james m nordlund
2005-10-28 22:49:22 UTC
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 2005 14:10:49 -0400 (EDT)
Legislative Action Message
Torture Permission to be Slipped into Law? - FCNL
The vice-president of the United States is publically advocating giving a
U.S. government agency statutory authority to use torture. Supporters of
the
McCain anti-torture amendment to the military spending bill have no time
to
enjoy the amendment's overwhelming 90-9 bi-partisan passage in the Senate.
The amendment may be rendered meaningless by loopholes under consideration
in conference committee. We must act now, telling Congress that no matter
which government agency, no matter where, and no matter how the president
characterizes the circumstances, United States forces do not ever have
permission to torture or use cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or
punishment.
Take Action:
Please contact your congressional delegation, including both of your
senators and your representative. Tell them that the McCain amendment must
not be altered during conference committee to lessen its provisions. Tell
them that every member of Congress has the responsibility to make sure
that
U.S. moral values and sound military principles are upheld by preserving
the
McCain amendment to the 2006 military appropriations bill, intact for the
president's signature.
See FCNL's web site to find a sample letter and contact your members of
Congress directly. You will need to enter your zip code to see the sample
letter.
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=8170141&type=CO
Background:
President Bush has threatened to veto the 2006 military appropriations
bill
(H.R. 2863) because the Senate amended its version of the bill to require
that: (1) treatment of all Department of Defense (DoD) detainees or
detainees held in DoD facilities must follow the Army Field Manual for
Intelligence Interrogation; and (2) the U.N. Convention Against Torture
and
Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment (to which the U.S. is a signatory)
governs all U.S. detainees. Read the text of the amendment.
The president's congressional allies were initially rumored to have plans
to
strip the amendment from the bill. However, the lopsided, bi-partisan vote
in the Senate signaled a powerful political incentive for the conference
committee to retain the amendment in the bill. Instead of working to strip
the amendment, the administration and its supporters have suggested
revisions to the amendment that would water it down to the point of
meaninglessness. Vice-President Cheney proposed his own "compromise" plan
to
Sen. McCain last week (week of Oct. 10). The Cheney Plan would exempt the
CIA from the provisions of the anti-torture amendment. This plan is so
shocking, it bears repeating: the vice-president of the United States is
publically advocating giving a U.S. government agency statutory authority
to
use torture. This proposal is especially dangerous in light of the
administration's support for moving all intelligence functions out of the
Pentagon and the FBI and into the CIA's portfolio.
Other proponents of allowing brutal treatment under some circumstances
have
suggested other loopholes to the amendment, e.g., presidential waiver (the
president could, using his own judgment, waive the prohibition in the
interest of national security); geographic limitation (torture would be
prohibited only in certain locations, such as on U.S. soil); or
non-applicability of the amendment during "classified" interrogations.
The president argues that the McCain amendment ties the president's hands
in
his efforts to preserve national security in the post-September 11 world.
He
also claims that as commander-in-chief, he has the authority to determine
the rules by which detainees in the "war against terror" are handled.
Human
rights supporters disagree, pointing to the U.S. Constitution, Art. I,
sec.
8: "The Congress shall have Power ... To declare War, grant Letters of
Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and
Water."
(emphasis added)
Human rights advocates reiterate that torture -
is inhumane;
doesn't reflect our country's moral values;
undermines human rights standards worldwide;
creates legions of enemies of the U.S.;
brings danger of retaliation on U.S. troops and travelers abroad; and
does not work - it does not produce reliable intelligence information.
Check the FCNL website for further background information about the use of
torture.
_______________________________________
Coming Soon: A New Look for FCNL's Web Site. On Friday October 28 the site
will be unavailable intermittently throughout the day. Thank you for your
patience!
Stop New Nuclear Weapons! Find out how, http://www.fcnl.org/nuclear
The Next Step for Iraq: Join FCNL's Iraq Campaign,
http://www.fcnl.org/iraq
Contact Congress and the Administration:
http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/
Order FCNL publications and "War is Not the Answer" campaign bumper
stickers
and yard signs:
http://www.fcnl.org/newinfo/special_pub.htm
http://www.fcnl.org/iraq-war.htm
Contribute to FCNL:
http://www.fcnl.org/support.htm
Subscribe to this list:
http://capwiz.com/fconl/mlm/.
Subscribe to other FCNL legislative, policy, and action alert lists:
http://www.fcnl.org/forms/forms.php?type=ls.
________________________________________
Friends Committee on National Legislation
245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795
fcnl-lRii0e/***@public.gmane.org * www.fcnl.org
phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330
We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
We seek a society with equity and justice for all
We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled
We seek an earth restored.
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com
Legislative Action Message
Torture Permission to be Slipped into Law? - FCNL
The vice-president of the United States is publically advocating giving a
U.S. government agency statutory authority to use torture. Supporters of
the
McCain anti-torture amendment to the military spending bill have no time
to
enjoy the amendment's overwhelming 90-9 bi-partisan passage in the Senate.
The amendment may be rendered meaningless by loopholes under consideration
in conference committee. We must act now, telling Congress that no matter
which government agency, no matter where, and no matter how the president
characterizes the circumstances, United States forces do not ever have
permission to torture or use cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or
punishment.
Take Action:
Please contact your congressional delegation, including both of your
senators and your representative. Tell them that the McCain amendment must
not be altered during conference committee to lessen its provisions. Tell
them that every member of Congress has the responsibility to make sure
that
U.S. moral values and sound military principles are upheld by preserving
the
McCain amendment to the 2006 military appropriations bill, intact for the
president's signature.
See FCNL's web site to find a sample letter and contact your members of
Congress directly. You will need to enter your zip code to see the sample
letter.
http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/alert/?alertid=8170141&type=CO
Background:
President Bush has threatened to veto the 2006 military appropriations
bill
(H.R. 2863) because the Senate amended its version of the bill to require
that: (1) treatment of all Department of Defense (DoD) detainees or
detainees held in DoD facilities must follow the Army Field Manual for
Intelligence Interrogation; and (2) the U.N. Convention Against Torture
and
Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment (to which the U.S. is a signatory)
governs all U.S. detainees. Read the text of the amendment.
The president's congressional allies were initially rumored to have plans
to
strip the amendment from the bill. However, the lopsided, bi-partisan vote
in the Senate signaled a powerful political incentive for the conference
committee to retain the amendment in the bill. Instead of working to strip
the amendment, the administration and its supporters have suggested
revisions to the amendment that would water it down to the point of
meaninglessness. Vice-President Cheney proposed his own "compromise" plan
to
Sen. McCain last week (week of Oct. 10). The Cheney Plan would exempt the
CIA from the provisions of the anti-torture amendment. This plan is so
shocking, it bears repeating: the vice-president of the United States is
publically advocating giving a U.S. government agency statutory authority
to
use torture. This proposal is especially dangerous in light of the
administration's support for moving all intelligence functions out of the
Pentagon and the FBI and into the CIA's portfolio.
Other proponents of allowing brutal treatment under some circumstances
have
suggested other loopholes to the amendment, e.g., presidential waiver (the
president could, using his own judgment, waive the prohibition in the
interest of national security); geographic limitation (torture would be
prohibited only in certain locations, such as on U.S. soil); or
non-applicability of the amendment during "classified" interrogations.
The president argues that the McCain amendment ties the president's hands
in
his efforts to preserve national security in the post-September 11 world.
He
also claims that as commander-in-chief, he has the authority to determine
the rules by which detainees in the "war against terror" are handled.
Human
rights supporters disagree, pointing to the U.S. Constitution, Art. I,
sec.
8: "The Congress shall have Power ... To declare War, grant Letters of
Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and
Water."
(emphasis added)
Human rights advocates reiterate that torture -
is inhumane;
doesn't reflect our country's moral values;
undermines human rights standards worldwide;
creates legions of enemies of the U.S.;
brings danger of retaliation on U.S. troops and travelers abroad; and
does not work - it does not produce reliable intelligence information.
Check the FCNL website for further background information about the use of
torture.
_______________________________________
Coming Soon: A New Look for FCNL's Web Site. On Friday October 28 the site
will be unavailable intermittently throughout the day. Thank you for your
patience!
Stop New Nuclear Weapons! Find out how, http://www.fcnl.org/nuclear
The Next Step for Iraq: Join FCNL's Iraq Campaign,
http://www.fcnl.org/iraq
Contact Congress and the Administration:
http://capwiz.com/fconl/dbq/officials/
Order FCNL publications and "War is Not the Answer" campaign bumper
stickers
and yard signs:
http://www.fcnl.org/newinfo/special_pub.htm
http://www.fcnl.org/iraq-war.htm
Contribute to FCNL:
http://www.fcnl.org/support.htm
Subscribe to this list:
http://capwiz.com/fconl/mlm/.
Subscribe to other FCNL legislative, policy, and action alert lists:
http://www.fcnl.org/forms/forms.php?type=ls.
________________________________________
Friends Committee on National Legislation
245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795
fcnl-lRii0e/***@public.gmane.org * www.fcnl.org
phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330
We seek a world free of war and the threat of war
We seek a society with equity and justice for all
We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled
We seek an earth restored.
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com