We have heard from a couple of people today that Senator Inouye might
be willing to support a weaker version of the McCain/Senate anti-
torture amendment. This could potentially be VERY damaging. Please
help us ensure this gets distributed widely and quickly throughout HI.
Visits to district offices would be really powerful and calls are
encouraged, too.
Senator Inouye is the ranking member of the conference committee
negotiating the DoD spending bill, to which the Senate anti-torture
amendment is attached. That is why it is so vital that he does not
waiver on this and supports the amendment being retained "as is". He
did vote favorably for the amendment early this month in the Senate
as you will see in the action...
................Here's what's going on, and what you can do...........
No Exceptions in the Prohibition on Torture and Ill-Treatment!
On October 5th the U.S. Senate demonstrated important leadership in
acting to stop torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment in the context of the U.S.-led "war on terror". By an
overwhelming vote of 90-9, the Senate passed an amendment offered by
Senator John McCain to the Department of Defense appropriations bill
to establish minimum uniform guidelines for treatment of detainees
and affirm the prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment.
While this is a victory, there is still important work to be done to
seal this principle. The House and Senate have different versions of
the Defense appropriations bill, requiring the legislation to go to
a "conference committee" that will reconcile the two versions and
agree on a final text. In addition, the amendment may be offered on
the Department of Defense Authorization bill which may be brought
back up for debate in the coming weeks. It is crucial that the
Senators and Representatives who are assigned on the Appropriations
Committee and the Armed Services Committee hear the message that they
must retain the Senate anti-torture amendment as is. There is a
danger that the amendment could be revised to be harmful and contrary
to the treaty against torture and to U.S. principles by exempting the
CIA, allowing for a presidential waiver, or placing other
qualifications that would be damaging as the administration has
requested. We will need to keep the pressure on to ensure the Senate
anti-torture amendment remains as is for the final version of any
bill it is attached to and that the President signs it into law.
What you can do next:
Call or visit the district offices of Senator Daniel Inouye. Senator
Inouye is the ranking member of the conference committee that is
negotiating the Department of Defense spending bill to which the
Senate anti-torture amendment is attached. His district office
contact information is below.
Honolulu 300 Ala Moana Boulevard Room 7-212 Honolulu, Hawaii 96850-
4975 808-541-2542 Fax: 808-541-2549
Maui Ryther Barbin, Field Representative 24 N. Church Street, #407
Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii 96793 808-242-9702 Fax: 808-242-7233
Hilo Delbert Nishimoto, Field Representative 101 Aupuni Street, #205
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 808-935-0844 Fax: 808-961-5163
Molokai William Akutagawa, Field Representative P.O. Box 573
Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748 808-642-0203 Fax: 808-560-3385
Kona Wayne Tanaka, Field Representative P.O. Box 4l Kealakekua,
Hawaii 96750 808-935-0844 Fax: 808-961-5163
Kauai Ronald Sakoda, Field Representative 1840A Leleiona Street P.O.
Box 311 Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii 96766
Senator Inouye's Washington DC Office can be reached by calling the
Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3934. Be sure to take action by
Friday, November 4th as it is expected the conference committee will
potentially finish negotiations around this date.
What to ask:
· Thank him for voting in favor of the Senate anti-torture
amendment earlier this month.
· Ask him to now work to ensure the Senate anti-torture
amendment is retained as is by the conference committee and to
encourage the President to sign it into law, without any revision to
the text passed by the Senate.
· Tell him the United States must stand without exception for
the principle of human decency and against the use of torture and
other forms cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
· Emphasize that any attempts to create exemptions for the CIA,
a presidential waiver on the ban, or other qualification would put
the US government in a position of authorizing inhumane treatment of
detainees, in violation of core US principles and existing
obligations under US and international law.
· Also, take the opportunity to reiterate support for Congress
to establish a fully independent commission to investigate all
allegations of torture and ill-treatment by agents of the U.S.
Government around the world.
MAHALO for your efforts in securing this victory! if you are interested in getting more involved in lobbying to denounce torture and for all human rights, please contact Cecilia Lipp with Amnesty International at clipp@aiusa.org
be willing to support a weaker version of the McCain/Senate anti-
torture amendment. This could potentially be VERY damaging. Please
help us ensure this gets distributed widely and quickly throughout HI.
Visits to district offices would be really powerful and calls are
encouraged, too.
Senator Inouye is the ranking member of the conference committee
negotiating the DoD spending bill, to which the Senate anti-torture
amendment is attached. That is why it is so vital that he does not
waiver on this and supports the amendment being retained "as is". He
did vote favorably for the amendment early this month in the Senate
as you will see in the action...
................Here's what's going on, and what you can do...........
No Exceptions in the Prohibition on Torture and Ill-Treatment!
On October 5th the U.S. Senate demonstrated important leadership in
acting to stop torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment in the context of the U.S.-led "war on terror". By an
overwhelming vote of 90-9, the Senate passed an amendment offered by
Senator John McCain to the Department of Defense appropriations bill
to establish minimum uniform guidelines for treatment of detainees
and affirm the prohibition on torture and other cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment.
While this is a victory, there is still important work to be done to
seal this principle. The House and Senate have different versions of
the Defense appropriations bill, requiring the legislation to go to
a "conference committee" that will reconcile the two versions and
agree on a final text. In addition, the amendment may be offered on
the Department of Defense Authorization bill which may be brought
back up for debate in the coming weeks. It is crucial that the
Senators and Representatives who are assigned on the Appropriations
Committee and the Armed Services Committee hear the message that they
must retain the Senate anti-torture amendment as is. There is a
danger that the amendment could be revised to be harmful and contrary
to the treaty against torture and to U.S. principles by exempting the
CIA, allowing for a presidential waiver, or placing other
qualifications that would be damaging as the administration has
requested. We will need to keep the pressure on to ensure the Senate
anti-torture amendment remains as is for the final version of any
bill it is attached to and that the President signs it into law.
What you can do next:
Call or visit the district offices of Senator Daniel Inouye. Senator
Inouye is the ranking member of the conference committee that is
negotiating the Department of Defense spending bill to which the
Senate anti-torture amendment is attached. His district office
contact information is below.
Honolulu 300 Ala Moana Boulevard Room 7-212 Honolulu, Hawaii 96850-
4975 808-541-2542 Fax: 808-541-2549
Maui Ryther Barbin, Field Representative 24 N. Church Street, #407
Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii 96793 808-242-9702 Fax: 808-242-7233
Hilo Delbert Nishimoto, Field Representative 101 Aupuni Street, #205
Hilo, Hawaii 96720 808-935-0844 Fax: 808-961-5163
Molokai William Akutagawa, Field Representative P.O. Box 573
Kaunakakai, Hawaii 96748 808-642-0203 Fax: 808-560-3385
Kona Wayne Tanaka, Field Representative P.O. Box 4l Kealakekua,
Hawaii 96750 808-935-0844 Fax: 808-961-5163
Kauai Ronald Sakoda, Field Representative 1840A Leleiona Street P.O.
Box 311 Lihue, Kauai, Hawaii 96766
Senator Inouye's Washington DC Office can be reached by calling the
Capitol Hill switchboard at 202-224-3934. Be sure to take action by
Friday, November 4th as it is expected the conference committee will
potentially finish negotiations around this date.
What to ask:
· Thank him for voting in favor of the Senate anti-torture
amendment earlier this month.
· Ask him to now work to ensure the Senate anti-torture
amendment is retained as is by the conference committee and to
encourage the President to sign it into law, without any revision to
the text passed by the Senate.
· Tell him the United States must stand without exception for
the principle of human decency and against the use of torture and
other forms cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
· Emphasize that any attempts to create exemptions for the CIA,
a presidential waiver on the ban, or other qualification would put
the US government in a position of authorizing inhumane treatment of
detainees, in violation of core US principles and existing
obligations under US and international law.
· Also, take the opportunity to reiterate support for Congress
to establish a fully independent commission to investigate all
allegations of torture and ill-treatment by agents of the U.S.
Government around the world.
MAHALO for your efforts in securing this victory! if you are interested in getting more involved in lobbying to denounce torture and for all human rights, please contact Cecilia Lipp with Amnesty International at clipp@aiusa.org
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