[Peace-discuss] Congress and torture

[C. G. Estabrook]

[I faxxed the appended to our Congressional rep, the Hon. Tim Johnson,
today.  (His DC fax number seems to be 202.226.0791.)  I hope the note's
clear -- the Baran article is a good summary.  You can follow events on
the House floor on C-Span or at <clerk.house.gov/floorsummary/floor.html>.
Calls or faxes to Timmy would seem to be in order.  --CGE]

October 8, 2004

Representative Timothy Johnson

Dear Tim:

The House is considering today H.R. 10, the "9/11 Recommendations
Implementation Act" -- which, regardless of its title, in fact condones
torture, limits immigration and increases surveillance of both
non-citizens and citizens. The legislation has been hurried to the floor
without much time for debate or public input, just as Congress prepares to
recess.

The 9/11 Commission did not recommend any of these offensive provisions,
some of which were found in the Domestic Security Enhancement Act
("Patriot II") -- which opposition from Americans kept from coming to a
vote. 

H.R. 10 as it stands would allow the government to deport non-citizens who
to countries where they would likely be tortured,  in direct violation of
the Convention Against Torture, signed by the US in 1989.  Article Three
of that international agreement  states, "No State Party shall expel,
return ... or extradite a person to another State where there are
substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being
subjected to torture."

As Seymour Hersh points out in his new book, Chain of Command, the torture
policies of US authorities in American prisons (mostly secret) around the
world have shocked the conscience of the world.  The United States began
with "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind": the Congress now
seems to think it can dispense with that, and is about to condone torture
again.  This is outrageous.

For detailed objections to this legislation, see the article by Madeleine
Baran in The New Standard under today's date; it can be found at
<newstandardnews.net/content/?action=show_item&itemid=1074>.

I trust you will oppose these offensive provisions and not vote for a
final bill that contains them. 

Best personal regards, 

Carl Estabrook

	-30-