Group Of Utah Religious Leaders Endorse Anti-Torture Bill

November 24th, 2005
Associated Press

Salt Lake City (AP)--A group of Utah religious leaders has endorsed a US Senate-passed measure that would ban US use of torture.

A statement signed by the 41 religious leaders, representing a number of christian denominations, the muslim community and pagan clergy, called on congress and the president to rule out any use of torture of war prisoners.

The statement issued by the 41 Utah religious leaders urged their members to press congressional representatives to pass the 2006 defense appropriations bill containing anti-torture provisions.

It cited a similar declaration by the National Council of Churches.

The US Senate has passed a ban on the torture of suspected terrorists in US custody. The Senate's plan would restrict the techniques used to interrogate foreign terrorism suspects and ban "cruel, inhuman and degrading" treatment of anyone in US custody.

The Bush administration has threatened a veto, saying the measure could tie the government's hands in the fight against terrorism. Vice President Dick Cheney has been lobbying congress to exempt the CIA from any torture ban.

The House has yet to take up the issue.

Utah's faith leaders "are concerned about the way in which americans are conducting themselves in waging the war on terror," said the Rev. Dan Webster, spokesman for the Episcopal Diocese. "They believe they are well within their rights as spokespeople for the moral conscience of the country."

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