Take Action Now--Amnesty International

Torturers are given a free pass while those who investigate torture are restricted from asking all the right questions. Get your free Torture Awareness Month Action Pack and help us sound the alarm in your community on June 26th.

Dear Rector, Just when you thought U.S. policies on torture couldn't get any more outrageous, the Pentagon and Congress decide to take aim at the only people able to deeply investigate these crimes! A disturbing sleight-of-hand trick is being played while our government continues to sweep crimes of torture underneath the rug. And as long as officials can deflect attention away from the real problem – that high-level officials were allowed to get away with the criminal offense of torture – then they never have to identify real solutions and bring these individuals to justice. Each June, in honor of Torture Awareness Month, Amnesty supporters take to the streets in efforts to expose this festering injustice. This is a critical election year, brimming with partisan politics, and we are up against some very powerful officials whose desire to silence our calls for accountability is getting stronger. Please say that you'll organize a film screening, vigil or awareness-raising event in June to help bring accountability for torture. Last week, a House committee approved legislation requiring the Pentagon's Inspector General to investigate whether the attorneys for Guantanamo detainees violated the law by gathering information about CIA officers suspected of participating in interrogations1. Before that, the Pentagon banned reporters from covering military commission hearings, charging that they published the name of an Interrogator whose identity was supposed to remain classified. However, the reporters point to evidence that this Interrogator's identity was made public by the Pentagon years ago2. These events prove exactly what we were afraid of. Without an independent investigation into torture and transparency at all levels of justice, we cannot expect rules to be followed or rights to be upheld. That's why on June 26th we really need you to stand with us, as you've done so amazingly in the past, and organize events that will remind everyone – including your friends, neighbors, classmates, and elected officials – how the U.S. has allowed one of the worst human rights violations to take place and has done nearly nothing to put it right. Tell us how you plan to sound the alarm during your Torture Awareness Month event. Thank you for your support. I look forward to sounding the alarm with you all throughout June! Njambi Good Campaign Director, Counter Terror with Justice Amnesty International USA P.S. When you join us on June 26th, we'll send you a free Torture Awareness Month Action Packfilled with a DVD of The Response (a docudrama about Guantanamo), a campaign T-Shirt and all the materials you'll need to organize a successful vigil, film screening or other local event.  Share on Facebook  Share on Twitter http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/may/21/house-panel-oks-probe-of-gitmo-attorneys/ http://blog.amnestyusa.org/waronterror/stop-press/