WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement regarding reports that President Trump plans to sign an executive order directing a review of interrogation policies and reopening “black site” prisons abroad:

“Whether this is an official White House document or not, all Americans should be alarmed that, with one stroke of the pen, the Trump Administration could undermine America’s moral authority by trying to bring back ineffective and un-American detention and interrogation policies. 

“Torture is illegal, immoral, and ineffective.  It stands in stark contrast to our Constitution and values.  The President doesn’t have the authority to order torture.  Period. 

“Military leaders and national security experts tell us that torture doesn’t lead to reliable, actionable intelligence – it leads to false confessions that can be used for propaganda purposes.  Today, America’s enemies are using our past reliance on waterboarding and coercive techniques for similar propaganda purposes.  A return to these techniques would only fuel ISIL and al Qaeda propaganda machines and could be a boon to their recruiting efforts. 

“Reopening so-called black sites that operate outside the law does not make us safer.   President Obama ordered these facilities shuttered in 2009 because they were undermining the intelligence-gathering value of interrogations and damaged our global standing.

“We must adhere to our highest ideals and ensure the safety of the American people.  The reported draft executive order on detentions and interrogations would be irresponsible, undermine our national security, put our troops at greater risk, and is likely to further alienate our allies and partners.  It would drag us back to a dark chapter that does not reflect our values or the progress we have made in the fight against terrorism.

“I’m pleased there’s been swift and bipartisan condemnation to reports that President Trump was considering an executive order to try and revive failed detention and interrogation practices.  These types of tactics were repudiated by our military leaders and many others when discovered, and any change to the law can only come through an act of Congress.  I will remain steadfast in my opposition to any such change.”