Congress must oppose U.S.-sanctioned torture

The problem of human rights abuses committed by the United States is not new. The CIA and other intelligence officials have been involved in torture for decades in many countries. Now U.S. officials at the highest levels, including Attorney General John Ashcroft, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and many others are directly implicated in ordering the torture of prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. We need your help with this national crisis.

Our STOP (Stop Torture Permanently) Campaign will proceed in phases, and we will provide regular updates to inform you of new solidarity efforts, coming events, congressional activities and current news. The first phase of our grassroots work must be to communicate to our congressional leaders that we want immediate and decisive actions, not merely lip service, to bring U.S.-sponsored torture to an end for once and for all.

In order to set conditions for future reforms, our leaders must hear from us in great numbers. Let them know that if they support basic human rights, they have our votes. They must understand that we will not tolerate national security purchased with war crimes. As the photographs from Abu Ghraib and the subsequent world reaction to them made clear, such conduct does not make us safer, it endangers us.

Action

We can help create the conditions we need for some serious reform efforts. But our leaders need to hear from the voters!

Organize a dozen concerned friends, and call your members of Congress in Washington D.C., to tell them you will not stand for torture of any kind, whether carried out directly by U.S. personnel or by proxy.

If you wish to make additional calls please call these human rights defenders and applaud their courage: Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.; Rep. Tom Lantos , D-Calif.; Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio; Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.; Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; Sen. Jim Jeffords, I-Vt.

Visit our online Legislative Action Center.

Message

I urge you to oppose torture of any kind, whether carried out directly by U.S. personnel, or by proxy.

• Abuses reflected in the photographs from Abu Ghraib and described by the prisoners, constitute obvious forms of torture. This includes but is not limited to sexual humiliation, hoodings, beatings, drownings, sleep deprivation, painful positioning, prolonged solitary confinement, confinement in containers, deprivation of medical care and bathroom privileges, and unsanitary diet.
• In addition, intelligence officials and contractors who requested, encouraged, or carried out such tortures should be promptly identified to the Senate and House Intelligence Oversight Boards, and brought to criminal trial at once. It is an injustice to require our young servicemen and women who merely followed their orders to stand trial alone.
• There can be no more secret prisoners or "ghost prisoners". The CIA and other intelligence branches must present a full list of the names and locations of each and every prisoner to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), as well as the Senate and House Oversight Committee at once. The ICRC must have access to such prisons, announced or unannounced upon arrival.
• The United States cannot be above the law. This has only lead to abuse and corruption. We ask for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor to investigate the high level wrongdoings here.
• The United States must subject itself to the International Criminal Court.

For more about UUSC's STOP Campaign, visit www.uusc.org/stoptorture/ or e-mail stoptorture@uusc.org.