A victory towards stopping torture (hopefully)

From an Amnesty International activist update:
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Last night we had an important victory in our work to stop torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment in the context of the U.S.-led "war on terror". By an overwhelming vote of 90-9, the Senate passed an amendment offered by Senator John McCain to the Department of Defense appropriations bill to establish uniform guidelines for treatment of detainees and affirm the prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

[...]

While this is a victory for which we should all be proud, there is still significant work to be done. The House and Senate have different versions of the Defense appropriations bill, requiring the legislation to go to a "conference committee" that will reconcile the two versions and agree on a final text. It is crucial that the Senators and Representatives who are assigned to the conference committee retain the McCain amendment as is. There is a danger that the amendment could be revised to be harmful and contrary to the treaty against torture. We will need to keep the pressure on to ensure that the "conferees" retain the McCain amendment as is for the final version of the bill, and that the President signs it into law.

Amnesty also believes it is important for us to redouble our efforts in urging Congress to establish a fully independent commission to investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment by agents of the U.S. government and end the practice of extraordinary rendition or "outsourcing of torture." Such a commission would help ensure that abuses do not happen again in the future.
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