    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [June 26, 2004]
    [Pages 1141-1142]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of
    Torture
    June 26, 2004

        Today, on United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of
    Torture, the United States reaffirms its commitment to the worldwide
    elimination of torture. The nonnegotiable demands of human dignity must
    be protected without reference to race, gender, creed, or nationality.
    Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right, and we are committed
    to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by
    the rule of law.
        To help fulfill this commitment, the United States has joined 135
    other nations in ratifying the Convention Against Torture and Other
    Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. America stands
    against and will not tolerate torture. We will investigate and prosecute
    all acts of torture and undertake to prevent other cruel and unusual
    punishment in all territory under our jurisdiction. American personnel
    are required to comply with all U.S. laws, including the United States
    Constitution, Federal statutes, including statutes prohibiting torture,
    and our treaty obligations with respect to the treatment of all
    detainees.
        The United States also remains steadfastly committed to upholding
    the Geneva Conventions, which have been the bedrock of protection in
    armed conflict for more than 50 years. These conventions provide
    important protections designed to reduce human suffering in armed
    conflict. We expect other nations to treat our service members and
    civilians in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Our Armed Forces
    are committed to complying with them and to holding accountable those in
    our military who do not.
        The American people were horrified by the abuse of detainees at Abu
    Ghraib prison in Iraq. These acts were wrong. They were inconsistent
    with our policies and our values as a Nation. I have directed a full
    accounting for the abuse of the Abu Ghraib detainees, and investigations
    are underway to review detention operations in Iraq and elsewhere.
        It is often American men and women in uniform who fight for the
    freedom of others from tyrannical regimes that routinely use torture to
    oppress their citizens. From Nazi Germany to Bosnia and Afghanistan to
    Iraq, American service members have fought to remove brutal leaders who
    torture and massacre. It is the American people and their contributions
    that have helped to rebuild these traumatized nations to give former
    victims hope.
        A little over a year ago, American service members and our coalition
    partners freed the Iraqi people from a dictatorship that routinely
    tortured and executed innocent citizens because of what they believed in
    or what ethnic or religious group they came from. In torture chambers,
    innocent Iraqis were brutalized and the bodies of the dead

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    left in mass graves. Throughout the past year, Americans have assisted
    the Iraqi people in establishing institutions to ensure accountability
    so that such acts do not occur again and to help victims recover.
        Despite international efforts to protect human rights around the
    world, repressive regimes continue to victimize people through torture.
    The victims often feel forgotten, but we will not forget them. America
    supports accountability and treatment centers for torture victims. We
    contribute to the U.N. Fund for the Victims of Torture and support the
    work of nongovernmental organizations to end torture and assist the
    victims. We also provide protection, counseling, and where necessary and
    possible, relocation in the United States. We stand with the victims to
    seek their healing and recovery and urge all nations to join us in these
    efforts to restore the dignity of every person affected by torture.
        These times of increasing terror challenge the world. Terror
    organizations challenge our comfort and our principles. The United
    States will continue to take seriously the need to question terrorists
    who have information that can save lives. But we will not compromise the
    rule of law or the values and principles that make us strong. Torture is
    wrong no matter where it occurs, and the United States will continue to
    lead the fight to eliminate it everywhere.