Inauguration Bleachers

From the Archive

Block Torture Apologists from Top National Security Posts

Jan. 6, 2021

Join Us to Block Torture Apologists from Top National Security Posts

It worked! In December, human rights groups helped to block torture apologist Mike Morell from being nominated to lead the CIA. The groups circulated this letter detailing Morell’s lies about torture and contempt for the rule of law. The letter was signed by many torture survivors, including former Guantanamo detainees Mohamedou Slahi, Mozzam Begg, and Djamel Ameziane.

Now we are working to prevent Avril Haines from being appointed as Director of National Intelligence. We need you to take action!

Action Alert: NO on Haines for Director of National Intelligence

Please join CODEPINK, Witness Against Torture, Progressive Democrats of America, Roots Action and World Beyond War in urging Senators to VOTE NO on torture apologist and drone strike authorizer Avril Haines for Director of National Intelligence.  

Haines, Deputy Director of the CIA under Obama, signed off on drone murders and co-wrote the guidelines that blurred the difference between enemy combatants and civilians. She also redacted the Senate report on torture from 6,000 pages to a 500-page summary, covering up the CIA’s crimes. In addition, she overruled the CIA Inspector General in failing to discipline CIA agents who hacked into the computers of Senate investigators. So we’re calling Senators to insist that they vote no on Haines.

See the script and contact information below:

Script

Hi, my name is ____________ and I’m calling from zip code ___________ to urge Senator __________ to vote NO on the nomination of Avril Haines for Director of National Intelligence. Haines signed off on drone strikes that made us less safe, suppressed evidence of CIA torture and failed to discipline agents who hacked into the computers of investigators. 

No on Haines!  Thank you.

Contact Info for all US Senators (Write your senator, too.)
https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Call and leave a message for Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader

(202) 224-6542

Senate Intelligence Committee Members

Democrats & Independent

Mark Warner (D-VA, Ranking Member)

202-224-2023

Angus King (I-Maine)

202-224-5344

Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

202-224-5521

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

310-934-7100

Michael Bennet

202-224-5852

Kamala Harris (D-CA, urge her to let Biden know that activists are calling members of the Senate Intell Committee to publicly object to Morell for CIA)

202-224-3553

Republicans

Marco Rubio(R-FL, Ranking Member)

202-224-3041

Richard Burr (R-NC)

202-224-3154

James Risch (R-ID)

202-224-3154

Susan Collins (R-Maine)

207-780-3575

Roy Blunt (R-Missouri)

202-224-5721 (only takes calls during business hours)

Ben Sasse (R-Nebraska)

202-224-4224

Tom Cotton (R-AK)

202-224-2353

John Cornyn (R-TX)

202-224-2934

For more on Haines see:

“Senators Must Reject Haines for National Intelligence”

by Medea Benjamin and Marcy Winograd 

https://www.salon.com/2020/12/30/bidens-pick-for-intelligence-chief-avril-haines-is-tainted-by-drones-and-torture/

“The Dark Past of Biden’s Nominee for National Intelligence Director”

by John Kiriakou 

https://consortiumnews.com/2020/12/29/john-kiriakou-the-dark-past-of-bidens-nominee-for-national-intelligence-director/

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