No more Abu Ghraibs: Take action against torture

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ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email
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Call members of the House/Senate Conference Committee (listed below) about an
important measure banning torture

On October 8, the U.S. Senate took a stand against torture, voting 90 - 9 for an
amendment sponsored by Sen. John McCain banning cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment of detainees. The amendment, attached to the Defense Appropriations Bill
in the Senate, now faces a battle in the joint House/Senate conference committee,
the committee that will negotiate the final language in the bill. The House version
of the massive military spending bill doesn't include any language banning torture.


The White House, led by Vice President Dick Cheney, is aggressively opposing the
amendment. If it were to pass, the CIA would be forced to stop holding an unknown
number of prisoners in secret detention centers abroad. Even worse, Cheney is
requesting the conference committee to adopt language that would legally authorize
human rights abuses and torture by CIA operatives and continue the practice of
secret detention centers.

McCain and other amendment supporters would rather pull the amendment than have it
weakened.

We can't let that happen. The Bush Administration should not be given the right to
run more Abu Ghraib torture centers, where Arabs, Muslims, or others are denied
basic rights granted to other human beings.

United for Peace and Justice urges you to call members of the House/Senate
conference committee to express your disgust that the Bush Administration wants to
give the CIA carte blanche to torture people. Demand that the House and Senate
Conference Committee bring the McCain amendment to the floor AS IS - and with NO
CHANGES.

Call members of the House/Senate Conference Committee
Members of the House and Senate Conference Committee are listed below. If your
Senator or Representative is listed, call their office. If your Senator or
Representative is not listed, call one or more of the members marked with *.

The conference committee will decide either to include the McCain amendment as
written, to weaken it or to radically rewrite it to endorse torture as the Bush
administration wants. Members of the committee are meeting informally this week, so
immediate phone calls are necessary.

You can base your calls on these talking points, provided by Amnesty International USA:
* Ask them to ensure the Senate anti-torture amendment is retained as is by the
conference committee and to encourage the President to sign it into law.
* Tell them the United States must stand without exception for the principle of
human decency and against the use of torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman and
degrading treatment.

In addition to a phone call, send an email. This email will reinforce your message,
and help UFPJ keep track of the number of phone calls made in response to this
alert.

Call members of the House/Senate Conference Committee
Members of the House and Senate Conference Committee are listed below. If your
Senator or Representative is listed, call their office. If your Senator or
Representative is not listed, call one or more of the members marked with *.

Senate:
Republican
* Stevens, Ted (AK)-202-224-3004 - voted against McCain amendment
* Cochran, Thad (MS)- 202-224-5054 - voted against McCain amendment
Specter, Arlen (PA) - 202-224-4254
Dominici, Pete (NM) - 202-224-6621
Bond, Christopher (MO)- 202-224-5721 - voted against McCain amendment
McConnell, Mitch (KY)202-224-2541
Shelby, Richard (AL) - 202-224-5744
Gregg, Judd (NH) - 202-224-3324
Burns, Conrad (MT) - 202-224-2644

Democrats:
* Inouye, Daniel (HI), Ranking Member - 202-224-3934
* Byrd, Robert C. (WV) - 202-224-3954
Leahy, Patrick (VT) - 202-224-4242
Harkin, Tom (IA) - 202-224-3254
Dorgan, Byron (ND) - 202-224-2551
Durbin, Richard (IL) - 202-224-2152
Reid, Harry (NV) - 202-224-3542
Feinstein, Diane (CA) - 202-224-3841
Mikulski, Barbara (MD) - 202-224-4654

House:
Republicans:
* Young, Bill (FL-10) - 202-225-5961
Hobson, David (OH-7) - 202-225-4324
Bonilla, Henry (TX-23) - 202-225-4511
Cunningham, Randy (CA-50) - 202-225-5452
Frelinghuysen, Rodney (NJ-11) - 202-225-5034
Tiahrt, Todd (KS-4) - 202-224-6216
Wicker, Roger (MS-1) - 202-225-4306
Kingston, Jack (GA-1) - 202-225-5831
Granger, Kay (TX-12) - 20-225-5071
* Jerry Lewis (CA-41) - 202-225-5861

Democrats
* Murtha, John (PA-12) - 202-225-2065
Dicks, Norman (WA-6) - 202-225-5916
Sabo, Martin (MN-5) - 202-225-4755
Visclosky, Peter (IN=1) - 202-225-2461
Moran, James (VA-8) - 202-225-4376
Kaptur, Marcy (OH-9) - 202-225-4146
* Obey, David (WI-7) - 202-225-3365

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ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email