Amnesty International USA - Are you outraged by your country's actions?

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Wed, 26 May 2004 18:02:50 GMT

Amnesty International USA - Are you outraged by your country's actions?

 

 

Dear Friend,

 

" I invite you to help us send a message to the world – that we Americans will no

longer stand for the atrocities being committed in our name. "

- Bill Schulz

Executive Director

Amnesty International USAIf you are like me, you read the paper every day and

wonder who we have become.

 

 

What the Bush Administration chooses to do about the horrific scandal of torture

and abuse of prisoners in Iraq will determine what kind of country we are going

to be for decades to come.

 

At Amnesty International, we have become famous for shining the light of freedom

and justice in some of the world’s darkest corners. Today, we find ourselves

just as concerned with human rights violations by our own nation.

 

We must make certain the Administration does the right thing. On behalf of the

hundreds of thousands of members of Amnesty International in the U.S., I invite

you to help us send a message to the world – that we Americans will no longer

stand for the atrocities being committed in our name.

 

Please add your voice to the growing chorus for justice by becoming a member of

Amnesty International USA:

 

» JOIN NOW

 

If you are already a member, my heartfelt thanks. Please also consider making an

emergency contribution.

 

For nearly a year Amnesty has been raising concerns about allegations of torture

and abuse of detainees by U.S. and Coalition forces in Afghanistan, Guantanamo,

Iraq and elsewhere based on our interviews with former detainees and other

sources. We have had no meaningful response from the Bush administration. And,

despite repeated requests we have been denied access to all detention facilities

run by the U.S. Amnesty is openly calling for specific, verifiable steps to end

this horrific crisis, including:

 

a public declaration stating that the torture and humiliation of prisoners

will not be tolerated;

a halt to all ill-treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody;

granting independent human rights monitors unrestricted and regular access to

the government’s numerous detainees in all detention centers;

compensating victims of abuse and conducting future interrogations of

prisoners in accordance with strict human rights standards; and

an end to incommunicado detention.

 

In the days and weeks ahead, Amnesty will mobilize actions including an

International Day to End Torture in key cities and towns across the country.

Amnesty activists have begun organizing our members and other Americans of good

will to create citizen demonstrations on behalf of justice, human rights and an

end to the use of torture, wherever it may be found, whoever may be perpetrating

it.

 

Just this past week we have taped an urgent public service spot with actress and

activist Susan Sarandon. We will be seeking national distribution for the spot,

which you can hear by clicking this link.

 

The Administration is treating the prisoner abuse scandal as the isolated work

of a few individuals despite the fact that Amnesty has documented a pattern of

abuse by US agents against detainees, including in Iraq and Afghanistan, over

the past two years. But this is not an isolated incident. It is a full-blown

crisis of law and order that has already extracted an incalculable cost to

America's standing in the world.

 

I hope you will join Amnesty International today.

 

Thank you.

 

Bill Schulz

Executive Director of Amnesty International USA

 

P.S. Your membership in Amnesty sends a powerful message about what America is

really about. You can join or donate right now using our safe and convenient

online form.