President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton Senator Tom Harkin at the 37th Harkin Steak Fry
President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton Senator Tom Harkin shaking hands with the crowd at the 37th Harkin Steak Fry.
By: Kevin Cavallin
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President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary Clinton & Senator Tom Harkin at the 37th Harkin Steak Fry - Video
New York Hillary RodhamClintonsaid Tuesday she's proud to have been part of an administration that "banned illegal renditions and brutal interrogations" and said the U.S. should never be involved in torture anywhere in the world.
Clintonspoke about the importance of the nation acting in accordance with its values after receiving an award from The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights at a gala in New York.
"Today we can say again in a loud and clear voice that the United States should never condone or practice torture anywhere in the world,"Clintontold the audience. "That should be absolutely clear as a matter of both policy and law, including our international treaty obligations."
The remarks markedClinton'sfirst on the subject since the release of a Senate report last week investigating the CIA's interrogation techniques after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The report has sparked questions about the appropriate use of force in the war against terrorism.
Clintonsaid that recent world events, including the mass murder of children in Pakistan and the siege in Sydney, Australia, "should steel our resolve and underscore that our values are what set us apart from our adversaries."
Clintonsaid Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968, would agree that it's "possible to keep us safe from terrorism and reduce crime and violence without relying on torture abroad or unnecessary force or excessive incarceration at home."
Clinton, a former first lady, New York senator and U.S. Secretary of State, is considering another run for president and is viewed as the likely Democratic nominee if she runs. She was honored at the Kennedy organization's star-studded Ripple of Hope Award ceremony.
Clintonalso addressed the recent protests that have erupted across the country, and drew links between violence at home and abroad.
She declared, "yes, black lives matter," a mantra of demonstrators around the country who have been protesting recent grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers involved in the deaths of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and in New York.
She wondered what Kennedy would say about "the thousands of Americans marching in our streets demanding justice for all," and "the mothers who've lost their sons."
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What did Hillary Clinton say about the torture report?
By Jeremy Diamond, CNN
updated 10:09 AM EST, Wed December 17, 2014
Hillary Clinton accepted a human rights award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights on Tuesday.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Washington (CNN) -- Hillary Clinton on Tuesday weaved together the national outcry over a recent report detailing U.S. torture abroad and the nationwide protests against recent police killings of unarmed black men.
The former secretary of state said the U.S. should reaffirm a ban on torture in "both policy and law" and suggested that Congress pass legislation to make the U.S. opposition to torture absolutely clear after a scathing Senate committee report recounting years of torture of terror suspects at the hands of the CIA.
"Today we can say again, in a loud and clear voice, the United States should never condone or practice torture anywhere in the world, not under any future administration or in any future conflict," said Clinton, who is expected to launch a 2016 presidential bid. "If that requires new legislation, then Congress should work with President Obama to quickly enact it, and it should not be an issue of partisan politics."
Accepting a human rights award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Clinton homed in on the importance of putting American values first when it comes to the criminal justice system and in the fight against terrorism.
"It is possible to keep us safe from terrorism and reduce crime and violence without relying on torture abroad or unnecessary force or excessive incarceration at home," she said. "There's no doubt that at home and abroad, America is at our best when our actions match our values."
Bush era haunts Obama
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Hillary Clinton: Ban torture through U.S. law
Hillary Clinton on Tuesday denounced the use of torture against suspected terrorists, the first time the former secretary of state has spoken out about the issue since the release of a controversial Senate Intelligence Committee report detailing the Central Intelligence Agencys brutal interrogation methods. Clinton, who is considered the likely front-runner for the Democratic presidential ticket in 2016, made the comments during a ceremony in New York, where she accepted the Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award for social change.
Clinton said the use of torture by the U.S. was unacceptable and should have never happened. "That should be absolutely clear as a matter of both policy and law, including our international treaty obligations, and if that requires new legislation, then Congress should work with [U.S. President Barack Obama] to quickly enact it and it shouldn't be an issue of partisan politics," Clinton said.
America is at our best when our actions match our values, she continued. "Yes, the threat of terrorism is real and urgent, scores of children were just murdered in Pakistan, beheadings in the Middle East, a siege in Sydney. These tragedies not only break hearts but should steel our resolve and underscore that our values are what set us apart from our adversaries.
Last weeks report on the use of so-called enhanced interrogation tactics in the CIA confirmed what many in the U.S. and abroad already suspected was taking place. The report revealed, among other things, that the intelligence agency routinely used tactics like waterboarding, sleep deprivation and rectal feeding to try and draw information from suspected terrorists. The Senate concluded that the CIAs techniques did not result in any valuable intelligence leads; however, CIA officials have maintained that their efforts saved American lives.
Clinton has not said yet whether she will run for president, but it is widely believed she will. Recent polling shows Clinton may be the likeliest shot Democrats have of retaining the White House in 2016. Fifty percent of American voters said they could back Clinton if she were to run for president, according to the results of a joint survey from NBC News and the Wall Street Journal. The survey found that 48 percent of voters oppose her. Among Democrats, however, Clintons lead was significant, with 82 percent of Democratic voters saying they could support Clinton if she were to run.
Another poll from Bloomberg Politics showed that voters preferred Clinton over five other potential 2016 candidates. Of the seven likely candidates for 2016, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Vice President Joe Biden, a Democrat, Clinton was the most popular.
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Hillary Clinton Denounces Torture: Likely 2016 Presidential Candidate Slams CIA In First Public Comments Since Senate ...
By Eric Bradner, CNN
updated 7:47 PM EST, Wed December 17, 2014
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lauded President Barack Obama's moves to ease diplomatic strains with Cuba on Wednesday.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Washington (CNN) -- Hillary Clinton backed President Barack Obama's historic easing of decades-old sanctions against Cuba on Wednesday and said she is "deeply relieved" by the release of U.S. contractor Alan Gross.
Clinton, who was secretary of state when Gross was arrested in 2009, backed Obama in a statement Wednesday night that was in stark contrast with her Republican counterparts in the field of potential 2016 presidential contenders.
READ: Cuba releases American Alan Gross
"I support President Obama's decision to change course on Cuba policy, while keeping the focus on our principal objective -- supporting the aspirations of the Cuban people for freedom," Clinton said in a statement.
She called Gross's release "great news," and noted that as secretary of state, she pushed for his release, stayed in contact with Gross's family and "called for a new direction in Cuba."
"Despite good intentions, our decades-long policy of isolation has only strengthened the Castro regime's grip on power," Clinton said.
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Clinton backs Obama's Cuba moves