America has become a nation of murderers and torturers. We flout international law and mock the Geneva conventions. Our youth is being trained in war crimes of all sorts. This letter from Amnesty International to King George spells it out.
For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,
brought low everywhere in the world this day
because of our sins.
Daniel 3: 36
In the name of the Prince of Peace, Carol Wolman
----- Original Message ----- Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 7:36 AM
Subject: Re: Amnesty International (Letter to George)
Go to:
https://secure3.ctsg.com/amnestyusa/donation/index.asp?item=1&ms=A3
________________________________________________
Your message below was sent to:
The Honorable George W. Bush
The Honorable George W. Bush
The President of the United States
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20500
Dear Mr. President,
I am deeply concerned by the US record of torture and ill-treatment that continues to emerge from Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantánamo, and beyond. Amnesty International has interviewed former detainees released from US run facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantánamo and elsewhere who reported being subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment during interrogation and detention. Extensive research by Amnesty International suggests that these are not isolated incidents. Although Amnesty International has presented this information on several occasions to US government officials, the organization has not received a full response to these allegations. Moreover, there are numerous indications that high ranking government officials have worked to block restrictions on extreme interrogation techniques that amount to torture.
Recently released FBI documents are further evidence of the extensive and severe nature of the treatment of detainees in US custody, and indicate behavior that unquestionably rises to the level of torture. One FBI communication from Iraq dated June 2004 reports that an FBI agent "observed numerous physical abuse incidents of Iraqi civilian detainees," including "strangulation, beatings, [and] placement of lit cigarettes into the detainees ear openings." Another FBI e-mail regarding interrogation techniques in Guantánamo reported that detainees were shackled hand and foot in a fetal position on the floor, sometimes kept in that position for 18 to 24 hours at a time, and most had "urinated or defecated [sic]" on themselves. Rather than being the work of a "few bad apples," these documents are further evidence of the pervasiveness of these practices that have resulted from years of policies which sought to circumvent the absolute prohibition on torture and ill-treatment of detainees in US custody.
High-level US officials have frequently stated that the "war on terror" is a new war that requires new thinking. In fact, these officials seek to justify old methods that have long been de-legitimized. Suspending habeas corpus, "disappearing" detainees, incommunicado detention and the legalization of torture have been used in the name of national security and do not represent "new thinking." These policies merely recycle old, ineffective practices that violate human rights and undermine the rule of law.
Mr. President, I urge you to call for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry and the appointment of a Special Counsel to conduct public investigations into the reports of abuse in US detention centers in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantánamo and elsewhere; to establish whether acts of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and other violations of relevant federal statutes have been committed; and to recommend safeguards to prevent further torture and ill-treatment. In addition, the Special Counsel should prosecute those who perpetrated crimes and those up the chain of command responsible for creating a climate that has facilitated such crimes.
Two years ago, you stated that, "torture anywhere is an affront to human dignity everywhere" and "the United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of torture and [is] leading this fight by example." Torture and ill-treatment of detainees at the hands of US personnel runs contrary to your words and the tenets of US and international law. The time for internal investigations and verbal denials has passed. It is essential that the world community view the investigations into such crimes as thorough and impartial, and that both those who commit such acts of torture and those in command who condone them are held accountable. For that reason, I urge you to support an independent commission of inquiry and the appointment of a Special Counsel.
Thank you for your attention to this matter and I look forward to your response.
Sincerely,
Cynthia Rich
142 NW 7th St
Oak Island, NC 28465
USA
redstorm828@msn.com
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