[PAA-Discuss] Celebrate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by Ending Torture

[juli3 at aol.com]

Dear Juli:






 Take Action

Urge President-elect Obama to End Torture and Stand Up for Human Rights




Today marks the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states unequivocally that no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. Sixty years after the United States joined with other nations of the world at the United Nations to approve the Declaration, our reputation around the world has been damaged by U.S. detention practices that have left the door open to torture and abuse.

Bringing U.S. policies into compliance with the principles espoused by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would be a decisive step forward in restoring America's place in the world. Last week, Human Rights First convened a group of retired generals and admirals to discuss the Bush Administration's interrogation and detention policies with some of President-elect Barack Obama's top legal advisors. 

The officers said that the new administration should prohibit the CIA's use of so-called "enhanced" interrogation techniques and require interrogators across all government agencies to abide by a single standard of humane treatment. They also advocated closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay and prohibiting the secret transfer of detainees to countries where they may face torture. They urged the new administration to abide by the Geneva Conventions, arguing that failure to do so undermines U.S. authority and the ability to ensu
re the humane treatment of American prisoners detained abroad. 

The group urged the President-elect and the new administration to act quickly and decisively. "If he'd just put a couple of sentences in his inaugural address, stating the new position, then everything would flow from that,' said retired Major General Fred Haynes, whose regiment in World War II raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.

The meeting was featured extensively in the media. Read about it in the Washington Post, the AP, Reuters, and CNN.com. Watch Major General Paul Eaton on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and watch Rear Admiral John Hutson on CNN Live. 

On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we ask that you contact the Transition Team. Let them know that restoring America's place in the world as a nation that stands up for human rights must be a top priority, and that the new administration should act swiftly to fix U.S. interrogation and detention policies. No torture. No exceptions.   

Sincerely,

Sharon Kelly
Campaign Manager, We Can End Torture Now

















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