Today, Senator Chris Dodd received the endorsement of Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift, attorney in the historic Hamdan v. Rumsfeld case before the Supreme Court. That case found the military commission established by President Bush was illegal because it was not authorized by Congress and violated both US military law and the Geneva Conventions. Swift and Dodd spoke yesterday before the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council on the importance of the rule of law to our national security.
"I'm proud to endorse Senator Dodd because before it was popular, Senator Dodd fought for the rule of law. He understands that the honor of our military is at stake, that this is the right foreign policy that will win, and that in the end, our military is about our values. Our foreign policy must be about our values, or we have nothing."
Said Dodd, "I'm grateful to receive the endorsement of Lt. Cmdr. Swift - a true patriot who helped prove that the President cannot overturn the rule of law and establish his own system of justice. At a time when American men and women in uniform are making unbelievable sacrifices, Americans understand that our nation's moral authority isn't incidental to our security - but rather its very foundation. Having Lt. Cmdr. Swift's support is another step toward restoring the Constitution this President has trampled on."
Lt. Commander Swift is a retired JAG attorney. He was the military attorney for Salim Ahmed Hamdan and petitioned his writ of habeas corpus all the way to the Supreme Court, challenging the military commission established to try Hamdan. The Supreme Court found that the military commission was illegal and violated both the Geneva Conventions and U.S. military law. The case, Hamdan v Rumsfeld, was a landmark in the effort to ensure that the Bush administration follow the law, even when handling terrorism suspects.
