TEN STEPS TO RESTORE THE UNITED STATES’ MORAL AUTHORITY

Over the last several years, the moral authority of the United States has beenundermined by the federal government’s unprecedented and illegal assertion of authorityto subject detainees to abusive interrogations, indefinite detention without charge – oftenin secret locations – and rendition to torture. The last Congress and the Supreme Courttook some important steps to right these wrongs (with the passage of the McCainamendment and the Supreme Court’s rulings in the cases of Rasul and Hamdan). Butmuch remains to be done to restore America’s reputation as a champion of human rightsand the rule of law.