tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833518530559679192.post6924286762554253515..comments2023-09-29T08:07:48.323-07:00Comments on oneheartforpeace: The Audacity of Hope and Updates on GTMO/Chinese detainees & more...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833518530559679192.post-4128439716617335462009-01-26T18:50:00.000-08:002009-01-26T18:50:00.000-08:00Lewis Peake cartoons:http://freedetainees.org/230h...Lewis Peake cartoons:<BR/>http://freedetainees.org/230http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2008/03/200852518375598628.html http://freedetainees.org/263 http://irishantiwar.org/node/167CNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877484524704475807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833518530559679192.post-78174864801787033802009-01-26T14:48:00.000-08:002009-01-26T14:48:00.000-08:00ACTION ITEMDear Friends,Thursday I sent an email o...ACTION ITEM<BR/><BR/>Dear Friends,<BR/>Thursday I sent an email out about H.R. 591, the Interrogation and Detention Reform Act introduced last week by Representative David Price (D-NC), chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. Sen. Dianne Feinstein has now introduced corresponding legislation in the Senate that we can urge our Senators to support. While we recognize that both could be improved by some amendments -- and please see points 4 and 5 at the end of this email about that -- it's important to express and generate support for these measures at this initial stage. <BR/><BR/>On January 22, President Barack Obama issued executive orders outlawing torture, instructing the CIA to close its secret prisons, and beginning the closure of the prison at Guantánamo Bay. These actions are a huge step forward for the United States, and we applaud the president's decisive action to recast this country's image around the world.Congress should support the president's action by passing legislation to affirm U.S. compliance with international laws against torture and to restore enduring legal standards. Urge your senators to cosponsor the Lawful Interrogation and Detention Act (S. 147), which would support the closure of the Guantánamo Bay prison, end secret detentions, prohibit interrogations of detainees by government contractors, and require greater cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Ask Senator Burr and Senator Hagan to cosponsor S.147, the Lawful Interrogation and Detention Act of 2009, introduced by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (CA):<BR/><BR/><BR/>"This legislation would outlaw the CIA's coercive interrogation program, would require the government to close the prison at Guantánamo, end CIA secret detentions, prohibit interrogations of detainees by government contractors, and require greater cooperation with the International Committee of the Red Cross. I was pleased to learn that President Barack Obama has issued executive orders addressing many of these concerns. This legislation is still necessary, however, to write into law our intention as a nation not to engage in torture - now or in the future. Please let me know if you will cosponsor and support this bill."<BR/><BR/><BR/>Additional points you may want to cite in communicating with our Senators and your Congressional Representative:<BR/><BR/><BR/>First, and most important, it’s the right thing to do. All human beings deserve certain basic rights, including the right not to be tortured. Our government has not shown itself capable of adequately defending those rights these measures are necessary to become law and to open our handling of prisoners to the International Red Cross.<BR/><BR/>Second, the "Golden Rule" applies. We cannot campaign for and demand humane treatment of our captured American troops if we do not ensure that our own treatment of prisoners in custody of our military or federal agencies is compliant with international law and standards. And we place our own troops at greater risk by failing to do that. Whatever we do to our enemy combatants, we implicitly endorse being done to our troops.<BR/><BR/>Third, this will prevent abuse and allegations of abuse that would undermine U.S. credibility and leadership for democracy and human rights around the world. That credibility and leadership has been seriously impaired in recent years by lies, equivocation, secrets and spurious justifications of our government. President Obama has taken a first step toward restoring that credibility, and needs legislative support to succeed in that.<BR/><BR/>Fourth, legislation needs to be added to what is has been submitted to prohibit rendition of U.S. detainees to the custody of other governments without due legal process.<BR/><BR/>Fifth, Congress and the Department of Justice should conduct investigations of the authorization of torture by U.S. government and military officials, and prosecute violations of U.S. and international law. Along with new legislation, investigation and prosecution of past offenses is essential to preventing future abuses and violations of human rights by our government.<BR/><BR/>Peace and blessings,<BR/><BR/>Spencer Bradford<BR/>Program Associate for Peace<BR/>NC Council of Churches<BR/>http://www.nccouncilofchurches.orgCNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877484524704475807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8833518530559679192.post-57934895541363317292009-01-26T14:45:00.000-08:002009-01-26T14:45:00.000-08:00Praises for Obama/Cautions Against Escape Hatch fo...Praises for Obama/Cautions Against Escape Hatch for Torture<BR/><BR/>Find at Center for Constitutional Rights -- where there are lawyers working hard to free many of the detainees at GTMO, most who are innocent of any charge...<BR/><BR/>NOTE that at least 5 military prosecutors have resigned due to the laughable pretense at following US law!<BR/><BR/>CCRJUSTICE dot Org<BR/><BR/>http://ccrjustice.org/newsroom/press-releases/ccr-praises-obama-orders%2C-cautions-against-escape-hatch-tortureCNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10877484524704475807noreply@blogger.com