Happy Monday. Welcome to the Dog’s letter writing campaign for torture accountability. This campaign is designed to keep the issue of accountability under the law for the Bush administrations torture program alive. Here is how it works, every Monday the Dog writes to one of the decision makers on the issue of torture accountability. You get involved (and increase the impact) by either cutting and pasting the letter over your own signature or just writing your own letter. The Dog even provides e-mail links so you can cc the letter to all the decision makers.
"Originally posted at Squarestate.net"
This week we are back to writing the Attorney General, as he has the final say as to whether comprehensive investigations will accrue or not.
Dear Attorney General Holder:
I write you once again to urge your action on the issue of the Bush Administration’s apparent torture program. The legal reasons why you should act are clear. Torture is both a Federal and International crime. Under the International Conventions Against Torture, any signatory has the obligation to investigate every credible allegation of torture.
Further there is an obligation to investigate not just those that carried out the act of torture, but those who ordered it. This is due to the specific exclusion of "action on orders" as a defense for commission of torture.
It is fairly clear that you and the Department of Justice have not acted on these requirements because of domestic political concerns. These concerns are probably quite real. The Republican Party and the conservative base would react vehemently to any serious investigation of the Bush Administrations ordering of torture.
This should not matter, as the rule of law is based on the idea of equal justice, regardless of political position or political calculation.
While upholding the rule of law should be enough to initiate action, it appears it is not. However, there are other considerations that you should be taking into account in making the choice to appoint a Special Prosecutor and allow him or her to fully investigate all aspects of our torture of prisoners.
It is well known, from the under oath testimony, that the Bush Administration ordered the torture of prisoners. That prisoners can not be tried because their treatment has risen to the level of torture, that we waterbaorded at least three prisoners, that we have very harshly treated hundreds more is common knowledge world wide.
Take the case of Aafia Siddiqui. She was recently convicted seven counts including attempted murder. Ms. Siddiqui is a Pakistani citizen who was on the FBI most wanted list for years before her capture. It seems that Ms. Siddiqui is guilty of the crimes she is convicted of, but the issue of United States holding of prisoners in so-called Black Sites and the torture of prisoners has clouded this issue in Pakistan.
There is a large movement in Pakistan that believes Ms. Siddiqui’s claims that she was held for years and tortured by the United States. There is no way to disprove this accusation. After all it is known we captured prisoners and held them incommunicado at Black Sites. It is known we have tortured prisoners. It is not a hard thing for anyone to believe that we did this to Ms. Siddiqui.
This is where our failure to investigate and prosecute our known torture criminals becomes more than a domestic legal issue. Pakistan is a needed ally in our war in Afghanistan and they will be even more important if there is ever to be a stable peace there. Yet they can not accept that our justice system is fair. This is not an unreasonable idea given that we have the former Vice President saying he was "a big supporter of waterboarding".
Part of our ability to affect positive change in the world is predicated on the idea that the United States will be fair and just. As long as we are so blatantly and obviously failing to investigate the war crimes of the Bush Administration we will not be viewed as fair or just. This will make any efforts in foreign policy harder.
Mr. Attorney General, I know that it will not be easy, but the damage that we are doing to our nation, both domestically and internationally by failing to investigate known war crimes is far greater than the uproar such investigations would produce. If the U.S. Justice system means anything, then we should not be afraid to investigate admitted crimes and prosecute those who have broken the law. They will have their day in court, they will be able to present their case for the legality of their actions and then face the ruling of a court. This is one of the pillars of our democracy, the rule of law, please don’t allow it to be subverted merely to avoid political problems.
Regards,.
cc:
President Obama
Speaker Pelosi
Majority Leader Reid
Judiciary Chair Leahy
Judiciary Chair Conyers
Rep. Jerry Nadler
There is the letter, below are the links.
AG Holder, can be reached at AskDOJ@usdoj.gov. Be sure to put Attention then his name in the subject line.
The White House, Attention President Obama
Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Majority Leader Harry Reid
Rep John Conyers - Judiciary Committee Chair
Chairman Leahy
Representative Jerry Nadler
(to get past Rep. Nadler's filter use Zip Code 11224-4561 and the address of 445 Neptune Ave, Brooklyn, NY)
Now it is all up to you. Please act to keep the issue of torture accountability alive.
The floor is yours.