Fact Check: Obama campaign promise on torture

By: Jay Warren | WSLS 10
Published: February 02, 2012

On the campaign trail, candidate Barack Obama made a bold promise to end torture. Specifically, he vowed to "end the use torture without exception."

PolitiFact notes that this was one of the first things President Obama tackled after taking office. On January 22, 2009, he issued an executive order that said, "Prisoners 'shall in all circumstances be treated humanely and shall not be subjected to violence to life and person (including murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture), nor to outrages upon personal dignity (including humiliating and degrading treatment).'"

The researchers at PolitiFact note that this effectively reversed the "interpretations" on interrogation practices under the Bush Administration.

The Human Rights Watch says those moves brought the "CIA into line with the US Army Field Manual on Interrogation."

Even the American Civil Liberties Union called President Obama's order strong. In a report, they said, "Torture … (is) no longer officially condoned. ... President Obama categorically disavowed torture when he came to office, and closed the secret CIA prisons where so much of the abuse took place."

PolitiFact's rating on this campaign pledge: Promise Kept.