Denounce Torture

According to the an article in the International Herald Tribune yesterday, the U.N.'s chief anti-torture investigator asserted that armies from countries that are suspected having tortured or abused people, should not be able to contribute peacekeepers.  The article made no specific mention of western countries who engage in torture or abuse being excluded, but he highlighted countries such as Morocco, and Nepal.  The UN chief's statements were inconclusive in so far as he did not indicate whether only those who have been accused of torture from a specific country should be excluded from being peacekeepers or if the entire countries' army should be excluded from being peacekeepers.  To read the whole story, visit the following link:

UN investigator: Troops from armies that abuse, torture should not be peacekeepers

The Geneva Conventions have long been in place to ensure a certain level of treatment for those involved in conflict.  Despite these conventions, many countries such as the U.S. in recent times, have continuously defied the essence of these conventions.  This defiance has lead to prisoner abuse in the form of torture.  While Bush signed an executive order last week which stated that the CIA interrogation program was in compliance with Article 3, the intention behind this executive order seems less about preventing grievous acts such as torture and more about justifying their use.  While countries can interpret the conventions as they see fit, these interpretations should be solely based on a sincere and concerted effort to maintain the essence of the conventions.  To read more about this story, visit the following site"

War Crimes and the White House: The Dishonor in a Tortured New 'Interpretation of the Geneva Conventions

Last Friday, President Bush signed an executive order allowing previously suspended CIA interrogation methods to continue.  In this order, Bush asserted that the CIA program will adhere to the standards set forth in the Geneva Conventions.  Despite his signature, criticisms of this initiative include the fact that the order does not comment on the range of interrogation methods; in essence failing to define those methods that would be prohibited.  Furthermore, to date, the CIA interrogation document is a classfied file, therefore it is difficult to challenge the order's adherence or violation to international law as a result of its inaccessibility.  For the complete story, visit the following site:

Bush Approves New CIA Methods:  Interrogations Of Detainees To Resume 

The United States, has assumed a position in the international sphere as a leader in human rights.  However, the War on Terror, has put many of these assumptions into question.  Further, the United States, a country who many of us would never have imagined would deny prisoners the right to come before a court of law (as outlined in the MCA), has not only done so, but has put measures into writing, ensuring that this not just be an abstract practice, but one that is sanctioned and condoned by the government.  Despite the fact that the MCA is technically targeted for those designated by the government as "enemy combatants," it is still the government would operate with such a policy that allows fear to precede due process.  Not only is the issue of due process a serious issue of concern, but so to is the United States' involvement in torture practices.  The United States has longed proclaimed to be a leader in human rights.  But in order for this status resume its credibility, the United States must directly confront these issues and address them carefully.  The discussion of these issues can be found in an article posted on alternet titled, "Justice at Stake: Ensuring That Prisoners in the U.S. Are Never 'Disappeared.'" For the complete story visit the following link:

As the days and years go by, we are only occasionally reminded that hundreds of prisoners are being held in the United States' notorious Guantanamo Bay prison.  Their allegations to terrorist links continue to be asserted, despite the fact that these assertions are often difficult to substantiate.  Sami Al-Haj, prisoner 345 in Guantanamo Bay, is one such prisoner.  Al-Haj was working for Al-Jazeera prior to the his detainment in Guantanamo Bay in 2002.  After Al-Haj obtained a position with Al-Jazeera in April 2000, he demonstrated his ambition and willingness to undertake challenging assignments such as the one he received shortly after September 11 in Pakistan, near the Afghani border.  Al-Haj's fate soon changed and instead of being able to continue his career as a journalist, he went from prisons in kabul to Baghram to Guantanamo Bay.  To read the detailed story surrounding Al-Haj's background, and current status, refer to the following post on Alternet:

Sami Al-Hajj:  Guantanamo Bay Prisoner 345

Hey there all you Hip Hop fans and Torture denouncers!  I have exciting news for you! 

The Hip Hop Hoodios, a Latino-Jewish urban collective is releasing a new EP entitled "Viva la Guantanamera" on August 7th.  18% of all profits will be donated to Amnesty International and will go towards our efforts to close the prisons at Guantanamo Bay and to encourage the full restoration of Habeas Corpus!  The main song on the EP is called "Viva la Guantanamera" and features the Hip Hop Hoodios, Wildog, Frank London and Lorin Sklamberg of The Klezmatics, Kemo the Blaxican of Latin hip hop pioneers Delinquent Habits, and instrumentalists Walter Miranda from the Beastie Boys and Plastilina Mosh and Chris Washburne from The Syotos Band and Tito Puente!  Other songs include tracks from the Hip Hop Hoodios earlier albums. 

If you choose to buy the EP on iTunes you will get an exclusive bonus track which is an awesome live performance of "Ocho Kandelikas" that the Hip Hop Hoodios recorded on LATV.  If you get it on eMusic you'll get another exclusive track called "Tu Margarita" that is an anthem regarded as the greatest reggaeton song of ALL TIME (and it was recorded in only one hour!)

You can listen to "Viva la Guantanamera" here now. Click here to listen.

US Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT ) © BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Last fall, when Congress passed the Military Commissions Act, it included a section that prohibited any non-citizen in U.S. custody that the President designated an "enemy combatant" from going to court and exercising the most basic human right - the right to go before a court and ask the government to show that they have a basis for their detention. This prohibition on filing a writ of habeas corpus has meant that people who have been in U.S. custody for more than five years continue to be held with no meaningful judicial review.

Thanks in part to your work, several Senators have called for the reinstatement of habeas corpus. In fact, Several Senators planned to support an amendment to the Department of Defense Authorization bill to reinstate habeas before the DOD Authorization bill was temporarily put on hold on July 18th. We are building momentum, but we need your help to keep the pressure on!

Please Urge your Representative to cosponsor the Specter/Leahy legislation to restore habeas corpus »

Take action and urge your elected officials to close Guantánamo »

This past Monday, 16 detainees of Saudi dissent returned home to Saudi Arabia from Guantanamo Bay.  According to the article published by The International Herald Tribune, 77 inmates of Saudi dissent to date, have returned to Saudi Arabia, but tens of inmates from Saudi still remain.  As of now, these inmates are being held in the custody of Saudi officials, until their connection to militant organizations can be disproved.  Of the Saudi detainees held in Guantanamo Bay over the years, 3 have allegedly committed suicide between this year and last year.  This statement is in opposition to those who assert that the deaths were caused by prisoner abuse rather than suicide. 

To read the complete story, visit:

16 Saudis transferred home from Guantanamo

A few days ago, an article in Vanity Fair spoke to a shocking issue with respect to interrogation methods.  The article, entitled "Rorschach and Awe," spoke to the complicity of psychologists in interrogations.  Jean Maria Arrigo, a psychologist who has spoken about her belief that the American Psychological Association Task Forces' 2005 report had been rigged, alleged that members of the military had infiltrated the task force.  The APA Task Force report ruled that psychologists could be involved in interrogations and allows psychologists to defer to U.S. law when it is in contradiction to international law.  While the report highlights the disturbing fact that psychologist can be involved in coercive interrogation methods, the most shocking aspect of this article, was the fact that two psychologists mentioned were not only complicit in the interrogation methods, but were actually responsible for their creation. 

To read the complete article, visit:

Vanity Fair Article:  Rorschach and Awe

Please, take a few minutes out of your day to help in the fight to restore a basic human right.

Call the Senate switchboard at (202) 224-3121, ask for your Senator's office (to find your Senator click here), and tell them:

* It is critical to restore the right of habeas corpus to people in U.S. custody, some who have been held for more than five years without charge or trial.
* The right to challenge the fact and conditions of one's detention is a fundamental due process right and critical protection against arbitrary detention and torture.
* I ask that you vote for the bipartisan amendment S.A. 2022 introduced by Senators Arlen Specter and Patrick Leahy to restore habeas corpus.

If you only have time to say one thing, ask your Senator to vote for the Specter/Leahy amendment to restore habeas corpus (S.A. 2022) amending the Department of Defense Authorization bill.

Security will only come with respect for human rights. The America we believe in leads the world on human rights. Thank you for making the call and leading our nation in the spirit of that vision.

P.S.
Let us know how your call went here!

Progress is being made in the effort to close down Guantanamo bay and restore the legal rights of the detainees housed within. The effort is not coming from a specific bill, but as amendments to the 2008 defense department authorization bill, which approves the budget of the DoD. The amendment, sponsored by Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, would add language into the bill which would have the Guantanamo Bay facility closed by the end of Fiscal Year 2008 The amendment works by slowly phasing out the funding to Guantanamo Bay until it is finally closed. At which point the prisoners, will either be charged and tried, moved to a different detention facility (efforts are in place to move them to high security military brigs on US soil), or, in a bow to the executive branch, the "worst of the worst" will still held under the same conditions, but in a different facility. In addition to the senate, the house is also putting forward similar legislation to be added to the bill.

From The Guardian:

The White House says Bush has already decided to close the U.S. prison in Cuba and transfer more than 370 terrorism suspects elsewhere, possibly including the maximum-security military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kan...

With no timetable announced by Bush, Congress is moving ahead on its own. In July, the House Appropriations Committee is expected to propose funding only half of Guantanamo's budget in the military's annual spending bill. While a precise figure of how much would be cut was not immediately available, the prison's annual operation budget is about $125 million a year.

Even better is that with the Republican split from the administration the efforts to close the facility and end the war are gaining unexpected support.

From the Congressional Quarterly:

"The American public and most of Congress now are looking for an endgame here," one Democratic aide said, adding that "language that provides the president with the ability not to move towards that is not going to be viewed well."

Without committing to any specific votes, several Republican staffers acknowledged that their senators were ready to agree to stronger steps, in light of the Iraqi government's failure so far to meet several important political benchmarks, including parliamentary passage of a law that would equitably share the country's vast oil revenues among its Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish populations.

Opposition to the facility even comes from within the Bush Administration itself

from The Hill:

Critics say the detention center inhumanely houses detainees and has brought widespread damage to the United States' reputation around the world. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell earlier this month became the latest high-profile Republican to call for closing the facility, joining presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and current Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

Additionally, legislation is also being considered which would restore the right of habeas corpus removed in the Military Commissions Act of 2006.

All this business is great news to me. You've probably seen reporting previously about legislative action to take care of these issues, but, obviously they've got bigger problems as they are easier to veto. A veto is not out of the question for this bill, and may be a real concern as the executive branch, knowing that they're extremely unpopular and on the way out, has recently been acting in its own interest regardless of the public opinion. However, because this bill ties into DoD funding an all out rejection of the measure could adversely affect current military policy, one of the few remaining areas that they wield absolute control.

I don't think the timing could be any better, Guantanamo has always been a stain on our record and a constant point of contention with outside critics. With the Republican party trying to distance itself from Bush in preparation of the 2008 elections more politicians are willing to approve left-leaning legislation and, as it was shown, even the higher ups are in favor of moving forward in this direction. Even if the decision gets made for purely political reasons, by closing the facility down and coming into compliance with international norms we'll finally be telling the world that we're ready to reclaim our title of global proponents of freedom and justice and leave behind the war mongering and profiteering, something I think we all can agree on.

Today, Larry Cox, the Big Boss here at Amnesty wanted to give some recognition to two senators trying to get Guantanamo Bay shut down for good (read the official press release here). Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) and Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) have introduced an amendment to the 2008 Department of Defense financing bill that would effectively cut off Guantanamo’s funding and leave them no choice but to close their doors and move all the detainees elsewhere.

Mr. Cox, while saying that this measure is an excellent first step did bring to light some very important points regarding the treatment of the detainees after they are moved from the facility and I totally agree with him. Firstly, Mr. Cox said that the detainees need to start being charged with actual crimes and moved through the judicial system. Many of these people have been held without any charges for years now, a practice which is totally out of line with the concept of habeas corpus, introduced in the 13^th century, which is the right of a person to question precisely why they are being detained. Also, Mr. Cox says that people need to be tried in a fair manner, and that military tribunals just are just far too biased. Finally Mr. Cox thinks that if a detainee is to be released they need to be able to go to a place where they won’t have to fear torture or other mistreatment, a legal concept called non-refoulment.

While shutting down Guantanamo is a great thing, these precautions are absolutely necessary to ensure the protection of the detainee’s rights. Simply closing down Guantanamo without having a plan to deal with the people being held there would be a purely political move and would actually be far worse for the prisoners. Without a strategy to process and convict / release them they would simply be moved to other detention facilities, most likely overseas, where the human rights records are far worse than those of Guantanamo. I remember watching an interview with Moazzam Beg, a British citizen who was detained by British and US forces in various facilities before finally arriving at Guantanamo. He said that he was actually happy to be sent there as it is much higher profile, and therefore under greater scrutiny by outside bodies. If a man says that he was happy to be going there, you can only imagine how bad the other places must have been.

Personally, I’m very happy to hear about these developments. First, denying people their right to habeas is absolutely ridiculous. Come on; if people back in the 13^th century can figure this kind of stuff out why is it so difficult for us to do it? Plus, if the people being detained in Guantanamo are really as mean and nasty as we’re meant to believe than what’s the problem with charging them for whatever mean, nasty things they might have done, and then throwing them into jail, where mean, nasty people go. Seems to be a good idea, no? I mean, it’s what the rest of the world is doing, and I think that it’s been too long now that we haven’t been living up to basic international standards of conduct.

June 26th, as many of you know, was the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture and there were many events held around the country and around that world to bring awareness to this very important issue.  Yet there is still so much to be done.  Amnesty International in India is intensifying its work against torture by launching a new campaign against torture and ill treatment in the "war on terror."   India is one of only 8 countries that has not yet ratified the Convention against Torture though they have signed it.  Amnesty International India has expressed several times that they are very concerned about the fact that torture and ill-treatment continue to be such a huge problem through their country and that human dignity is being denied to thousands of individuals.  As part of this new campaigns against torture and degrading treatment, there is a new online petition that you can sign if you stand by our cause.  The petition, seeking ratification of the Convention Against Torture, is going to be submitted to the Prime Minister of India in August.  To sign it, please visit http://www.petitiononline.com/aic122/petition.html and make your voice heard! 

Then take the time to ask your friends and family to sign it as well and to pass the word on! 

WASHINGTON, July 2 - Seeking a legal path to shutting down the Guantánamo detention facility, senior advisers to President Bush are exploring whether the White House and Congress can agree to legislation that would permit the long-term detention of foreign terrorism suspects on American soil, Pentagon and administration officials say.

The idea of creating a new legal category for some foreign terrorism detainees, which is still in its early stages, faces daunting political, legal and constitutional difficulties. But it is gaining support among some White House and national security officials as the most promising course to allow the president to close the site at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, that has generated intense criticism at home and abroad...

Members of the House of the Representatives sent a letter to Bush last week to encourage the closing down of Guantanamo Bay.  Signed by 145 members of the House of Representatives, the letter also included the signature of a sole republican, Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina.  The letter addressed a range of issues related to the shutting down of Guantanamo and was ultimately addressing the issue of the integrity of the United States as a country which adheres to the rule of law. Click here for the complete story:  Letter to Bush; Close Guantanamo

I have been an activist since high school and college when I was involved with the civil rights movement and protested the Vietnam War.  In the 80's, I became aware of the effects of US support of repressive governments in Central America and worked with local, grassroots organization and some national organizations to address human rights abuses, including disappearances, and to try to change US policy.  It was during this time that I became aware of the work of Amnesty International.  When we moved to WV, I found there were no local groups working on Central America issues, so I helped found an Amnesty chapter.

In the 80s and 90s, I helped organize a number of advocacy visits to our state's Congressional delegation in hopes of changing US policy in Latin America because I think that a primary goal of educating people about an issue and organizing protests is to ensure that our laws promote a human-rights based foreign policy.  We need to pressure members of Congress for that to happen.

Because of my experience lobbying as a volunteer and my belief that advocacy makes a difference, it seemed natural for me to apply to be the AIUSA WV Legislative Coordinator.  Torture, extraordinary rendition, the stripping of habeas corpus are all issues that we Legislative Coordinators have been working on, so that's how I became involved with the June 26 Day of Action.

Nineteen of us met with Senator Byrd's aide.  Seventeen of us traveled together by bus, so we used that time to plan our meeting.  There are limitations to planning on a bus.  However, because of the materials that AI staff had produced, we were able to to do sufficient planning to get across specific points, and yes, we had decided ahead of time which person would be sure to make the specific points.  We were fortunate because one of the delegation offered to be to take the lead, and he did a very effective job.  It's difficult to predict all the directions a meeting will take, but we made our main points and complemented one another well in getting across additional information.   

Senator Byrd is an expert on the Constitution, and it was good that his office was the first on our schedule.  We were quite confident we would get a sympathetic and responsive hearing, and we did.  It gave us a good foundation for the meetings that day with our other members of Congress.

Two of our 5 meetings did not go as well for a number of reasons.  I learned from that, and hope that following up by letters and conversations with aides will help us change our representatives'  mind.  

Each lobby visit is different.  Some representatives and some staff are direct in their responses and indicate that they disagree.  Others obfuscate and what we hear seems like double talk.  Often the Congress person has not made a decision and sincerely weighs your information and arguments.  They all are genuinely appreciative that you've taken the time to come to DC.  AI stresses the need to be accurate, brief, and courteous, but I've been in meetings organized by other organizations where member of the delegation were not able to contain their anger or were rude, and the member of Congress and staff remained polite.  I've only come into contact with a rude staff member once.  

AIUSA's system of Legislative Coordinators (LCs) can help increase our effectiveness.  Because the LC has the relationship with the DC office, sometimes the LC can get information about when is a good time to request a meeting in the district with the Congress person.  The LC  can help also make sure the appropriate staff in DC do get the messages.  

Follow up is also very important.  It is essential at the end of the meeting to ask when a representative of your delegation can contact the office for a response.  It is also important to write a thank you note and to write letters to the editor lauding or lamenting a decision.  (They pay attention when their names are in print!)   

I would recommend going as an observer the first time, if possible.  You'll see then that the staff and members of Congress are just regular people.  Keep in mind that they are working for us!  We pay their salaries.  The first few times I lobbied, I felt nervous and intimidated anticipating the meetings.  It's important to keep in mind that you are not only trying to promote specific ideas and actions, but you are also establishing an ongoing relationship with the office.  Sometimes staff will turn to you for specific information!  

It's also very important to be honest and indicate when you don't have an answer.  Your credibility will remain high if you get back to them with accurate information.

Tomorrow while you're out enjoying your Independence Day festivities, barbecues, and fireworks, remember that this year the 4th of July will be the 2000th day since the US first brought detainees to Guantanamo in this "war on terror."  Today, approximately 375 detainees are still being held at Guantanamo, many in conditions that would be considered cruel, inhuman, and degrading.  The US has said that between 60 and 80 of the detainees will face trial by military commission but Amnesty International has called on the US to abandon this discriminatory justice system.    

Over the past year, 15 "high value" detainees were transferred to Guantanamo after being in secret CIA custody.  This has affirmed the role of Guantanamo prisons in the US's unlawful detention of foreigners in this so-called "war on terror." 

The prisons at Guantanamo Bay should not remain open. 

Luckily there are actions you can take! Visit www.amnesty.org/guantanamoflotilla to join thousands of people in this fight to Stop Torture and to close down the unlawful prisons at Guantanamo Bay.  We will not stand for torture!