Revolution #164, May 17, 2009
The following is from Worldcantwait.org & WarCriminalsWatch.org:
Torture is a war crime! Prosecute! Thursday MAY 28—National Day of Resistance to U.S. TORTURE!
On or by May 28, the Obama administration is being forced to release 2000 photos of detainee abuse in U.S. facilities from 2001-2006. The Abu Ghraib photos, released in 2004 only because a soldier was horrified over the torture, brought an international storm of protest against the U.S. torture state. The new photos, including many from Bagram, where the detention facilities have just been doubled to hold 60,000 Afghanis, will show that U.S. torture was widespread, sustained, and systemic, not an “aberration,” but an integral part of the “global war on terror.”
Weeks after 4 more torture memos revealed the detail with which George Bush’s lawyers managed the torture of individual detainees, calls to prosecute those responsible—from the White House principals, to the legal torture team, to the CIA agents who tortured—have met objections from Washington. Cheney and the open advocates of torture scream that they must be able to use “harsh methods” to win the global war on terror. The Obama administration, after deciding to continue indefinite detention, CIA rendition, and Bush’s executive powers, says prosecution would stop them from “moving forward.” Democratic party leader Nancy Pelosi knew about the torture and waterboarding since 2002, saying and doing nothing to stop it.
It’s up to the people to act! World Can’t Wait and other groups are planning non-violent civil resistance protests, programs digging into the substance of the charges, waterboarding and rendition re-enactments, and film showings in communities around the country to demand prosecution of the Bush era war criminals. More information, listings, posters, flyers & background on the war criminals are at warcriminalswatch.org.
Wherever the Bush era war criminals are appearing this month, raise the cry “Torture is a War Crime! Prosecute!”
- Tuesday May 12, NO ALOHA for War Criminals! IMPEACH and PROSECUTE JAY BYBEE! 8:30-11:00 am 132 Bishop Street, Honolulu. Jay Bybee is a federal judge and will be hearing cases. worldcantwaithawaii@yahoo.com 808-534-2255
- Saturday May 16, Greet patrons at the opening of the new Modern Wing of the Art Institute of Chicago, where we’ll be showing Fernando Botero’s stunning Abu Ghraib paintings depicting US torture. 9:00am on at the Millennium Park entrance. Chicago@worldcantwait.org 773-227-2453
- Saturday May 16, 8 am, UC Berkeley Boalt Hall Law School Graduation, UC Berkeley Greek Theater (commencement) and Great Hall and Clark Kerr Courtyard (gala reception). Protest denouncing the continuing presence of former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo on UC’s tenured faculty. sf@worldcantwait.org 415-864-5153
- Tuesday, May 26, 6 pm, Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Avenue, NYC. Karl Rove appearance will be protested. Warcriminalswatch.org 866-973-4463
- Thursday, May 28 John Negroponte, Bush intelligence czar, presents an award to General Petraeus, architect of the Iraq surge. Union League Club, 38 E. 37th Street (between Park & Madison), NYC. Orange jumpsuit gathering at Grand Central Station, 5 pm; march to Union League Club. Warcriminalswatch.org 866-973-4463
- Thursday May 28 Harvard Square, Cambridge MA 2 pm - 4 pm. Protest Douglas Feith, a visiting scholar at Harvard, who admits he played a “major role” in Bush’s decision to suspend Geneva Convention rights for detainees at Guantánamo. Warcriminalswatch.org 866-973-4463
- Thursday May 28 Karl Rove at the Chicago Theater, 175 N. State Street, Chicago. 6 pm. Chicago@worldcantwait.org 773-227-2453
- Thursday, May 28 The Bay Area has five Bush war criminals. An evening program on the demand to prosecute. Details TBA sf@worldcantwait.org 415-864-5153
Check the calendar (warcriminalswatch.org/index.php/wcw-events) to find events in your locality and/or contact us via warcriminalswatch.org with your plans for the day so we can post and help publicize them.
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