A while ago I asked Council Member Michael McMahon about his views on the war in Iraq [1] and detainee policies. I received partial answers Friday night. and reproduce them below. It's a lawyerly reply with -- from my point of view -- good and bad news. It's most revealing, in my opinion, for what it doesn't say. Refer to my original questions, which I have reproduced below, to see what's not said. I will write about Mr. McMahon's reply further, later.
Statement by Michael E. McMahon in response to Daily Gotham Questions
I am opposed to the Iraq War and the time to start bringing home our fighting men and woman is now. That being said, we cannot allow politics to do anything that will threaten the lives and safety of our troops.
There were many in Congress who supported the war based on misinformation and the miscalculations of the Bush Administration. As documented in the recently released Senate report, the danger posed by weapons of mass destruction was exaggerated. It was these dangers that lead many, including the New York Times editorial board, to endorse military action.
But now that we are there we need a plan to get our forces home. I support the agenda that Senator Clinton has outlined;
* Phased redeployment
* Focus on stability with the assistance of the United Nations
* Intensive Regional DiplomacyWith regard to various city council resolutions on the War, I do not believe that the City Council, which has some very difficult issues to face, is best prepared to spend its time working on these issues. In my time in the Council, I have worked very hard on issues that affect the working men and women of my district and the City. As chair of the Sanitation Committee we have done some really good things on the environment, keeping the Landfill closed, and managing our solid waste.
Since I joined the Council in 2002, more then 50 Resolutions have been introduced that address or touch on the War in Iraq . I understand and appreciate the sincerity of those who have introduced the resolutions, but I voted to disapprove the Council resolution on the issue of weapons of mass destruction. I had some substantive questions but more importantly, I had serious questions about the process. In 2002 when the resolution was debated - to name just a few issues - we had a record budget deficit, we were recovering economically from the attack on September 11, and our public schools were in crisis. I believed and still do, that the City Council time would be better spent on those issues.
With regard to the questions raised on legal rights for detainee, I believe that the United States needs to abide by the rules regarding treatment of prisoners of war as outlined in the Geneva Convention. Tortures such as “water boarding” are unacceptable and whatever rationale exists for short term needs, will harm our nation’s credibility and long term interests across the globe. We must respect and adhere to international standards on due process.
Thank you for your consideration.
The Questions, fyi, were:
Iraq
1) Does he favor or oppose the war in Iraq?
2) Does he favor or oppose permanent US bases in Iraq, long-term (5+ years) stationing of troops in Iraq?
3) Were he in Congress, would he favor or oppose further funding for the war in Iraq?
4) Did he favor or oppose NYC Council resolutions opposing the war in Iraq?
Torture, Detention , rights of Detainees
1) Does he agree with the position of the Bush Administration with regard to harsh interrogation procedure? Is Waterboarding, as an example, in his view, a lawful practice?
2) Does he support or oppose the extraordinary rendition process by which the US has seized foreign national abroad, flown them to detention facilities in third countries, and subjected them to (or allowed others to subject them to) "harsh interrogation procedures?"
3) Does he support or oppose the current use of military tribunals to try detainees in Guantanamo?
4) Does he support or oppose the use of habeas corpus to effect judicial review
of the lawfulness of the detention of those held at Guantanamo?
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