GET BUSY: Help hold the architects of torture accountable

From MoveOn.org:

President Obama released memos that describe, in horrific detail, the torture techniques authorized by the Bush administration. 

So far there HAs been no accountability for the architects of Bush's torture program. We need a full investigation and real consequences for those responsible - it's the only way to keep this from happening again.

I signed a petition urging Attorney General Holder to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate and prosecute those responsible for the Bush-era torture program. Can you join me at the link below?

http://pol.moveon.org/torture/

ACT: Torture Memo Author Should Not Be a Federal Judge, Impeach Bybee

From: Voters for Peace <action@votersforpeace.org>

 

Voters for Peace is joining in the call for impeachment of Judge Jay Bybee of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Bybee was the primary author of legal memoranda justifying torture during the Bush administration. When he was confirmed for the federal bench this information was not known, in fact it was denied by many. But now that it is known, how can he remain a judge in the U.S. federal courts? His lifetime appointment will continue the legacy of torture under President Bush, rather than put it behind us.

Please write your representative in Congress urging his impeachment. Click here  to take action now. 

Torture violates U.S. law: Section 2340A of title 18 of the U.S. Code says this: "Whoever outside the United States commits or attempts to commit torture shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both, and if death results to any person from conduct prohibited by this subsection, shall be punished by death or imprisoned for any term of years or for life."

And, torture violates international treaties to which the U.S. has agreed to follow. The Convention Against Torture requires criminal prosecution of "an act by any person which constitutes complicity or participation in torture" or in "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." And the Geneva Conventions ban "violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel treatment and torture," as well as "outrages upon personal dignity, in particular humiliating and degrading treatment."

The purpose of the Bybee Memos was to provide legal cover for American torturers. To allow the "just following orders defense" and to be able to point to these absurd memos to demonstrate the orders were lawful. Everyone involved knew they were torturing, knew they were inflicting pain, knew they were violating the law. Rather than first focusing on those at the bottom of the torture totem poll, removing Bybee from the bench would be a good first step.

Click here to write your representative to urge impeachment of Judge Bybee .

As David Swanson, a Project Board Member of Voters for Peace wrote:

"Just take a look at the memos officially attributed to Bybee, and consider whether we can maintain any sort of legitimate government without impeaching him, and whether we want him overruling decent honest judges for the next 30 years. Bybee gave President Bush, upon request, "legal opinions" that a president can ignore international laws, that laws do not apply to various groups of people, that a president can kidnap, detain, and ship off to other lands human beings with no due process, and that Congress has no power to interfere with anything a president does."

How can the United States put this torture history behind us if we do not take the essential action of removing Judge Bybee from the bench? His actions constitute war crimes. Please act now and urge Congress to impeach Judge Bybee. Click here to write your representative to urge impeachment of Judge Bybee.

Sincerely,

Kevin Zeese

Executive Director

More information:

The Torture Memos, Pro Publico

New York Times Calls for Impeachment of Judge Bybee

Impeach Jay Bybee, Bruce Ackerman, Slate

Waterboarding Used 266 Times on 2 Suspects

Eric Holder v. America's legal obligations

A Dark Day for Justice, Jeremy Scahill, Rebel Reports

No charges against CIA officials for waterboarding, Devlin Barrett, Associated Press

Subscribe to Voters For Peace Perspectives by email - News and analysis, campaign stats, activist tips, quotes and facts

ACTION: Demand Accountability

From Faithful America:

The Department of Justice "torture memos" released yesterday are horrific.  They define in graphic detail how the U.S. tortured and how it was justified. They are proof the U.S. government authorized torture.

So now...what are you going to do about it?

Click here to demand accountability.

Concerned citizens, many of them people of faith, have been shocked by the brutality and twisted logic flowing through the "torture memos."  While the Obama administration did the right thing by releasing these memos, it's not enough.  We need accountability.  To get it, we need to show politicians we demand it.  Let's reach them through sources they pay attention to: the papers in their home states and districts.

Tell your local paper: endorse an investigation today.

This is a moral issue.  As the National Religious Campaign Against Torture says, "nothing less than the soul of our nation is at stake."

To make sure we never torture again, we need more than an anti-torture president.  At a minimum, we need a Commission of Inquiry to uncover ALL the facts, so we can institute the right safeguards.  The Attorney General should also appoint a special prosecutor to investigate whether criminal charges are warranted.

President Obama has not ruled out investigations and prosecutions for the Department of Justice lawyers who created this policy, and neither should we.
Tell your newspaper: people of faith demand accountability, so should you.

It's going to be a tough fight. Politicians who take a stand for justice may face accusations of partisanship and divisiveness.  But the truth is not partisan. Our political leaders will need to know they'll have backup if they join our cause for truth and accountability.  An editorial endorsing accountability from their local paper can give them the support, or the prodding, they need to do the right thing.

Build the political will for accountability: write your paper today.

Thanks for all you do,
Beth, Katie, Dan, Kristin and Jennifer
The Faithful America Team
All content © 2008 Faithful America
1101 Vermont Avenue, 9th Floor Washington, DC 20005