We encourage you to contact your Congress members on or around the anniversary of Guantanamo on January 11 to encourage them to:
·close Guantanamo in a just and quick manner,
·charge or release remaining prisoners,
·allow for transfers to US for trial or medical
needs,
·reopen the State Dept. resettlement office.
Check if your member of Congress is a member of one of these committees. If not, you may contact the chair of each committee. Find membership and contact info at the following links.House Armed Services: Chair-Adam SmithHouse Foreign Affairs: Chair-Gregory MeeksSenate Foreign Relations: Ranking Dem-Robert MenendezSenate Armed Services: Ranking Dem-Jack Reed
Find the contact information for your members of Congress at the following links:
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.
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”
2021 Week of Action: January 11 – 15 19 Years of Guantanamo. Shut it down!
See the week’s schedule below. RSVP for these virtual events, gatherings, and actions from wherever you are!
Let’s renew our commitment to the 40 Muslim men still imprisoned in Guantanamo and the hundreds of others who suffered years of torture and abuse behind the prison’s walls.
5-6:30 pm ET: Panel Presentation Rights or Rightlessness? The Lives of Men Imprisoned at Guantanamo. View the recording here. (Program starts at the 4:30 mark.)
8:00 pm ET: WAT Fast for Justice Circle First of 5 evenings of Virtual Meetings RSVP to receive the Zoom link for all the evening meetings.
Fast for Justice Circles: Monday – Friday
January 11-15: Zoom Circles at 8 pm ET each night to support us in our fasting and/or action. Fasting is a personal choice. RSVP to receive the Zoom link.
Circles will be like our gatherings in DC: opening with centering music, a reflection, a topic or theme, checking in with each other and sharing around the circle.
Monday, J11: WAT history – Discussion with Frida Berrigan and Matt Daloisio Tuesday, J12: The US “War on Terror” – Discussion and video with Maha Hilal Wednesday, J13: Executions and State/Police Violence – Discussion with Art Laffin Thursday, J14: Witnessing Against Atrocities – Discussion with Mark Colville, Kings Bay Plowshares 7 Friday, J15: Celebrating Our Community Resilience – Celebration with Peace Poets (Lumi and LuAya)
Daily Solidarity Action Menu
Fast for the men detained in Guantanamo, especially in solidarity with the hunger strikers. Choose your fast: Liquid only? Ramadan? Lenten? Other?
Write lettersto the detainees. During the pandemic attorneys have reduced visits and the Red Cross has stopped visiting.
Attend local vigils. (many are listed below)
Lobby Congress. Biden will act more quickly with Congressional and public support. This link provides background, talking points and phone numbers.
