After months of resisting such a step, Bush yesterday said he now supports the torture ban proposed by Senator John McCain, who like Bush is a member of the Republican Party.
Bush said the ban and new standards for interrogations of suspects will make it clear to the world that the U.S. government does not engage in torture and adheres to international obligations.
Senator McCain, who was tortured as a prisoner during the Vietnam War, said the United States is sending a message that America is not like terrorists: "We've sent a message to the world that the United States is not like the terrorists. We have no brief for them, but what we are is a nation that upholds values and standards of behavior and treatment of all people, no matter how evil or bad they are."
Both chambers of the U.S. Congress are expected to approve the ban in legislation due to be passed before the end of the year.
(Reuters/AP)