Jul 10th, 2009
Posted by Nahal Zamani, Human Rights Program at 2:57pm	Human Rights, Torture

Time to Practice What We Preach

As President Obama travels overseas, it is a good time to remember the United States’ potential to lead by example. Today, the ACLU ran an ad in the daily Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, asking President Obama to restore American values of justice.

The only way for America to live up to its highest ideals is to close Guantánamo, try detainees suspected of a crime in our federal court system, and resettle or repatriate those who are not charged and tried in places where they will not be persecuted, tortured or abused.

While several European countries have recently expressed interest in resettling more Guantánamo detainees, the United States has been unwilling to resettle the detainees here in the United States. Our stalling is not only hypocritical, but detrimental. Closing Guantánamo is first and foremost the responsibility of the United States, and we can’t make the necessary progress without taking the first steps ourselves.

The Obama administration must resettle inside the U.S. detainees that have been cleared of national security threats, such as the Uighurs, members of an ethnic Muslim minority from Northwestern China. Since May 2006, 17 Uighurs have been detained in Guantánamo, four of whom were recently resettled in Bermuda. Thirteen Uighurs remain at Guantánamo despite being cleared of being “enemy combatants.” Negotiations to resettle them in Palau are ongoing, but not final. If Palau ultimately refuses to take the Uighurs, the Obama administration and Congress must reconsider their position and resettle them here (or perhaps the Supreme Court will have to do it for them).

On July 3, President Obama told the Associated Press that the idea of indefinite detention “gives me huge pause.” But recent signs indicate the possibility of a policy of indefinite detention. As the ACLU has said time and time again, indefinite detention would dismantle the constitutional right to due process, protected by the Fifth Amendment. And it would be a human rights disaster.

We cannot have other countries cleaning up our mess. As we say in our ad, the world is watching. It is about time to practice what we preach.

Take Action: Tell President Obama to stop indefinite detention and close Guantánamo.

Permalink |	Human Rights, Torture

Tags: Close Guantanamo, Human Rights Program, indefinite detention

1. Vic Livingston Says:
   Jul 11th, 2009 at 4:39pm

   ACLU: Please - stop sweeping government-enabled DOMESTIC TORTURE under the rug.

   ***

   'PANETTA'S BOX'?

   THE SECRETIVE SECURITY / MILITARY / INTEL 'MULTI-AGENCY COORDINATED ACTION PROGRAM'...

   A NATIONWIDE, SECRETIVE SECURITY/MILITARY/INTEL/ EXTRAJUDICIALTARGETING AND 'TORTURE MATRIX'...

   ...FAR MORE EXTENSIVE THAN A CIA 'ASSASSINATION RING'...

   ...INVOLVING THE WEAPONIZATION OF THE ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECTRUM AND 'DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS' TORTURE OF UNJUSTLY 'TARGETED' AMERICAN CITIZENS.

   Now will Congress (and the ACLU) pay attention and investigate?

   http://nowpublic.com/world/gestapo-usa-govt-funded -vigilante-network-terrorizes-america

   OR (if link is corrupted / disabled:

   http://NowPublic.com/scrivener

   RE: "GESTAPO USA: Gov't-Funded Vigilante Network Terrorizes America"

2. Maggie Says:
   Jul 12th, 2009 at 1:17pm

   We clean up other countries mess, give them tons of money and various other things. I still will be very surprized if Gitmo closes. I guess we will have to wait and see.

3. Rob Says:
   Jul 13th, 2009 at 6:05pm

   Close it! Put them in Americas prisons! I hope he does. That way the soft life style that they are getting at Gitmo will be replaced by them being raped, beaten, and killed by the inmates in U.S. prisons. I am all for it! Close Gitmo let those terriost come to our prisons. The ACLU is shooting there selves in the foot with this one and it makes me laugh. Out loud.

4. Paen Says:
   Jul 14th, 2009 at 2:50pm

   Better yet Rob we could send you to preach to them.I bet they would beg for mercy after about 5 minutes.

5. Rob Says:
   Jul 15th, 2009 at 12:06pm

   Who needs water boring when you got me??!?!?!? I must have made you see the light paen. I thought you would be happy because I want to close gitmo too!

6. alway's been a fan Says:
   Jul 17th, 2009 at 12:49am

   thanks for always being there aclu.
   not that you can do anything about this and not that there aren't plenty of friends of this young lady on-board - I found poignant plea for help derivative of the great work you have always involved yourselves with.
   all best,
   hoper

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_qaiMmfwk0