FUSsa-talk Mailing List: RESPONSE TO U. S. USE OF TORTURE - FOR FLASH?

[Carol Koepp (carolkoepp]

I COPIED (WITH A FEW CHANGES IN WORDING) THIS FROM THE TEXT YOU SENT, BOB. 
WOULD YOU LIKE THIS TO GO IN THE FLASH COMING OUT ON FRIDAY?  WHAT DO OTHERS 
THINK?

Please join us (The Center For Victims of Torture; ) in seeking an 
investigation to assess who is
> responsible for sanctioning and ordering torture. Those who
> authorized and ordered torture should be held accountable.
>
> Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and express your support for an
> investigation. Send a message to President Obama
> thanking him for his courageous leadership in releasing the memos
> and expressing your support for an investigation.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Tapp" <tappx001 [at] umn.edu>
To: "Carol Koepp" <carolkoepp [at] comcast.net>
Cc: "FUS Social Action talk" <fussa-talk [at] muusja.org>
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 6:45 PM
Subject: [sa-talk] Fwd: Robert, Join Us in Calling for an Investigation


Here's a local add-on to the torture issue.

Bob

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Center for Victims of Torture" <cvt [at] cvt.org>
> Date: April 20, 2009 6:37:50 PM CDT
>
> Subject: Robert, Join Us in Calling for an Investigation
> Reply-To: notice-reply-xu6sekkr4j6e5xj7 [at] ga3.org
>
>
> Investigate Who Authorized and Ordered Torture
>
> Dear Robert,
>
>
> In the face of fierce protest, President Obama showed extraordinary
> leadership last Thursday in releasingfour Office of Legal Counsel
> memos crafted during the Bush Administration. Those memos attempted
> the unthinkable: legalizing torture.
>
> We now know that the International Committee for the Red Cross—an
> impartial monitor of detention facilities worldwide—determined that
> U.S. personnel used torture on detainees in secret CIA detention
> facilities. We also know that Susan J. Crawford—the convening
> authority for the Guantanamo military commissions—concluded that she
> could not refer the case of the “20th hijacker”, Mohammed al-
> Qahtani, for trial because the evidence against him was tainted. “We
> tortured Qahtani. His treatment met the legal definition of torture.”
>
> It is clear to the world that the U.S. committed torture. It is
> equally clear that authorizing, ordering or perpetrating torture is
> illegal. At this point, we urgently need an investigation to
> determine who authorized and ordered torture. We do not need to
> strengthen our laws. We need to enforce them; in fact, we are
> required to as a matter of law.
>
> President Ronald Reagan signed the Convention against Torture in
> 1988 and the U.S. Senate ratified it the Convention six years later.
> With ratification, we committed ourselves to not only criminalize
> torture but to investigate and prosecute perpetrators when there is
> evidence of the crime. The Convention’s binding language is clear
> and does not make exception for “state of war”, “threat of war” or
> “order from a superior officer or public authority” to justify
> breaching the prohibition on torture.
>
> Further, as a matter of policy, we will not stop torture from
> occurring in the future if we allow members of the Executive branch
> to break U.S. law without consequence. In our mission statement, we
> pledge that we will work to stop torture worldwide. Ending impunity
> for those who commit torture is the most powerful deterrent. Many of
> our clients have fled countries where governments torture with
> impunity. The U.S. has long stood in sharp contrast to those
> nations. We should not seek to muddy that distinction now.
>
> To continue to hold ourselves out as a nation where the rule of law
> prevails, we have a duty to enforce the law. Whether this is a
> politically convenient time is not part of the equation. If we
> uphold our laws, in the long run, our nation risks far less. No
> single act will do more to repair our standing in the eyes of the
> world than enforcing our prohibition on torture.
>
> Please join us in seeking an investigation to assess who is
> responsible for sanctioning and ordering torture. Those who
> authorized and ordered torture should be held accountable.
>
> Call the White House at 202-456-1111 and express your support for an
> investigation. Click here to send a message to President Obama
> thanking him for his courageous leadership in releasing the memos
> and expressing your support for an investigation.
>
> Thank you for taking the time to make your voice heard.
>
>
>
>
>
> Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
> Your Congressperson
> Your Senators
>
> Below is the sample letter:
>
> Subject: Investigate Who Authorized or Ordered Torture
>
> Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],
>
> President Obama demonstrated extraordinary leadership in releasing
> four Office of Legal Counsel memos that justified the torture of
> prisoners. The use of torture under any circumstances is both
> immoral and illegal. I urge you to support an investigation to
> assess who is responsible for sanctioning and ordering torture.
> Those who authorized and ordered torture should be held accountable.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Robert Tapp
>
>
>
> Take Action!
> Instructions:
> Click here to take action on this issue
>
>
> Tell-A-Friend:
> Visit www.cvt.org to tell your friends about this.
>  Tell-a-Friend!
>
>
> What's At Stake:
> In advancing human rights, the example that we set for the rest of
> the world is powerful. America is at a defining moment. Our decision
> to go forward with investigations of those who authorized and
> ordered torture will help to promote the rule of law throughout the
> world and allow us to inspire again.
>
>
> Campaign Expiration Date:
> May 20, 2009
>
>
> If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for
> Center for Victims of Torture.
>
> This message was sent to tappx001 [at] umn.edu. Visit your subscription
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