment or punishment. Ratification of the Convention by the United States will clearly express United States opposition to torture, an abhorrent practice unfortunately still prevalent in the world today.

The core provisions of the Convention establish a regime for international cooperation in the criminal prosecution of torturers relying on so-called ‘universal jurisdiction.’ Each State Party is required either to prosecute torturers who are found in its territory or to extradite them to other countries for prosecution.”

Looks like the man each and every Republican Candidate that repeatedly quoted their hero, President Ronald Reagan, all during their campaign for the Presidency in 2008, as well as many other Republicans, has just popped up from his grave and kicked them all right smack in the butt for ignoring the United States rule of law and ‘his’ signature expressing opposition to torture.

UPDATE:

Newt Gingrich against TORTURE too – ONCE APON A TIME

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 30, 1997

SPEAKER’S STATEMENT ON VISIT OF PRESIDENT JIANG
Washington, D.C. — House Speaker Newt Gingrich released the following statement today following his meeting with Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

“As I said in China this spring, there is no place for abuse in what must be considered the family of man. There is no place for torture and arbitrary detention. There is no place for forced confessions. There is no place for intolerance of dissent.” “While we walked through the Rotunda. I explained to President Jiang how the roots of American rule of law go back more than 700 years, to the signing of the Magna Carta. The foundation of American values, therefore, is not a passing priority or a temporary trend.”