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July 01 "BANNERS ACROSS AMERICA"
330 CONGREGATIONS DISPLAY ANTI-TORTURE BANNERS DURING JUNE -TORTURE AWARENESS MONTH A Project of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture Rabbi Rachel Kahn-Troster, the Director of Education and Outreach for Rabbis for Human Rights-North America, has been inspired by the way that she has encountered anti-torture banners displayed on the exteriors of congregations during her daily journeys in Manhattan. "Whether it is walking by Riverside Church or Rutgers Presbyterian Church and seeing an anti-torture banner displayed at both of them, or seeing one in the sanctuary at B'nai Jeshurun Synagogue when I go to a brit milah, or looking up at the one at Shaare Zedek Synagogue when I enter Shabbat services, I am constantly reminded about the millions of people we are reaching with the interfaith message that torture is a moral issue."
The National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT) is a growing membership organization committed to ending U.S.-sponsored torture, and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Since its formation in January 2006, over 210 religious organizations have joined NRCAT, including representatives from the Roman Catholic, evangelical Christian, mainline Protestant, Unitarian, Orthodox Christian, Quaker, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh communities. The organization can be reached at 202-547-1920 or online at www.tortureisamoralisssue.org
A list of the more than 330 congregations that are displaying banners, a collection of 120 photographs of congregations displaying banners and links to the 95 press stories on the banners can be found at http://www.nrcat.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=152&Itemid=151 June 19 Hooray! HB 2417, “Crimes of Torture and Enforced Disappearance,” passes the NC House Judiciary Committee4 Minute Clip of Proceedings
For: Reps. Hall, Mobley, Martin, and Bryant (all Democrats)
Against: Reps. Holmes, Blust, and West (all Republicans) There was almost no discussion, and several members of the committee were absent. At the start of the meeting, Rep. Luebke handed out the ACLU’s brochure on the bill and today’s pro-HB 2417 editorial in the Fayetteville Observer (http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=297069 ). NEXT STEPS: We want the bill to be heard in House Appropriations, a huge committee. EVERYONE statewide should call and/or email Rep. Mickey Michaux, chair of the Appropriations Committee, and ask that the bill be heard toward the end of June, or at the latest before the July 4 holiday. Rep. Mickey Michaux, 919-715-2528, mickeym@ncleg.net. Contact your representative on House Appropriations and urge their support for HB 2417. Most state representatives are on this committee; its membership is here: http://www.ncleg.net/gascripts/Committees/Committees.asp?sAction=ViewCommittee&sActionDetails=House%20Standing_6 Write a letter to the editor of your newspaper in support of the bill and ending North Carolina’s role in rendition and torture. TALKING POINTS: North Carolina is known worldwide as home base for the “torture taxis” of Aero Contractors, the CIA’s Smithfield-based aviation service. Further elements of the U.S. torture program were developed at Ft. Bragg, and rendition-linked planes continue to be operated out of Fayetteville by Centurion Aviation. The people of North Carolina need to stand up and say, “we do not want to host torture!” The Federal government has failed to respond to state lawmakers’ repeated requests for investigation of Aero Contractors. The FBI received the legislators’ second request in October 2006, and asked the Department of Justice for guidance. None has been forthcoming. North Carolina’s Attorney General, Roy Cooper, has said he lacks the power to investigate Aero, and this bill gives him that power. HB 2417 is a good thing for our armed service members. High-level officers are speaking out against the U.S. torture program, because it endangers our active-duty troops. According to Maj. General Antonio Taguba, who led the US Army investigation into the Abu Ghraib scandal: "[T]here is no longer any doubt as to whether the current administration has committed war crimes. The only question is whether those who ordered the use of torture will be held to account." (Physicians for Human Rights report, “Broken Laws, Broken Lives,” http://actnow-phr.org/ct/O73SMTF15mAb/microsite HB 2417 has been vetted by the NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, which says it conforms to NC law. The Commission’s final report notes, “… the people of North Carolina do not condone torture and that it is contrary to who they are as Americans. They also expressed concern that it betrays American armed forces personnel who might become prisoners of war and be at risk of torture themselves.” Many thanks to all who’ve been working hard on this issue!
Christina Cowger - NC Stop Torture Now NC STN Co-Sponsors Entertainment for Delegate Appreciation EventBroadening its outreach efforts, NC STN co-sponsored the live entertainment, local musician John Booth, for a delegate appreciation event on June 14th in Raleigh at which 7 delegates and over 70 guests attended. Representative Dan Blue was the special guest speaker, hosted by Katy and Wick Haynes of Raleigh, and organized by Paulette Hill. Delegates included: John Verajo, George Chunn, Terry Grunwald, Lisa Hooker, Mary Starkey, Mark Ezell, and Lindy Brown. The Western-themed party was a unique way to present an important message to raise awareness about crimes of forced disappearance, and torture. The event was a success, and the message well received. All event photos courtesy of Paulette Hill
For more photos, see go here: http://barackobama.meetup.com/173/photos/376209/
June 12 NC's David Price Leads Effort to Ban Outsourcing of Interrogations
NC STN is energized by and grateful for Price's recent action in Congress
NC STN's Christina Cowger speaks with Rep. David Price at NC Primaries
NC STN at the NC Primaries - Dorton Arena
May 09 Moazzam Begg, Former Gitmo Detainee Speaks at Duke Conference; (50 min)May 3, 2008 - Duke University, Durham NC Report: "Waterboarding, Ghost Planes, and Guantánamo: Inside America's Secret War," A Conference and Strategy Session More than 50 people gathered to listen to Moazzam Begg, former Bagram and Guantánamo detainee and co-author of Enemy Combatant;
May 08 Chairman Conyers Subpoenas David Addington....John Yoo, author of the infamous Bush “torture memo,” and former Attorney General John Ashcroft both agreed to testify at an upcoming hearing. And in a bold “we mean business” move, at a packed, standing-room only hearing, a House Judiciary subcommittee gave Judiciary Chairman John Conyers the power to issue a subpoena to David Addington, Vice President Cheney’s Chief of Staff.
Now, just hours ago, Judiciary Chairman John Conyers used that authority and issued Mr Addington a subpoena, compelling him to testify on June 26, at 10am. May 05 Rights activists decry tortureRaleigh News and Observer, David Bracken, Staff Writer
DURHAM - The activists who attended Saturday's anti-torture conference at Duke University admit the challenge facing them is daunting.
How do they get the wider American public to engage on an issue that has become mired in partisan battles over the war in Iraq and the larger war on terrorism? Full Article: http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1060302.html April 18 Upcoming Conference at Duke - May 3SAVE THE DATE - MAY 3A conference Co-Sponsored by
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