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sunlit_musicHello there everyone,
The link below takes you to a site where you can sign a petition calling for US Congress to hold those who authorised crimes of torture and other human rights abuses (policies like international rendition and illegal detention) accountable.
Sign the petition and spread the news:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&aid=12653&ICID=T0908A02&tr=y&auid=5228147
Thank you so much if you do choose to help.
Feel free to read the email below for more information:
From the announcement of a Special Prosecutor to the chilling stories of abuse in the CIA Inspector General's report, yesterday's news brought a barrage of developments on torture.
In short, we've seen small positive steps, but the bigger picture remains deeply disturbing: limited investigations, impunity for those most responsible for authorizing crimes of torture, and policies like international rendition and illegal detention remaining on the books.
» Call on President Obama and Congress to end and ensure accountability for torture and other human rights violations.
Here's what's happening and our next steps:
The appointment of a Special Prosecutor is a positive step toward accountability. We have long called for specific cases of detainee abuse by government personnel and private contractors, once shelved by the Bush Department of Justice, to be re-opened – but much more must be done. The scope of the Special Prosecutor's investigation may be limited to the actions of a few mid-level personnel, and we all know that evidence puts responsibility for torture much higher up the chain of command. We need a full investigation—an independent commission of inquiry—to get the full truth.
The CIA finally released two classified memos that Vice President Cheney had previously stated would justify the use of torture. Amnesty International requested the release of these memos in a Freedom of Information Act request submitted jointly with the Center for Constitutional Rights and New York University Law School. Far from supporting torture, the memos, in fact, offered little evidence of how attacks were prevented from obtaining testimony using such disgraceful methods – another myth debunked.
The CIA Inspector General's report, long kept in secret and released only due to a lawsuit by the ACLU, revealed new details about the CIA's use of torture and underscores the need for full accountability. Shameful stories about mock executions, death threats to detainee's family members and even an incident involving a power drill being placed to the head of one detainee each add to the mountain of evidence weighing against those at the highest levels who allowed such crimes to occur under their supervision.
President Obama has approved the creation of special interrogation unit and it must abide by the Army Field Manual. The Field Manual is a far better standard than the heinous Office of Legal Council's interrogation memos, however, some techniques permitted by the Army Field Manual–including sleep deprivation, isolation and exploitation of fears–could still result in torture or other ill-treatment. To ensure that the U.S. never tortures again, President Obama and Congress must close all loopholes for torture and other ill-treatment–as defined under international law.
Reports are also surfacing that the Obama administration will continue the practice of international rendition–sending detainees to other countries for interrogation, outside of judicial review. Officials say that they are taking steps to ensure that rendered detainees are not tortured. President George W. Bush made the same promise. As long as international rendition is on the books, torture is an option.
The ball is rolling. If it wasn't for your calls, emails, letters and persistent activism against torture, yesterday's news would have most likely never have happened.
And if you need more proof that your actions are having an impact, just look at the case of Mohammed Jawad. He was at most 17 years old, and perhaps as young as 12, when he was first detained and sent to Guantánamo Bay prison. He was beaten, subjected to sleep deprivation, interrogated and told his family would be killed if he did not confess. For five years, he was denied access to a lawyer.
Recently, the intense scrutiny being given to his case helped leverage a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed Jawad to have his day in court. He was ordered released. The government dropped all charges and this week he arrived home.
This is how justice works. We know there's a better standard for interrogation methods and ensuring national security. This week's news is only the beginning. Now we've got to do all we can to ensure that yesterday's news isn't overlooked when crafting tomorrow's policies.
Sincerely,
Njambi Good
Campaign Director
Counter Terror With Justice
Amnesty International USA
The link below takes you to a site where you can sign a petition calling for US Congress to hold those who authorised crimes of torture and other human rights abuses (policies like international rendition and illegal detention) accountable.
Sign the petition and spread the news:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&aid=12653&ICID=T0908A02&tr=y&auid=5228147
Thank you so much if you do choose to help.
Feel free to read the email below for more information:
From the announcement of a Special Prosecutor to the chilling stories of abuse in the CIA Inspector General's report, yesterday's news brought a barrage of developments on torture.
In short, we've seen small positive steps, but the bigger picture remains deeply disturbing: limited investigations, impunity for those most responsible for authorizing crimes of torture, and policies like international rendition and illegal detention remaining on the books.
» Call on President Obama and Congress to end and ensure accountability for torture and other human rights violations.
Here's what's happening and our next steps:
The appointment of a Special Prosecutor is a positive step toward accountability. We have long called for specific cases of detainee abuse by government personnel and private contractors, once shelved by the Bush Department of Justice, to be re-opened – but much more must be done. The scope of the Special Prosecutor's investigation may be limited to the actions of a few mid-level personnel, and we all know that evidence puts responsibility for torture much higher up the chain of command. We need a full investigation—an independent commission of inquiry—to get the full truth.
The CIA finally released two classified memos that Vice President Cheney had previously stated would justify the use of torture. Amnesty International requested the release of these memos in a Freedom of Information Act request submitted jointly with the Center for Constitutional Rights and New York University Law School. Far from supporting torture, the memos, in fact, offered little evidence of how attacks were prevented from obtaining testimony using such disgraceful methods – another myth debunked.
The CIA Inspector General's report, long kept in secret and released only due to a lawsuit by the ACLU, revealed new details about the CIA's use of torture and underscores the need for full accountability. Shameful stories about mock executions, death threats to detainee's family members and even an incident involving a power drill being placed to the head of one detainee each add to the mountain of evidence weighing against those at the highest levels who allowed such crimes to occur under their supervision.
President Obama has approved the creation of special interrogation unit and it must abide by the Army Field Manual. The Field Manual is a far better standard than the heinous Office of Legal Council's interrogation memos, however, some techniques permitted by the Army Field Manual–including sleep deprivation, isolation and exploitation of fears–could still result in torture or other ill-treatment. To ensure that the U.S. never tortures again, President Obama and Congress must close all loopholes for torture and other ill-treatment–as defined under international law.
Reports are also surfacing that the Obama administration will continue the practice of international rendition–sending detainees to other countries for interrogation, outside of judicial review. Officials say that they are taking steps to ensure that rendered detainees are not tortured. President George W. Bush made the same promise. As long as international rendition is on the books, torture is an option.
The ball is rolling. If it wasn't for your calls, emails, letters and persistent activism against torture, yesterday's news would have most likely never have happened.
And if you need more proof that your actions are having an impact, just look at the case of Mohammed Jawad. He was at most 17 years old, and perhaps as young as 12, when he was first detained and sent to Guantánamo Bay prison. He was beaten, subjected to sleep deprivation, interrogated and told his family would be killed if he did not confess. For five years, he was denied access to a lawyer.
Recently, the intense scrutiny being given to his case helped leverage a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allowed Jawad to have his day in court. He was ordered released. The government dropped all charges and this week he arrived home.
This is how justice works. We know there's a better standard for interrogation methods and ensuring national security. This week's news is only the beginning. Now we've got to do all we can to ensure that yesterday's news isn't overlooked when crafting tomorrow's policies.
Sincerely,
Njambi Good
Campaign Director
Counter Terror With Justice
Amnesty International USA
