If you are against torture, then you bring to justice those accused of torture and if you don't, you have blood on your hands and you are sanctioning torture.
State Secrets? Nope, Not Acceptable. We are a nation of laws, we are believers in human rights. We have a new DOJ, a new President and we need them to stand up for what our country stands for. If not now, when?
The ACLU, Amnesty International USA, Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch have been denied access to prisoners at Guantanamo, now as of January 30, requesting access to them.
ACLU. One of the documents obtained by the ACLU today is a redacted version of a previously undisclosed Justice Department Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) opinion from August 2002 that authorizes the CIA to use specific interrogation methods, including waterboarding. The memo states that interrogation methods that cause severe mental pain do not amount to torture under U.S. law unless they cause "harm lasting months or even years after the acts were inflicted upon the prisoners." Initially, the CIA took the position that it could not confirm or deny the existence of this memo; it dropped that position after President Bush disclosed in September 2006 that the CIA had been operating detention centers overseas.
ACLU
Bush's justice department warned against revealing the CIA's methods in holding and interrogating terrorism suspects, as well as details of the co-operation of foreign governments. Obama's justice department says the same. The new US attorney general, Eric Holder, had instructed officials to review the "state secrets" policy, a justice department spokesman said: "It is vital that we protect information that, if released, could jeopardise national security."
Justice Department Stands Behind Bush Secrecy In Extraordinary Rendition Case (02/09/2009)
NEW YORK – The Justice Department today repeated Bush administration claims of "state secrets" in a lawsuit against Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen DataPlan for its role in the extraordinary rendition program. Oral arguments were presented today in the American Civil Liberties Union's appeal of the dismissal, and the Obama administration opted not to change the government position in the case, instead reasserting that the entire subject matter of the case is a state secret.
Obama Endorses Bush Secrecy On Torture And Rendition (02/04/2009)
NEW YORK – After the British High Court ruled that evidence of British resident Binyam Mohamed's extraordinary rendition and torture at Guantánamo Bay must remain secret because of threats made by the Bush administration to halt intelligence sharing, the Obama administration told the BBC today in a written statement: "The United States thanks the UK government for its continued commitment to protect sensitive national security information and preserve the long-standing intelligence sharing relationship that enables both countries to protect their citizens."
ACLU Asks Secretary Of State Clinton To Clarify U.S. Policy On Exposing Torture And Rendition (02/04/2009)
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union sent a letter today to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton urging her to clarify the Obama administration's position related to the rendition case of Guantánamo detainee Binyam Mohamed and calling on her to reject the Bush administration's policy of using false claims of national security to avoid judicial review of controversial programs.
Leading Human Rights Groups Request Full Access To Guantánamo Prison (01/30/2009)
NEW YORK – Four leading human rights and civil liberties organizations asked President Obama to grant them full access to the Guantánamo Bay detention center so that they can review the conditions of confinement and make recommendations for revising U.S. detention policies. The American Civil Liberties Union, Amnesty International USA, Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch have had permission to observe the military commissions at Guantánamo since August 2004, but have thus far only been offered a guided tour of the detention camp without access to detainees.
ACLU Calls On Justice Department To Release Bush Administration Torture And Surveillance Memos (01/28/2009)
NEW YORK – In a letter sent to the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) today, the American Civil Liberties Union requested the release of secret memos that provided the legal basis for many of the Bush administration's controversial national security policies. The Justice Department continues to withhold many legal opinions, including memos purporting to allow torture and warrantless surveillance. The ACLU has previously sought the memos through the Freedom of Information Act
Top Bush aides pushed for Guantánamo torture
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
Torture victim's records lost at Guantánamo, admits camp general
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...
Binyam Mohamed was "rendered" by the United States to Morocco, where his lawyers claim he suffered appalling torture.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/...