Denounce Torture

Today President Bush will give his State of the Union address. So far, we've collected more than 30,000 signatures asking the President to tell the truth about torture. But there is more to be done and you can help.

Sign the petition and join us in the campaign against torture at home and abroad.

Make one phone call to the White House - (202) 456-1111 - demanding the truth about torture.

Tonight's the President's State of the Union Address -- will Bush be candid about torture, abuse and ill-treatment in the U.S.-led "war on terror"?  Let us know what you think!

Via The Bahama Journal:

We start with torture and the extent to which it has been used by the United States of America as a tool in the struggle against those who would use the same tools against the United States of America itself. We say that the United States of America undermines itself and betrays its own high deals when it stoops to such low tactics.

See "When America Condones Torture."

From Ireland Online:

US President George Bush said today that a recently passed US law barring torture doesn’t contain loopholes that would allow abuses. No American will be allowed to torture another human being anywhere in the world, Bush said at a White House news conference.

See "Bush: Americans barred from torture 'anywhere in the world'."

Today’s release of the Council of Europe’s interim report on extraordinary renditions and secret detention centers in Europe is a step toward uncovering the truth about the extent to which U.S. agents are carrying out renditions and related practices in Europe. However the report makes clear a number of European governments still need to answer serious questions.

See "Amnesty International's Reaction to the Council of Europe's Report on Renditions and Black Sites."

Richard Bernstein of the International Herald Tribune calls on Europe's leaders to engage United States in a conversation about "what needs to be done" about outsourcing torture:

Europeans should take up that challenge. Perhaps the United States is erasing the moral distinction between itself and the enemy, and ruining its global reputation in the process. As a citizen, I fear that may well be the case. But mere high-mindedness, without a due regard for the nature of the threat and the legitimate American preoccupation with it, is not going to change anybody's behavior.

Read more at "Europa: In the torture debate, a need for pragmatism."

This information was taken from the WAMU website:

Join WAMU 88.5 FM, America Abroad Media and New York University's Center on Law and Security on January 30, 2006 for a live town hall discussion on "Torture And The Laws Of War In The Fight Against Terrorism" at 6:30 pm at the Ronald Reagan Building. This panel discussion is open to the public and will be taped for later broadcast on Wednesday, February 8th at 8pm on WAMU 88.5 FM.

See "Torture And The Laws Of War In The Fight Against Terrorism."

Amnesty activists rallied this morning in front of Amnesty's DC office before the departure of the "Tell the truth about torture, Mr. President" mobile billboard truck (in the background), which will tour around Washington, D.C. as part of the organization's Denounce Torture Initiative. 

Join the campaign: "Tell the Truth about Torture, Mr. President"

A quote from Swiss Senator Dick Marty via the Financial Times:

Individuals have been abducted, deprived of their liberty and all rights, and transported to different destinations in Europe, to be handed over to countries in which they have suffered degrading treatment and torture [...] If governments resort to gangster-style methods, I say no.

See "US employs ‘gangster’ methods, says report on CIA."

Via the Los Angeles Times:

An Army interrogator convicted of killing an Iraqi general by stuffing him face-first into a sleeping bag can remain in the military and does not have to go to jail, a court-martial jury ruled Monday night. The sentence was a stunning reprieve for Chief Warrant Officer Lewis E. Welshofer Jr., 43, who a few days ago faced possible life in prison and the dubious distinction of being the highest-ranking soldier tried on charges of murdering an Iraqi detainee.

Read more at "No Jail Time in Death of Iraqi General."

Australian military expert, Aldo Borgu, raises doubts about recent claims that the United States outsourced torture to Europe:

How do you prove something like this? There's so many conspiracy theories about what's been happening since 9/11 that it's always a difficult thing to prove one way or another. But there is no doubt that the whole question of renditions, the secret prisons, the flights, Guantanamo Bay, isn't good for the US's reputation.

Read more at "US reject secret prison allegations."

This article from CNN goes more in-depth on the details of the latest allegation of outsourcing torture:

The head of a European investigation into alleged CIA secret prisons in Europe said Tuesday that evidence pointed to the existence of a system of "outsourcing" of torture by the United States, and said it was highly likely that European governments knew of it.

See more at "Report: U.S. was 'outsourcing' torture."

The following is an article from Reuters:

A Swiss investigator said on Tuesday there was evidence of "outsourcing of torture" by the United States but he had not uncovered any irrefutable evidence that the CIA operated secret prisons in Europe. Dick Marty, a Swiss senator investigating the charges for the Council of Europe human rights watchdog, said it was "highly unlikely" that European governments were unaware of the abduction and transfer of prisoners.

See "US outsourced torture: probe."

Amnesty International will launch its "Tell the Truth about Torture, Mr. President" mobile billboard on Wednesday, January 25, at 10:30 a.m. in front of its offices at 600 Pennsylvania Ave, SE, in Washington. This launch is part of Amnesty International's campaign -- building up to the State of the Union address on January 31 -- to urge the president to be honest about the U.S. government's use of torture in the "war on terror."

Read more.

From the New York Times:

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 - A senior Army interrogator was convicted late Saturday of negligent homicide in the death of an Iraqi general after he shoved the general head-first into a sleeping bag, sat on his chest and put his hands over his mouth.

See "Army Interrogator Convicted in Death of Iraqi General."

This comes from a Newsday article published yesterday:

We're not talking about marginal definitions of torture. The U.S. knew this was happening and encouraged it by being prepared to accept and give credence to the results of it.

See "Ex-Abu Ghraib general among anti-war speakers."

Craig Murray, the United Kingdom's former ambassador to Uzbekistan criticized the Bush administration's torture policy yesterday at Manhattan's Riverside Church, saying:

 I would rather die than to have [innocent people] tortured to save my life.

See "Speaking out against torture."

The following is an article from Reuters:

WASHINGTON -- A group of retired military officers urged President Bush on Thursday to spell out how he would enforce a ban on the torture of U.S.-held prisoners, complaining that he muddied the issue in a statement last month.

See "Bush Urged to Specify U.S. Policy on Torture."

From the BBC:

The government is unaware of any cases of the US moving terror suspects through the UK that it has not already told MPs about, Jack Straw has said.

See "Straw denies 'torture' cover-up."

Numerous allegations of torture committed by agents of the United States government have been reported since President Bush declared the "war on terror" in 2001. It's time for the torture to end. Ask the President to tell the truth about our country’s acts of torture at home and abroad when he gives his address this month.

Join this campaign!

The following is an excerpt from Human Rights Watch Executive Director Kenneth Roth's audio commentary on the introduction to HRW's 2006 World Report:

One of the particularly sad developments over the last year had to do with the United States government, which traditionally has been one of the most important supporters of human rights.  What became clear is that torture and inhumane treatment in fact are the deliberate policy choices of the most senior members of the Bush administration. 

Listen to Kenneth Roth's introduction.  

You can get updates from Human Rights First on the trial of Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Wleshofer at Fort Carson, Colorado.  Wleshofer was charged with the murder of Iraqi Major General Abed Hamed Mowhoush, who died after being forced inside a sleeping bab during interrogation.

From the Telegraph:

An Egyptian government fax intercepted by Swiss intelligence offers the first "real evidence" that the US interrogated suspected terrorists at secret prisons in Eastern Europe, European politicians said yesterday.

See "Leaked fax 'shows Romania helped CIA interrogators'."

From the Village Voice:

Probably the most notable utterance by Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito yesterday was his waffling over John McCain's torture amendment recently passed by Congress after a lengthy knock down drag out between the Arizona senator and Vice President Dick Cheney and President George Bush behind the scenes. Cheney especially wants to preserve the right of the CIA to torture when it finds it appropriate.

See "Alito Vague on Torture Ban."

On the 4th anniversary of the first transfers of detainees to Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, Amnesty International made public new testimonies of the use of torture and ill-treatment against prisoners in the US detention centre and further details on the cases of other detainees.

See "Guantánamo: 4 years too many - New torture testimonies."

According to SCOTUSblog, Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) reportedly said at today's hearings on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito that Bush's "signing statement" undermines a new anti-torture law that was intended to reaffirm the absolute prohibition on cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment. 

Also, Newsday wrote an editorial yesterday condemning the "signing agreement" as an attempt for Bush to:

[...]leave himself wiggle room to ignore the anti-torture language when he sees fit.

See "Bush's 'signing' bonus: He issues himself an out on torture."

From TalkLeft:

The new Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, will be making her first official U.S. visit later this week. She is scheduled to meet with President Bush on Friday, during which she will ask that Guantanamo be closed down.

"An institution like Guantanamo can and should not exist in the longer term," Merkel said in an interview with Spiegel. "Different ways and means must be found for dealing with these prisoners."

Der Spiegel will publish the entire interview with Chancellor Merkel tomorrow, in English. You will find it here. The German Blog, Atlantic Review, and its commenters, will be discussing the interview, and are hoping for participation by American bloggers.

Amnesty International USA today expressed great concern over the President’s official “signing statement” providing his interpretation of law in the Department of Defense appropriations bill which was intended to reaffirm the absolute prohibition on cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.  The amendment was adopted overwhelmingly by the House and Senate to close all legal loopholes that might have allowed the U.S. government to engage in interrogation tactics that, individually or in combination, amount to torture and inhumane treatment.  We are deeply disappointed that in the “signing statement,” the President chose to undermine long-standing U.S. policies against torture by asserting what amounts to a waiver on the prohibition on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

The use of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment are firmly unlawful under U.S. federal statutes and international law.  Amnesty International USA calls on President Bush to publicly withdraw his signing statement and reaffirm the United States’ opposition to acts that amount to torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.  Further, Amnesty International USA calls on President Bush to support the establishment of a fully independent and impartial commission to investigate all allegations of torture and inhumane treatment by agents of the U.S. government around the world and prevent such acts from recurring in the future.

From The Boston Globe:

When President Bush last week signed the bill outlawing the torture of detainees, he quietly reserved the right to bypass the law under his powers as commander in chief.

See "Bush could bypass new torture ban."

Over the past year, we have made important strides in our collective work to stop torture and ill-treatment in the "war on terror."  Recommit yourself to help stop torture in 2006 by making your new year's resolution to take action against these abuses. 

Pop culture's depiction of torture as a solution to crises and a natural aspect of police and military life reframes an ugly reality in clean, comic-book terms. Sen. John McCain, (R.-Ariz.), who as a POW in Vietnam experienced what most of his political opponents have only seen in movies, is on record saying that the ticking time-bomb scenario almost never happens in real life, and that when it does, torture doesn't work, because prisoners will say anything to make the pain stop.

See "Torture works — on TV."