Peace Perspectives
Annual Report: A Year of Challenges and Opportunities
By Kevin Zeese, Executive Director of Voters For Peace
This has been a year of challenges and opportunities for Voters for Peace. And, with President Obama announcing escalation in Afghanistan and proposing record DoD and supplemental war budgets we have our work cut out for us in 2010. But, we have strong plans for the year and with your help we will have an impact.
The economic collapse that began at the end of 2008 set the stage for a year of limited income requiring us to operate on a tight budget. But, even with that it was a year of some important accomplishments.
One reason Voters for Peace was able to continue its work in these difficult economic times is because we act in a very cost-effective way. We have minimal overhead with staff working out of home offices and multiply our effect by working in coalition with other organizations. In addition, by having a grass roots base funded organization we are not constrained by big donors who are associated with either of the political parties. We have been free to criticize the Democrats when they are wrong, and applaud them when they are right.
In reviewing our year's work in preparing this report, I was reminded of how much we had done over the year: persistent advocacy for peace, for cutting the military budgets, for better appointments, and for torture accountability. Voters for Peace was there as each important issue came up, making sure the peace vote was heard by President Obama and people in the Congress. Not only did we keep people active on the web, Voters for Peace also participated in demonstrations and urged people to participate in local actions around the country.
The centerpiece of our work continues to be education. If you review "Peace Perspectives" for the last year, you will see a wide range of issues covered from a broad array of perspectives. Not only do we cover the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the attacks on Pakistan, and the military budget, but also the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the expansion of the U.S. military in South America, the crisis in Honduras, AfricCom and the effort to expand militarily into Africa, foreign policy in China and Asia as well as torture accountability in the U.S. and around the world. Peace Perspectives is a history of peace, military, war, and foreign policy issues. We publish articles by conservatives and progressives, liberals and libertarians, from the mainstream media to the web media. You can subscribe to Peace Perspectives and receive a free daily news summary in your email by clicking here. Peace Perspectives demonstrates that support for peace and opposition to war knows no political boundaries.
Ending Wars and Reducing Militarism
The main focus of Voters for Peace continues to be ending the wars and preventing future wars of aggression. With the election of President Obama, Voters for Peace did not have false expectations. During the presidential election we pointed out that while Obama talked about ending the war in Iraq, he defined that as leaving a residual force of 50,000 to 80,000 troops along with a similar number of private security contractors or mercenaries. Voters for Peace did not see this as ending the war, but more lowering the level of conflict to continue the occupation. President Bush actually negotiated a more complete exit from Iraq than Obama proposed. And, on other issues we expressed concern, letting our readers know that Obama was threatening to expand war into Pakistan, escalate the war in Afghanistan, and increase the military budget. His campaign rhetoric around Israel-Palestine also showed deference to Israel with Palestinian concerns taking a distant back seat. So, Voters for Peace did not go into his presidency with unrealistic expectations of change from the military-dominated foreign policy of the United States. We knew we had our work cut out for us.
Since Obama's election, Voters for Peace has been organizing people to make sure the president and Congress consistently heard from peace advocates regarding the need to end the wars, cut military spending, and re-shape foreign policy so it is not dependent on militarism.
On Inauguration Day, Voters for Peace sent a letter to the White House, urging an end to militarism and ten specific steps to move toward a paradigm shift in U.S. foreign policy. The letter, initiated by Voters for Peace, was signed by 3,000 people. We did not expect immediate success but wanted to make sure Obama heard from voters who wanted an end to the wars and a reduction of militarism in U.S. foreign policy.
Five days after Inauguration Day, when President Obama announced his intention to send 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, Voters for Peace quickly joined with dozens of other grassroots antiwar groups to oppose the escalation and urge an end to the war. And, we urged Voters for Peace members to tell Obama to not escalate but to exit from Afghanistan. Throughout the year we have continued such efforts ensuring a steady stream of voters telling Obama to end the war. And, we have also been urging Congress to end the Afghanistan War. This continues as President Obama announced the escalation of war in Afghanistan. We recognize that anti-war pressure was a key factor in his inclusion of a promise to begin withdrawal in 18 months. But, we also know that is not enough and that it is a promise that is vague and loophole-ridden. We will push for more.
Whenever an opportunity came up, Voters for Peace encouraged our members to write the President and Congress. We sought opportunities - the milestone of 5,000 military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, conservative columnist George Will coming out against the Afghan War, the counterproductive impact of drones killing civilians, foreign service officers, former CIA, and ambassadors opposing escalation and urging withdrawal, opposing McChrystal's recommendation for more troops, polls showing widespread opposition to escalation and to the Afghan war itself, and whenever Obama was nearing a decision on the war. All of these gave us reason to urge you to take action and contact the White House and Congress. Finding ways to activate people to speak out against the war in persistent and consistent opposition to the wars has been a key goal of Voters for Peace.
Voters for Peace did not only focus on Afghanistan, but focused on cutting the military budget by hundreds of billions through letter-writing and telephone campaigns. We opposed specific military equipment like the expensive and unecessary F-22, which was successfully cut from the budget. We opposed the selection of General McChrystal to head the war in Afghanistan, AIPAC activist Dennis Ross to work at the State Department on Iran, bio-weapons cheerleader, Tara O'Toole to Homeland Security, and former Raytheon executive William Lynn to the number two post at DoD.
We also routinely sought out and joined allied groups who oppose the Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq wars as well as U.S. militarism. We signed joint letters to President Obama, the Progressive Caucus, and to Congress. We've participated in united National Call-In Days to make sure the White House and Congress heard from people opposed to war.
We recognize that web-based activity and phone calls are not sufficient. As a result we worked in coalition with other peace groups to mark the anniversary of the Afghanistan war at a demonstration on October 5th to commemorate the U.S. attack on Afghanistan and to oppose the war. Voters for Peace worked in coalition with other peace groups among them: Witness Against Torture, Veterans for Peace, Peace Action, Code Pink, the War Resisters' League, the Washington Peace Center, Student Peace Action Network, World Can't Wait, and Activist Response Team. Hundreds of people participated in the event and 61 were arrested in acts of non-violent civil disobedience. The demonstration made front page news in the Washington Post among other publications.
Voters for Peace is working closely with other peace groups and leaders on "Peace of the Action." This effort, being led by Voters for Peace Project Board Member Cindy Sheehan, will escalate anti-war activity in the streets of Washington, DC this March, beginning with the commemoration of the U.S. attack on Iraq. Peace of the Action will disrupt activity in the nation's capitol to protest the militarist policies of the United States. See www.PeaceOfTheAction.org.
Torture Accountability
In addition to working to end the wars, prevent future wars, and reduce the military budget, Voters for Peace has also been working to hold accountable those responsible for torture. Once again Voters for Peace has been persistent and consistent, doing all we can do to ensure that the U.S. stops torture and holds those responsible for torture accountable.
Among the things we have done are:
- With our allies at Velvet Revolution, we filed complaints with bar associations around the country against lawyers who worked in the Bush-Cheney administration and facilitated torture, seeking their disbarment.
- We also filed complaints with bar associations against two lawyers who continued to serve in the Obama administration as well as called for their removal from office.
- Voters for Peace has been urging that a special prosecutor be appointed by Attorney General Holder to investigate and prosecute those involved in torture if crimes were committed. We've urged that a special prosecutor be given broad authority to investigate the facts and follow the law. We kept pushing as it became evident that a special prosecutor would indeed be appointed.
- Voters for Peace urged the impeachment of Judge Jay Bybee, a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals judge who, when he worked for the Bush administration, was an author of memoranda that facilitated torture. (We're pleased to see that Judge Bybee has recently set up a fund to fight his impeachment and disbarment.)
- Members of Voters for Peace have joined in efforts to urge torture accountability including the appointment of a special prosecutor, release of the Office of Professional Responsibility report on DOJ lawyers involved in torture, disbarment of lawyers, and release of photographs and videos.
- I've spoken at press conferences and rallies opposing torture and urging those responsible to be held accountable. We encouraged participation in nationwide protests for torture accountability on June 25. And, we've written explaining the case for torture accountability.
Our efforts in seeking torture accountability resulted in me receiving the Wings of Justice Award on May 20th. Past awardees have included Walter Cronkite, Ted Kennedy, and a host of other notables and citizen advocates. While it is pleasing to win an award, more pleasing is that the once unthinkable happened - a special prosecutor was appointed. And, the Department of Justice is on the verge of releasing its long-awaited report of the Office of Professional Responsibility. Perhaps a clue as to its finding is the fact that Judge Bybee is raising money for his defense. So, we are making progress, thanks in large part to your support and involvement. None of this is possible without your participation and financial support.
Voters for Peace recognizes the immense challenge of ending a foreign policy that has been dominated by militarism and war for many decades. We know it will not easily end and that the only way we will achieve our goals is through consistent persistent advocacy, outreach to new allies, expansion of the peace movement, and refusing to compromise with war and militarism.
Thank you for your support in this tremendous undertaking. I hope you will make an end of the year contribution to our efforts, and urge you to remain active with Voters for Peace for as long as it takes to achieve our goals. Please share this report with others you think might be interested and urge them to join us. They can do so by signing the Voters for Peace pledge in support of candidates who will oppose the current wars as well as future wars of aggression.
2010 promises to present more challenges and opportunities for us to advance the cause of peace. We welcome your ideas and suggestions. There are several exciting projects in the works already which we will announce as they develop. Please stay involved and work with us to end the militarist foreign policy of the United States.
Obama makes Afghan escalation official. Peace voters should not give up.
President Obama made it official: he will escalate the war in Afghanistan by sending 30,000 more troops. This is a disastrous mistake for Afghanistan and the United States. The economic collapse in the United States continues, with unemployment over 10%, foreclosures and bankruptcies ongoing and deficits rising. Committing to a bigger war with borrowed money makes no sense, especially as fighting that war undermines U.S. security.
President Obama tried to balance his escalation by promising to begin to withdraw U.S. troops in 18 months. The promise was vague and there was not "end of withdrawal" timetable, just a beginning. But, this promise would not have occurred without the efforts of peace voters, pushing the president and pushing the Congress to end the war. This work must continue. The White House does not have the final say on war under the Constitution, the Congress does. The Congress needs to hear from us now - tell them you oppose the war and want to see all troops brought home. Click here to write Congress.
The White House admits that sending 30,000 more troops will cost $30 billion. This is on top of the $130 billion already budgeted for the wars. Where is that money coming from? Will the government borrow money to fight this unpopular and unnecessary war? Shouldn't that money be spent re-building the U.S. economy?
It is time for us to continue our campaign to stop the troop escalation in Afghanistan and bring the troops home. We need your support to continue. Please click here to donate now.
Voters for Peace opposes sending people to kill and die for a corrupt and incompetent government. The vote fraud in the last Afghan election was truly astounding. The Karzai election was not a legitimate one. Sending U.S. troops will add to the lack of legitimacy of the government and will fuel the insurgency, recruit fighters for the Taliban.
Despite the president's eloquence war does not equal peace. U.S. intelligence agencies now report there are less than 100 al Qaeda operatives inside of Afghanistan. Do we really need 100,000 troops to defeat them? Does that logic even pass the straight face test?
The final decision on Afghanistan will not be made until Congress acts. The president has put forward his views. The Congress needs to hear our views. Please contact Congress today. To write Congress now, click here.
Thank you for taking action and thank you for your support.
Stop Escalation. End the War.
The news is reporting that President Obama is likely to send 34,000 more troops to Afghanistan and that the Pentagon is getting ready to ask for $50 billion in additional funding for the wars after receiving $130 billion already. Obama seems to be on a slippery slope going deeper into a war quagmire rather than taking a path toward leaving Afghanistan.
We are asking you to write President Obama to end the war in Afghanistan and not increase the troops. We are also asking you to contact Congress to help us count the votes on escalation. Visit http://noescalation.org/.
This decision comes after President Karzai was "re-elected" in a fraud-dominated election in which the corruption was so rampant his run-off opponent decided participation would be wrong, Karzai will not be a legitimate leader.
Malalai Joya, a 31-year-old activist and former member of Afghanistan's Parliament, described as Afghanistan's Conscience, sees the U.S./NATO troop presence as an occupation that does more harm than good. She sees it increasing violence and instability.
Her views are echoed by Matthew Hoh, a top Foreign Service officer who resigned over the failed Afghan strategy. Hoh is a former Marine Corps captain with combat experience in Iraq who served in uniform at the Pentagon and as a civilian in Iraq and at the State Department; he was the senior U.S. civilian in Zabul province in Afghanistan. He resigned saying he could not understand "why and to what end" the U.S. was pursuing this war. Hoh says Afghans are fighting the United States largely because its troops are there. The growing military presence is not welcome, especially with a corrupt, U.S.-backed national government in charge. He describes the United States as asking its troops to die in Afghanistan for what is essentially a far-off civil war between urban and rural Afghanistan.
Please take action today. We urge you to take the following steps:
Write President Obama and tell him to end the war in Afghanistan and not to escalate it. Write President Obama and your elected representatives at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/4175/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=1490.
Visit http://www.NoEscalation.org to help us track where Congress stands on the Afghanistan War.
Please make a contribution to Voters for Peace today. We need your support to continue to keep the pressure on Congress and the administration to end the war. Donate now at https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/6850/shop/custom.jsp?donate_page_KEY=1355.
Thank you for supporting our efforts.
A Unique Moment When Your Voice Opposing the Afghan War Will Really Make a Difference
The Afghanistan war is getting attention again. And, it all adds up to an incredible opportunity for the anti-war movement to really prevent further escalation or even stop the war.
In fact, today the New York Times reported that the Obama administration is debating whether a troop reduction is the more sensible path. This echoes a similar report from the Washington Post about a smaller military, not a larger one. Police officials in Afghanistan are saying that more troops will be counterproductive because the U.S. will be seen as an occupying force.
Why? Because polls show 75% of Democrats oppose the war. Indeed, only 34% of all Americans think the Afghanistan war is worth fighting. This means your neighbors agree that this war is not worth fighting.
And, these polls are resonating with politicians facing re-election. Democrats are worried that in 2010 their base will not be active in their campaigns, will not donate to their re-election and will not show up on Election Day. Survival is always on the minds of politicians and when you are the party in power, off-year elections are scary. Not only are anti-war liberals like Senator Russ Feingold saying they want an exit strategy but centrist Democrats like senators Diane Feinstein and Carl Levin are opposing troop increases. Opposition in Congress is growing as the bad news from Afghanistan comes home.
This is a tremendous opportunity for two things:
Expand our base of support. Let your friends and neighbors know that there is a concerted effort to end the war and that they should be part of it. Urge them to come to Voters for Peace and sign up. Buy the video Re-think Afghanistan and invite your friends and neighbors over to watch it. You can order the video here.
Politicians will be listening to their base more than usual. They are running scared and the Afghanistan War is one of the major reasons for their fear. This is the time to let your elected officials know you oppose the war and that it will be critical in the upcoming elections. Click here to send President Obama and your elected officials in Congress a message opposing the Afghanistan War.
Finally, on October 5 I will be participating in demonstrations opposing the Afghanistan War at the White House. Please join us in this action highlighting the end of the 8th year of war and the beginning of the 9th. Now is the time when acting to oppose this war can have the most impact. Click here to get information and sign up to participate.
With the U.S. economy collapsing, unemployment rising, foreclosures on the increase, deficits rapidly rising at all levels of government - the U.S. cannot afford the mistaken war in Afghanistan. Give voice to the majority of Americans who oppose escalation and oppose this war by taking action now. Click here to take action.
Thanks for your support and for taking action.
Now is the time to tell Obama to stop the war in Afghanistan
The Obama administration is at a crossroads when it comes to the war in Afghanistan. It is time to tell President Obama why you oppose the Afghanistan War. Click here to write President Obama.General McChrystal has prepared a report on Afghanistan calling for escalation. The White House says President Obama will be reading the report this week and a decision on any changes will occur in the next few weeks.
So now is the time to let Obama know what you think. Click here.
Media reports on the report indicate that McChrystal is seeking to restart the Afghanistan War with more troops, more U.S. civilians, and a bigger Afghan force.
This may be the best opportunity we have to stop this war. If we do not act now, we could have a long stay in Afghanistan. David Lindroff may have said it best: "If the American people don't rise up and demand an end to this thing right now, we could be in for another 8-10 years of brutal and bloody warfare, and in the end, the United States is, once again, going to lose."
At a recent Brookings Institution Conference in Washington, DC, four hawkish speakers, some who advise the administration, urged escalation. Robert Dreyfuss summarized the speakers' shared views: 1. "Significant escalation" is essential "to avoid utter defeat." 2. If "tens of thousands" of new troops were sent to Afghanistan, it would be impossible to know whether this reinforcement changed anything until another 18 months had elapsed. 3. Even if the U.S. "turns the tide," no "significant drawdown" of American troops could occur for at least another five years.
McChrystal's report comes at a bad moment in Afghanistan. August was the deadliest month and September started off following suit. The U.S. military is exhausted and stretched thin. As a result, there are a greater percentage of mercenaries in Afghanistan than any war in U.S. history. The recent election in Afghanistan undermined the legitimacy of the government with 1,740 complaints of fraud, 567 serious enough to change the outcome.
McChrystal's report also comes at a time when deficits at home are at record highs and Congress knows that we are risking hyperinflation. Borrowing more money to fight a failing and unnecessary war makes even less sense in these circumstances. In fact, the media is already predicting rising tensions in Congress over Afghanistan. In addition, the White House reportedly fears liberal reaction to Afghanistan. And, the Chairman of the Joints Chiefs is unsure whether more troops can be provided. The White House is divided and the Pentagon is insecure about support for escalation.
The essential question that President Obama has been unable to answer is "What are we fighting for?"
While we want you to take action today by writing President Obama, that is not enough.
To highlight the eighth anniversary of the Afghan War, on Monday, October 5, 2009, Voters for Peace will be joining with the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR), along with Witness Against Torture, Peace Action, The War Resisters League, Atlantic Life Community, Voices for Creative Nonviolence, and Veterans for Peace. We will mark the anniversary and speak out against the war with direct action, risking arrest at the White House. Hundreds are likely to risk arrest. If you want to get involved, visit: Voices for Creative Non-Violence. There will be more events around the anniversary this fall and we will keep you informed so you can take action.
Opposition to the Afghanistan War is not only coming from the peace movement. Just this week, conservative commentator George Will came out in favor of ending the Afghanistan War in a column titled "Time to Get Out of Afghanistan." He urged a "rapid reversal" of policy and highlighted the fact that, "The war already is nearly 50 percent longer than the combined U.S. involvements in two world wars. . ." He says, "Afghanistan would need hundreds of thousands of coalition troops, perhaps for a decade or more. That is inconceivable."
Now is the time to increase our efforts to stop this war. The combination of a failing war, stretched-thin military, corrupt Afghani government, record government deficits, and a majority of Americans opposing the war, makes this the time to change. If we don't act now we may find ourselves deeper into a war-quagmire that makes leaving even more difficult.
Thank you for taking action.
Demand a full investigation of torture
Click here to take action
We've been working for a torture accountability investigation for a very long time. And, many of you have been helping by sending emails and making phone calls to the Attorney General, President and Congress.
Today, a major step was made -- the Attorney General announced that he was appointing a special prosecutor to investigate torture. Read the Attorney General's statement
While this is a major step forward, we are not satisfied. The Attorney General is selectively investigating torture in a limited number of cases and only examining the actions of low-level interrogators. This violates the Convention Against Torture. As we told the Attorney General in a letter I wrote earlier this month on behalf of Voters for Peace and more than 150 other organizations, the Convention Against Torture requires all acts of torture be investigated and all those involved be held accountable by being prosecuted. Read the letter
We are going to keep the pressure on. We want a full investigation and we do not want policy makers or lawyers who facilitated torture protected.
Please support our efforts by making a donation today.
Also, please take action by writing the Attorney General and urging him to investigate everyone involved in torture. Investigating a handful of low-level interrogators from the CIA is insufficient when thousands have been tortured. The policy makers and lawyers involved must also be held accountable for their actions. The Attorney General cannot let politics come before enforcing the law through selective prosecutions.
Click here to take action
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Kevin Zeese
Executive Director
VotersForPeace.US
Obama Embraces Afghanistan, Time for Citizen Opposition to Escalate
Today Afghanistan votes in elections that many view as a fraud. The candidates are all approved by the U.S., there are no political parties, the Taliban cannot run candidates, and the vote takes place under U.S. bayonets. There have reports of the presidential election sparking violence, corruption, vote buying, and alliances between Karzai and war lords.
One Member of Parliament, a woman who is the youngest Member, wrote that Afghans have "no hope" in this election. A fake election will not bring peace and stability.
This weekend President Obama fully embraced the Afghanistan War and has done so at a time when generals and DoD officials are acknowledging the U.S. is losing, deaths are mounting, and that it is going to be a very long haul measured in years not in months, one general saying four decades.
Those who oppose this war need to organize. We need more people informed about the facts and more people involved in ending the war. Please forward this email to people you know and urge them to take action.
And, take action yourself. Urge President Obama to end the Afghanistan War. The U.S. cannot succeed in the graveyard of Empires and cannot afford to continue this war. Take action at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/9050/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27796
The Pentagon is spending nearly $5 billion per month in Iraq and Afghanistan, a pace that would bring yearly costs to almost $60 billion.
Military fatalities are consistently rising. And civilian deaths are rapidly rising as the result of drones and air attacks. These deaths are undermining support for the U.S.
Military leaders in both the United States and Britain are saying troops will be needed for years in Afghanistan. State Department officials are describing a lengthy occupation lasting many years. The U.S. is showing its intention by building very large bases in Afghanistan. And there are calls for a vast increase in troops.
The U.S. is repeating mistakes of the Iraq war with very high civilian deaths and abusive prison camps. The Afghan insurgents are winning and holding land. They are a very difficult enemy for U.S. troops. The Taliban is stronger than any time since the war began. Afghanis are increasingly angry with the U.S. presence in their country. In some cases, overcoming Afghan resistance seems insurmountable and the U.S. is considering pulling troops from some regions.
It seems as if the United States can neither define victory nor measure success, nor does it have a clear objective in the Afghan War.
Not only is the Afghan war increasingly unpopular at home with only 41% supporting the war, but throughout the world opposition to the war is increasing. Even soldiers see the war as futile.
The Obama administration is at a critical crossroads regarding Afghanistan policy. Please write the president and urge him to end the Afghanistan War. And, urge everyone you know to do so. Take action at http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1312/t/9050/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=27796
Attorney General Holder seriously considering special prosecutor for torture
Reports over the weekend indicate that Attorney General Holder is seriously considering the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate torture and other abuses that occurred during the Bush-Cheney administration.
This would be a major reversal and indicates that our efforts for torture accountability are paying off. We are close to success but pressure is mounting to prevent prosecution. Please act now to write the President and Attorney General to urge a criminal investigation. Click here to take action. Already, there is a strong reaction trying to thwart the appointment from leading Republicans like Senator John McCain and Rep. Peter King. McCain warned such a prosecution would give terrorists "more tools." And King urged a "scorched earth policy" of non-cooperation by Republicans on all issues.
In the White House, political advisors David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel oppose a probe because of the impact it might have on the president's legislative agenda.
But, under the law, the Attorney General has no choice. The Convention Against Torture was signed by President Reagan and is now the law of the land. It requires an investigation and prosecution if torture has occurred. There are no excuses. To revive the credibility of the Department of Justice as a law enforcement agency instead of a White House political tool, Holder must uphold the law.
Newsweek reports that four sources tell them the Attorney General is leaning toward the appointment and has already requested ten names of potential prosecutors. Scott Horton, the Atlantic's torture reporter, writes in the Daily Beast that two sources confirm Holder's appointment preparations.
There are still issues that could turn this potential success into a failure. One is the breadth of the probe. Will it be broad enough to include the policy makers who were responsible? If not, it will be a whitewash. The Washington Post indicates torture policy makers would not be investigated and the probe would be limited to those who went beyond the limits of the DOJ memos. Scott Horton is reporting a broader investigation would be authorized.
It would be a grave error to limit the inquiry to those outside of the DOJ memos; the memos' legal analyses were flawed and manipulated. Indeed, the White House's manipulation of the Justice Department must be investigated to return credibility to the agency as an apolitical upholder of the law. The appointment of a special prosecutor is likely to come at the same time that DOJ releases an Office of Professional Responsibility report on the legal memos and whether the authors should be disbarred.
We are asking you to take three actions:
1. Write Attorney General Holder. The letter we have drafted makes the following points. The first is that the rule of law demands a full-fledged torture investigation. The second is that the authors of the memos that facilitated torture should be recommended for disbarment. The last is that the special prosecutor should be truly independent and allowed to fully investigate the facts and apply the law to the highest levels of government. The Justice Department reputation for independence cannot be restored without a full investigation, including holding DOJ officials responsible for their actions.
2. Write President Obama to tell him that political considerations are secondary to upholding the rule of law. He lectured the people of Africa in Ghana this weekend, "You have the power to hold your leaders accountable." Americans have the same power and responsibility. President Obama needs to make it clear that DOJ is independent of the White House. He needs to make it clear that this is the Attorney General's decision. And he needs to make it clear that de-politicizing the issue by applying the rule of law is best for the country.
3. Share this email with everyone you know. The movement for torture accountability is growing. Now that this idea has been floated the pressure to prevent an independent prosecutor is going to mount. It is going to take a lot of public pressure to ensure torture accountability.
Voters For Peace has been calling for a special prosecutor, a public Congressional inquiry, and disbarment of torture lawyers. With your financial and advocacy help, we are making progress that less than a month ago seemed impossible. It seems we are nearing success. Now is the time for you to take action. Urge torture accountability and support our ongoing efforts for the rule of law.
Thank you.
Kevin Zeese
Executive Director
Voters for Peace
Remove John Rizzo and Jonathan Fredman from office
As I was making final preparations to announce complaints against CIA lawyers who facilitated torture, the New Yorker reported that an Iraqi was crucified to death.
He died with his ribs broken, head covered in a bag, and being held up by his two arms.
The forensic pathologist who reported the death described it as a homicide.
No one has been indicted. It is not even clear if there was any investigation to discover who was responsible for the murder.
Human Rights Watch reports that 98 people died in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan. They also note that we do not know what happened to many other people in custody. They seem to have disappeared.
Monday, at a press conference in Washington, D.C. (video here), we announced complaints against three intelligence agency lawyers who were aggressive advocates of torture, who facilitated torture with their law license. See media coverage here.
Two of these lawyers are still working in the Obama administration, CIA Acting General Counsel John Rizzo and an attorney for the National Director of Intelligence, Jonathan Fredman. Click here to urge Obama to remove these lawyers from office.
Rizzo may be known to you because the Department of Justice memos that attempted to legalize torture were written for him. He sought a legal shield from the Justice Department and after a lot of pressure from the White House was given one in these false DOJ memos. Before the DOJ memos, Rizzo had already approved the waterboarding of one suspect 83 times. Rizzo was also the General Counsel for the CIA when the agency destroyed 93 tapes that showed extremely harsh torture interrogations despite a court order to preserve them.
Fredman is known for saying, "Torture is subject to perception. If the detainee dies, you're doing it wrong." He also warned interrogators for the military never to videotape torture interrogations, which he euphemistically called aggressive interrogations, because they will "look ugly."
These lawyers behaved like mob lawyers, telling their clients how to break the law and to destroy the evidence or make sure not to provide evidence of their crimes.
They are still working for President Obama. Click here to urge Obama to remove them from office.
We're staying on the torture accountability issue. The toxicity of torture in the U.S. body politic has only one antidote: apply the rule of law to torturers and their facilitators.
How do we get Washington, D.C., which is in gridlock over the torture issue, to act? There is only one way: organized and persistent citizen pressure.
Click here to write the president, congressional representatives, and the attorney general to take action: publicly investigate torture and appoint an independent counsel to gather the facts and apply the rule of law.
Please join us in our efforts to ensure torture accountability. We can only do it with your support.
-- Kevin Zeese, Executive Director
Step up efforts to end the wars
The news today on foreign policy is bad on many fronts. It is time for the peace movement to step up its activities throughout the country.
The U.S. passed the 5,000th death of a U.S. service member in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. This sad milestone is the tip of the iceberg of the dire effects of these wars - mass deaths and maiming of civilians, millions forced to flea their homes described as "an exodus that is beyond biblical."
Wars are raging. Indeed, the deadline for U.S. troops to leave Iraqi cities has passed. To meet the deadline Iraq needed to redraw city boundaries. So, the troops didn't move but they are no longer within city limits. General Casey, the Army chief of staff, said the Pentagon must plan for extended U.S. combat and stability operations in two wars - up to ten more years in Iraq. And, a new report from the Pentagon indicated that there were now 250,000 private security contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is fair to call these people mercenaries since they do the jobs that service members did in Vietnam and other wars. When the mercenaries are added to the active duty troops it totals nearly 450,000 military personnel in the Iraq and Af/Pak wars.
And, to top off the hawkish news, on Monday President Obama appointed Rep. John McHugh, who has been in Congress since 1993 and is the senior Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. McHugh, an advocate for military spending and a supporter of both wars, comes on top of the appointment of General McChrystal to head the Afghanistan War - a general whose commands have been tied to torture and abuse of prisoners.
On the torture front General Petraeus, in a stunning admission, acknowledges the US has violated the Geneva Conventions and international law. General Sanchez, the former top coalition commander in Iraq, has called for a truth commission to investigate abusive interrogation practices. Former President Jimmy Carter disagreed with Obama's decision not to release the photos and failure to fully investigate torture and abuse to determine whether prosecution is necessary. Unfortunately, President Obama is doing all he can to block release of the photos, supporting a bill co-sponsored by Senators Joe Lieberman and Lindsay Graham that will re-write the Freedom of Information Act to prevent the release of the torture and abuse photos.
Is the news bad enough yet?
We need to consistently let our representatives know that we oppose these actions and organize events to push them to end these wars and apply the rule of law to torture.
You can write your representatives and President Obama by clicking here.
If you want to organize an event in your community we will publicize it to people in your area. Please let us know your plans and we can do a mailing to the Voters For Peace list in your area. Send an email to action[at]votersforpeace[dot]org or visit the web calendar at http://votersforpeace.us/events/month.php.
If you don't like the direction the country is going it will not change without action by you and others. It is time to step up efforts to end the wars.
