{news} It's Time: Close Guantanamo

[Richard Duffee]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Anthony & Caroline, ACLU <action at aclu.org>
Date: Mar 26, 2007 1:33 PM
Subject: It's Time: Close Guantanamo
To: richard.duffee at gmail.com

     Trouble viewing links or images? You can view this message on our
website and take action at:
*http://action.aclu.org/closeguantanamo*
<http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=RMOzqGLPh3YiR_yS0w_6bQ..>[image: Tell
Congress to Close Guantanamo]

 *Blog: Journal from Guantanamo*

Today and this week, ACLU Staff Attorney Ben Wizner is in Guantanamo Bay as
the military tribunals there reconvene, despite the growing call for an end
to these unconstitutional proceedings. *Read Ben's firsthand account this
week on the ACLU's
blog.*<http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=j4qetj0F1D-s_4pC4rK-NQ..>

*Take Action: Close Guantanamo*

At the Guantanamo prison, detainees languish with no access to courts, no
meaningful contact with their families and no prospect of being charged or
tried.

[image: Take Action: Tell Congress to Close
Guantanamo.]<http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=NqGae7HeunGZEFsfWvRHgw..>

Dear Friend,

No president should ever be given the unilateral power to designate people
enemy combatants and then have them locked away indefinitely with no
prospect of being charged or tried.

The prison at Guantanamo is damaging American values, and our reputation in
the eyes of our enemies and our allies alike. It's time to end indefinite
detention without charges and shut down Guantanamo.

*Email your Members of Congress: Tell them to close the Guantanamo
prison.*<http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=BU3EyzMCGqBBQ6rL5oCDuw..>

Last week, *The New York Times *reported that President Bush's new Defense
Secretary Robert Gates favors closing Guantanamo and transferring the
prisoners there to the United States.

And Senator John McCain (R-AZ) said, if elected president, he "would
immediately close Guantanamo Bay, move all prisoners to Fort Leavenworth and
truly expedite the judicial proceedings in their cases."

The Constitution makes the president subject to the rule of law. Its
drafters rejected dungeons and monarchies and chose a system of due process
and checks and balances.

*Take action: Tell Congress to close Guantanamo and end indefinite detention
without charges.* <http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=hviM42tj33GxXI0IsX4rgw..>

At the Guantanamo prison, detainees languish with no access to courts, no
meaningful contact with their families and no prospect of being charged or
tried.

Nearly 400 men have been held indefinitely and without charge at Guantanamo
for as long as five years. The government has already released more than 300
men, and admits that approximately 100 of the current prisoners shouldn't be
there. Officials also admit that no more than a few dozen of them will ever
be charged.

But Congress is listening to us. ACLU activists like you recently helped
stop the construction of a massive $125 million "legal compound" at
Guantanamo, designed to enable round-the-clock trials using unconstitutional
trial procedures. Thousands of concerned members and activists like you took
immediate action and within 24 hours, the project was dead.

*Tell Congress to shut down Guantanamo and end indefinite detention without
charges.* <http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=UOunLQTZkH253k7Hbu7DVQ..>

The House Armed Services Committee will be holding hearings on Guantanamo
and the Military Commissions Act this Wednesday. Your senators and
representatives need to hear from you.

The only thing more frightening than a President who ignores the
Constitution is a Congress and a people who grant him
permission. Please, help end this terrible chapter in our history.

*Write now to urge your Members of Congress to shut down Guantanamo
Bay.*<http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=4oZQOmi2PD7a0D6PQP0z3Q..>

Together, we can restore fairness and bring back American values.

Thank you for everything you do.

Sincerely,
  [image: Anthony D. Romero]
Anthony D. Romero
Executive Director, ACLU



[image: Caroline Fredrickson, ACLU]
Caroline Fredrickson, Director
ACLU Washington Legislative Office

P.S. There's no better way to help restore our nation's role as a leader in
human rights than by spreading the word to your friends and family. Ask your
friends to get involved by forwarding them this message, or *send them an
eCard* <http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=hnbQ7djYW_RYBBaqvstMeQ..>.

ACLU Staff Attorney Ben Wizner is blogging from Guantanamo Bay as the
military tribunals there reconvene. *Look for his posts this week on the
ACLU's blog*. <http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=a51AsVRKWmND1Dqdf2DLrw..>

Read last week's *New York Times *article about Secretary Gates' position on
Guantanamo at:
** <http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=1Hp-ytenEIsFaxpeXych9A..>*
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/23/washington/23gitmo.html*

Read *Anthony's letter to Secretary
Gates*<http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=pnW6I5IMFxHXliFyLw-ijg..> in
response to the above *New York Times* report that he believes the
Guantanamo Bay prison should be shut down
.<http://action.aclu.org/site/R?i=mNNaURDQ7j_eK1__VDVwcQ..>





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