Win Without War statement on the Senate confirmation of torture memo author Steven Bradbury to a Department of Transportation post

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Last Updated on November 14, 2017.

Win Without War Director Stephen Miles issued the following statement regarding the recent Senate confirmation of Steven Bradbury to a Department of Transportation post:
The Senate’s confirmation of Steven Bradbury as general counsel at the Department of Transportation represents yet another shameful failure of accountability for George W. Bush’s torture program.
Bradbury was responsible for providing bogus legal cover to many of the torture techniques used on terrorism suspects during the darkest days of the so-called “War on Terror” soon after the 9/11 attacks. Unfortunately, he and the rest of the Bush torture program architects have never been held accountable for their illegal acts. Instead, they’re continually rewarded with high profile jobs that influence and/or carry out U.S. policy. In fact, the only person associated with Bush’s torture program to face jail time was actually a whistleblower trying to expose it.
It’s unfathomable that someone who authorized torture can continue to be involved in legal decisions for any U.S. government agency. What’s perhaps even worse is that Bradbury’s confirmation further legitimizes the whims of an unstable and erratic president who has stated his clear desire to reinstate many components of the Bush-era torture program.
We cannot and we will not let that happen. Bradbury’s reascension to a top government job should outrage every American. And while his confirmation represents a setback in holding the Bush torture program architects to account, we will not relent in our support of efforts to punish those responsible for it, and we will continue to shine a light on Bush’s torture program so that this despicable period in our history is never repeated.

November 14, 2017