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Veterans For Peace
Ban Torture Campaign
“No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political stability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.” -1984 UN Convention Against Torture
Veterans Call For Release of
Detainee Abuse Photos
Three Groups Urge Veterans to Sign Letter to President Obama
Three military veteran organizations call on the Obama Administration to release photographs depicting abuse of detainees in U.S. custody. Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Common Sense wrote a joint letter to President Obama describing how releasing the pictures is crucial to U.S. national security, upholding international law and safe guarding democracy at home. The organizations published the joint letter and asked veterans to co-sign before it is sent to the President.
The veterans' letter rejects the premise that the release will do more harm than good. The letter quotes Harith al Obaidi, the head of the largest Sunni Muslim bloc in Iraq's Parliament and the deputy chairman of the Committee on Human Rights, saying "The people who want to express their opinions through violence are already trying their best to do so. Showing them a few pictures wouldn't make them any more able to do it." He added that keeping the pictures secret will only bolster suspicions that the American government is trying to suppress evidence of more widespread abuse.
President of Veterans For Peace and former Navy Corpsman, Mike Ferner said, "The biggest threat to our service members and our Republic is that we forget what has happened and do it again," He continued, "Withholding these photographs makes it more likely that the people of our country can push these horrendous acts to the edge of our collective memory. This will not serve our nation well."
Veterans for Common Sense Executive and Gulf War veteran Director Paul Sullivan stated, "These documents must be made public and they must be turned over to a special war crimes prosecutor. Never again should our nation's leaders order torture with impunity."
Iraq War veteran and Board Chair of Iraq Veterans Against the War Camilo Mejia stated, "Being open about our mistakes by releasing these pictures is not only a way to ensure this dark episode in our history will not be repeated, but also a crucial step in our healing process as a nation."
As part of their efforts to have the photos released Veterans For Peace has launched www.picturenomoretorure.org. The organization is asking the public to take photos of themselves with messages supporting the end of torture and the release of the photographs. The pictures will later be taken to the White House.
The full text of the letter can be found at Veterans For Peace website, www.veteransforpeace.org.
Five Days of Action Against Torture
Day 1~Picture No More Torture
Day 2~Contact Your Representatives
Day 3~Call the White House
Day 4~Letters to the Editor
Day 5~Veterans Sign On Against Torture
Veterans Add Your Name to Letter to President Obama on Releasing Torture Photos
A joint letter from the veterans of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Common Sense, and Veterans for Peace.
See Growing List of Names Here
Dear President Obama,
We are writing to you as military service veterans to urge that you
release all of the new photos depicting torture and abuse inside U.S.
prisons operated in Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba, and other locations.
We appreciate the fact the pictures are especially inflammatory, as
were the previously released photos that have been used as recruiting
tools by people and organizations who would harm our people and our
service members.
However, Iraqis themselves, as indicated in the following quote in a
McClatchy News article from May 15, 2009, understand that it is the
misguided U.S. foreign policy of starting pre-emptive and unilateral
wars based in misleading information, and then occupying other nations
is what will continue to cause more violent attacks upon our service
members.
"Harith al Obaidi, the head of the largest Sunni Muslim bloc in Iraq 's
parliament and the deputy chairman of the Committee on Human Rights,
stated 'The people who want to express their opinions through violence
are already trying their best to do so,' Obaidi said. 'Showing them a
few pictures wouldn't make them any more able to do it.' Keeping the
pictures secret will only bolster suspicions that the American
government is trying to suppress evidence of more widespread abuse, he
said."
Mr. President, we veterans call upon you to release the pictures and
documents related to torture and abuse of enemy prisoners of war
(formerly and improperly called "enemy combatants" and "terrorists" by
the prior administration).
We also implore you to consider the interests of the people in other
nations subjected to torture, abuse, and more than six years of war --
the very conditions that cause people to resist the U.S. occupation.
The people of Iraq and Afghanistan need assistance to rebuild their
countries. The civilians have seen their loved ones literally torn to
pieces by bombs and burned in explosions. More than half the wounded
are children who will live the rest of their lives with injuries,
amputations and pain. Virtually every family in Iraq has had someone
killed or wounded in this war. People in every city and village have
listened to first-hand accounts of the terrible conditions in the
prisons run by our military.
In addition to the extraordinarily high dangers related to combat, our
service members face unimaginable psychological traumas due to the Iraq
and Afghanistan wars. Therefore, we urge you to prepare for the mental
and emotional effects of anxiety, depression, and post traumatic stress
disorder among our service members who witnessed or participated in
torture and abuse of prisoners under orders of the previous
administration. We ask you to increase the number of mental healthcare
workers within the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs so
that service members and veterans impacted by these pictures can
receive prompt and high-quality care.
Finally, Mr. President, the torture photos and documents are already
being leaked. It makes much more sense to release the photos promptly.
Americans can handle the truth when the government levels with us. You
promised us transparency, and we expect you to deliver. Knowing the
truth and demanding justice for the perpetrators of torture - from the
top down - is the best way to make sure this behavior is not repeated
again.
It is imperative that the people of our nation look squarely into the
heart of darkness to know what was done in our name under orders from
the prior administration. It is impossible to be the country we claim
to be if we do not face this controversy head on and reveal our
mistakes. The release of all the photos and documents are essential to
this process of learning the facts and healing a deeply troubled
nation. All of the relevant information should also be given
immediately to a special prosecutor to investigate and hold accountable
those who would order torture, abuse, and rendition - all of which are
very serious war crimes.
We want to work with you in the best interests of service members, our veterans, and our foreign policy. We await your reply.
Most Sincerely,
Iraq Veterans Against the War
Veterans For Peace
Veterans for Common Sense
I STAND AGAINST TORTURE
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Please visit the new Veterans For Peace campaign, Picture No More Torture!
Picture No More Torture
President Obama refuses to release pictures of prisoners abused while in U.S. custody. Veterans For Peace calls on the President to “release the photos!”
We are collecting hundreds of pictures of people -- veterans, kids, teachers, etc -- and will be adding the photos to this website and also sending each and every photo to the White House!
Why release the pictures?
°We have a right to know what the U.S. government has done in our name.
- °We, the U.S. public, must assess the proper course of action to take regarding the use of torture as a policy of our government. We need all available information to be fully informed citizens.
- °Releasing the photos will show that the U.S. is not hiding behind the rhetoric of national security and give the world confidence that our government can be trusted.
- °Candidate Obama promised transparency in his administration and President Obama should live up to his promises.
- °Releasing the photos will help restore U.S. credibility around the world.
In a January 21, 2009 memorandum, newly elected Chief Executive Barack Obama hailed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) as “the most prominent expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open Government.” He stated that “The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears.”
In a stark reversal, President Obama has decided to argue against the release of what is estimated to be as many as 2,000 photographs documenting the abuse of detainees in US custody. The pictures were to be released in response to a FOIA suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union, Veterans For Peace, Center for Constitutional Rights, Veterans for Common Sense and Physicians for Human Rights.
In a statement issued on May 13, 2009, the President offered few details for his objections to a September, 2008 Appeals Court ruling requiring the disclosure of the images. The three judge panel dismissed attempts by the previous administration to secure exemptions to the FOIA. The court stated that there is a “significant public interest in the disclosure of these photographs” and that their release would help prevent “further abuse of prisoners.” The ruling set a date of May 28, 2009 for the release of dozens of these photos. This is a position contrary to a April 23, 2009 statement released by the Department of Defense saying that it would make public at least 44 photographs showing the abuses of detainees in custody in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
- °Releasing the photos will show that the U.S. is not hiding behind the rhetoric of national security and give the world confidence that our government can be trusted.
- °Candidate Obama promised transparency in his administration and President Obama should live up to his promises.
- °Releasing the photos will help restore U.S. credibility around the world.
In explaining the about face, the President called the photographs “not particularly sensational, especially when compared to the painful images that we remember from Abu Ghraib,” and characterized the abuses pictured as being “carried out in the past by a small number of individuals.”
“I fear the publication of these photos may only have a chilling effect on future investigations of detainee abuse,” he said, adding to his previous assertion that making the pictures public would “further inflame anti-American opinion and to put our troops in greater danger.”
In a press briefing prior to the President’s comments, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs reiterated the idea that releasing pictures of detainee abuse could hamper future efforts to look into such allegations.
“But if in each of these instances somebody looking into detainee abuse takes evidentiary photos in a case that's eventually concluded, this could provide a tremendous disincentive to take those photos and investigate that abuse. The disincentive is in the notion that every time one of these photos is taken, that it's going to be released. Nothing is added by the release of the photo, right? The existence of the investigation is not increased because of the release of the photo; it's just to provide, in some ways, a sensationalistic portion of that investigation.”
Gibbs added that the administration has asked its legal counsel to return to court to “make a legal argument that he doesn't believe was made and provides the most salient case and most important points for not releasing these photos.”
Gibbs noted that the administration has a deadline of June 8, 2009 to seek a stay by the Second Circuit court, but would not rule out an appeal to the Supreme Court, also with a June 8th deadline.
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Campaign Update!
The Voices of Torture Event on January 9, 2009 in St. Louis, MO was a success! Over 120 people heard powerful stories from both James Yee and Demissie Abebe. They were also fortunate to have Denise Lieberman moderate the evening's event and provide a solid legal framwork on torture.
Veterans For Peace and the Ban Torture Campaign are extremely grateful for the support of each of our co-sponsors: the St. Louis Islamic Community for their support of our program and for organizing speaking engagements for James Yee; the Ethical Society of St. Louis for sharing their venue with us, and to the countless individuals who supported the event.
Voices of Torture
Perspectives From a Witness and a Survivor
At the St. Louis Ethical Society
Click here for more information!
Print out an event flyer to post and share
Featured News Update!
I'm Still Tortured by What I Saw in Iraq
An Interrogator Speaks
by Matthew Alexander.
The Washington Post November 30, 2008.
and
Mathew Alexander on RussiaToday
Also check out the folowing "Special to CNN" by Jimmy Carter:
Commentary: U.S. Must Lead World On Human Rights.
By Jimmy Carter. CNN. December 2, 2008
Campaign Goals
- End the US government's use of torture
- End US extraordinary rendition programs
Plans to Achieve Goals
- Educate VFP members, other veterans, activist organizations and the general public about US torture policies and extraordinary rendition programs.
- Pressure the President to sign an executive order, pursue policies, and enforce laws that will ensure that torture and other illegal programs will cease.