URGENT: Stop U.S. Authorization of Indefinite Detention
URGENT: Stop U.S. Authorization of Indefinite Detention
Dear Friend of CCR,
Will the U.S. authorize indefinite detention - without any
possibility of judicial review - for anyone labeled an "enemy
combatant"? Even if those people are actually innocent? Please take a
moment to call your Senators first thing this morning at 202-224-3121,
especially if they are on the Armed Services Committee (see the list at
the bottom of this email), and send a fax through our website.
We're in a brutal legislative fight over two bills proposed by
President Bush and Senator Warner to legislate military commissions.
However problematic the commissions are, they're a distraction from
the really dangerous provisions that would strip detainees of their
right to challenge the legality of their detention. The bottom line is,
if either bill passes as currently written, it would prevent anyone
taken into U.S. custody - anywhere in the world, past, present or
future, innocent or not - from ever having their case heard. This
goes against every principle this country was founded on.
Every person detained by our nation must receive a fair hearing. After
all, wouldn't we demand that right for our soldiers and civilians if
they were captured by our enemies abroad?
We need your help urgently in order to stop this legislation!
Last week the President admitted to detaining men in secret CIA
facilities and transferred 14 of them to Guantánamo: since it has
become embarrassingly clear from the military's own documents that
most of the men at Guantánamo have nothing to do with terrorism and
were often given over to the U.S. for bounty when they were caught in
the wrong place at the wrong time, the Administration's strategy was
to move a handful of actual high-level detainees there so they could
push through this legislation.
Here are some talking points for your calls. The military commissions
bill pending in Congress would:
... authorize the lifelong detention of more than 400 men imprisoned at
Guantánamo Bay - men who have never been charged with a crime or
received a fair hearing - many of whom our military admits never took
up arms against the U.S.
... give President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld absolute discretion to
lock up farmers and humanitarian aid workers for life - based on
their exclusive determination that these men are "enemy combatants"
- and subject these men to whatever treatment they themselves deem
appropriate and legal.
... prevent any accountability for torture or abuse of detainees,
rendering the McCain Amendment prohibiting torture unenforceable.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY. Tell them that the American
people will not tolerate indefinite detention in our name - at
Guantánamo or anywhere else in the world. Tell them that executive
detention must be subject to judicial review. No military commission
bill should limit the most fundamental of all rights - habeas corpus.
Thank you for all your help.
Sincerely,
Vincent Warren
Executive Director
For more information, visit our website at www.ccr-ny.org...
...Keep up to date by viewing CCR's event calender.
To call your Senator, dial (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator's
office. Please keep your call brief and to the point. Identify yourself
as a constituent (and a donor if you have donated money in the past),
and ask to speak with the aide who deals with issues such as the
military commissions bill. After identifying yourself, tell the aide
what you think of the bills. Finally, ask for your Senators' position
on the issue.
The Senate Armed Services Committee:
The Senate Armed Services Committee:
John Warner (R - VA) (202) 224-2023
John McCain (R - AZ) (202) 224-2235
James Inhofe (R - OK) (202) 224-4721
Pat Roberts (R - KS) (202) 224-4774
Jeff Sessions (R- AL) (202) 224-4124
Susan Collins (R - ME) (202) 224-2523
John Ensign (R - NV) (202) 224-6244
James Talent (R - MO) (202) 224-6154
Saxby Chambliss (R - GA) (202) 224-3521
Lindsey Graham (R - SC) (202) 224-5972
Elizabeth Dole (R - NC) (202) 224-6342
John Cornyn (R - TX) (202) 224-2934
John Thune (R - SD) (202) 224-2321
Carl Levin (D - MI) (202) 224-6221
Edward Kennedy (D - MA) (202) 224-4543
Robert Byrd (D - WV) (202) 224-3954
Joe Lieberman (D - CT) (202) 224-4041
Jack Reed (D - RI) (202) 224-4642
Daniel Akaka (D - HI) (202) 224-6361
Bill Nelson (D - FL) (202) 224-5274
Benjamin Nelson (D - NE) (202) 224-6551
Mark Dayton (D - MN) (202) 224-3244
Evan Bayh (D - IN) (202) 224-5623
Hillary Clinton (D - NY) (202) 224-4451
Dear Friend of CCR,
Will the U.S. authorize indefinite detention - without any
possibility of judicial review - for anyone labeled an "enemy
combatant"? Even if those people are actually innocent? Please take a
moment to call your Senators first thing this morning at 202-224-3121,
especially if they are on the Armed Services Committee (see the list at
the bottom of this email), and send a fax through our website.
We're in a brutal legislative fight over two bills proposed by
President Bush and Senator Warner to legislate military commissions.
However problematic the commissions are, they're a distraction from
the really dangerous provisions that would strip detainees of their
right to challenge the legality of their detention. The bottom line is,
if either bill passes as currently written, it would prevent anyone
taken into U.S. custody - anywhere in the world, past, present or
future, innocent or not - from ever having their case heard. This
goes against every principle this country was founded on.
Every person detained by our nation must receive a fair hearing. After
all, wouldn't we demand that right for our soldiers and civilians if
they were captured by our enemies abroad?
We need your help urgently in order to stop this legislation!
Last week the President admitted to detaining men in secret CIA
facilities and transferred 14 of them to Guantánamo: since it has
become embarrassingly clear from the military's own documents that
most of the men at Guantánamo have nothing to do with terrorism and
were often given over to the U.S. for bounty when they were caught in
the wrong place at the wrong time, the Administration's strategy was
to move a handful of actual high-level detainees there so they could
push through this legislation.
Here are some talking points for your calls. The military commissions
bill pending in Congress would:
... authorize the lifelong detention of more than 400 men imprisoned at
Guantánamo Bay - men who have never been charged with a crime or
received a fair hearing - many of whom our military admits never took
up arms against the U.S.
... give President Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld absolute discretion to
lock up farmers and humanitarian aid workers for life - based on
their exclusive determination that these men are "enemy combatants"
- and subject these men to whatever treatment they themselves deem
appropriate and legal.
... prevent any accountability for torture or abuse of detainees,
rendering the McCain Amendment prohibiting torture unenforceable.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY. Tell them that the American
people will not tolerate indefinite detention in our name - at
Guantánamo or anywhere else in the world. Tell them that executive
detention must be subject to judicial review. No military commission
bill should limit the most fundamental of all rights - habeas corpus.
Thank you for all your help.
Sincerely,
Vincent Warren
Executive Director
For more information, visit our website at www.ccr-ny.org...
...Keep up to date by viewing CCR's event calender.
To call your Senator, dial (202) 224-3121 and ask for your Senator's
office. Please keep your call brief and to the point. Identify yourself
as a constituent (and a donor if you have donated money in the past),
and ask to speak with the aide who deals with issues such as the
military commissions bill. After identifying yourself, tell the aide
what you think of the bills. Finally, ask for your Senators' position
on the issue.
The Senate Armed Services Committee:
The Senate Armed Services Committee:
John Warner (R - VA) (202) 224-2023
John McCain (R - AZ) (202) 224-2235
James Inhofe (R - OK) (202) 224-4721
Pat Roberts (R - KS) (202) 224-4774
Jeff Sessions (R- AL) (202) 224-4124
Susan Collins (R - ME) (202) 224-2523
John Ensign (R - NV) (202) 224-6244
James Talent (R - MO) (202) 224-6154
Saxby Chambliss (R - GA) (202) 224-3521
Lindsey Graham (R - SC) (202) 224-5972
Elizabeth Dole (R - NC) (202) 224-6342
John Cornyn (R - TX) (202) 224-2934
John Thune (R - SD) (202) 224-2321
Carl Levin (D - MI) (202) 224-6221
Edward Kennedy (D - MA) (202) 224-4543
Robert Byrd (D - WV) (202) 224-3954
Joe Lieberman (D - CT) (202) 224-4041
Jack Reed (D - RI) (202) 224-4642
Daniel Akaka (D - HI) (202) 224-6361
Bill Nelson (D - FL) (202) 224-5274
Benjamin Nelson (D - NE) (202) 224-6551
Mark Dayton (D - MN) (202) 224-3244
Evan Bayh (D - IN) (202) 224-5623
Hillary Clinton (D - NY) (202) 224-4451
posted by peaceandjustice2005 at 4:21 PM
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