The Obama administration has indicated it could miss a self-imposed January deadline to close the military prison at Guantanamo Bay. On Thursday, top counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said he can’t “say with certainty” the prison will close on schedule. Brennan made the comments after a speech outlining the Obama administration’s strategy for countering terrorism. Brennan said the US will drop the term “war on terror” in favor of “war on al Qaeda."While many of us with the 100 Days Campaign and Witness Against Torture realized the difficulty and urgency in closing GITMO, the promising signs of Obama's executive orders on his first day of office seemed to offer some hope. But again we see the political partisanship usurp human rights and the common good. How easy it is to obscure the reality of torture in fear-mongering language and ardent nationalism. Witness Against Torture has given a lot to trying to shut down Guantanamo, Bagram, and end torture. But no matter how depressed and heart-broken we may be because of the short-sightedness of our political leaders and the injustices they perpetuate, we must continue to be present to the suffering of our brothers in Guantanamo. In a spirit of solidarity and compassion, we must not give up. Their hope must give us hope. We do not have the privilege of giving up this fight. Like our banner said that we held at the White House for 100 days, "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied." May Dr. King's words inspire us to recommit ourselves to freeing our brothers in captivity.
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Closing of Guantanamo: Justice Delayed is Justice Denied
It is incredibly disheartening, and somewhat surreal, to begin entertaining the idea that Guantanamo may never actually close. Amy Goodman reported, on Democracy Now, that:
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Obama blocks U.N. access to Guantanamo
The Obama Administration continues to backpeddle on its promise to close Guantanamo, end torture, and have more transparent government. The Washingtion Post reports that the U.S. is blocking U.N. officials from investigating the prisons dark history:
The Obama administration has declined requests from U.N. human rights investigators for information on secret prisons and for private interviews with inmates at the U.S. military detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, U.N. officials said, dampening their hopes of greater U.S. cooperation on human rights issues.The rebuffs are the latest instances of the U.S. government resisting international human rights organizations' efforts to learn about Bush administration practices. In June, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton turned down a request from the top U.N. anti-torture official for a meeting in Washington to discuss practices at secret CIA detention centers and at Guantanamo Bay, despite the administration's avowed commitment to being open to greater scrutiny by the United Nations.
The tortured legacy of Guantanamo continues and President Obama is setting himself up to lose friends in the human rights community.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Waiting for the Fearmongers
The blogs and online news sites are all over Obama's recent speech regarding the closing of Guantanamo and the proposal for prolonged indefinite detention. Rachel Maddow offered a healthy reflection on the Obama schizophrenia and Glenn Greenwald and Andy Worthington break down the legal implications and moral consequences of the Obama position.
Yet for all the hoopla regarding indefinite detention as a policy, the practice of prolonged detention is a reality that far too many suffer at Guantanamo, Bagram, and in countless ICE detention centers in cities and towns all over this country. We live in a broken system that is rooted in fear and anxiety, as is seen by the pundits and politicians recoiling at Obama's asking for money to shut down Guantanamo. While legal analysis and political commentary have their place in democracy, there is a noticable lack of public discourse about the morality of our nation and its actions. The religious leaders are silent in the face of grave injustice. Univerisities and public intellectuals have succumbed to tit-for-tat conferences on subjective ethics in postmodernity. Let us never forget that just because something is legal does not make it the right thing to do. And while we can argue over the best course of action for how to close Guantanamo, the fact remains that we are morally culpable for failing to protect human rights and for failing to recognize the full dignity of a human person, even if we decided to call him an enemy. Enough of this banter, the stalwarts are winning the day. We are in a precarious position and one that each of us bears responsibility for creating and for changing the system of violence and fear we live in. We cannot get lost in the conversation about what is our responsibility or wait with patience for a better time to act: now is the time. If Congress is going to continue on with fearmongering and pride, let us be the mirror that reflects the humanity that remains at Guantanamo and in our enemies.
Yet for all the hoopla regarding indefinite detention as a policy, the practice of prolonged detention is a reality that far too many suffer at Guantanamo, Bagram, and in countless ICE detention centers in cities and towns all over this country. We live in a broken system that is rooted in fear and anxiety, as is seen by the pundits and politicians recoiling at Obama's asking for money to shut down Guantanamo. While legal analysis and political commentary have their place in democracy, there is a noticable lack of public discourse about the morality of our nation and its actions. The religious leaders are silent in the face of grave injustice. Univerisities and public intellectuals have succumbed to tit-for-tat conferences on subjective ethics in postmodernity. Let us never forget that just because something is legal does not make it the right thing to do. And while we can argue over the best course of action for how to close Guantanamo, the fact remains that we are morally culpable for failing to protect human rights and for failing to recognize the full dignity of a human person, even if we decided to call him an enemy. Enough of this banter, the stalwarts are winning the day. We are in a precarious position and one that each of us bears responsibility for creating and for changing the system of violence and fear we live in. We cannot get lost in the conversation about what is our responsibility or wait with patience for a better time to act: now is the time. If Congress is going to continue on with fearmongering and pride, let us be the mirror that reflects the humanity that remains at Guantanamo and in our enemies.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Obama's Guantanamo: A Tortured Legacy
In spite of promising signs that President Obama was reversing the Bush Administration's illegal and short-sighted policies that made up the "war on terror," recent news from Washington suggests Mr. Obama's legacy is not that different from Mr. Bush's: impunity and indefinite detention continue to be the way of the White House. When Mr. Obama signed the executive orders closing the Guantanamo Bay detention facility and the CIA's secret prisons, it seemed to be a signal that America would again respect the rule of international law and human rights, but the latest annoucements that the U.S. may revive Guantánamo military courts and that Obama seeks to block release of Abu Ghraib photos indicates otherwise.
Under the Obama Administration, the Departmet of Justice continues to remain stagnate and look to other countries to resolve the legal and political quagmire that is Guantanamo. There remains over 50 men who were cleared for release by the Bush Administration and the current review of evidence by the Obama Administration affirms the freedom these men should have. But instead of expediating the release of these men, the hostility and trumped up fears by the likes of Dick Cheney, conservative talk show hosts and most of Congress has this nation in a frenzy. Instead of putting time and energy into ensuring justice is met, the debate about the effectiveness of torture rolls on, continuing to taint America's commitment to human rights and democracy. The impunity granted to U.S. policy makers and government officials who legitimized torture continues to be a dark shadow in our recent past. Mr. Obama seeking to reinstate the controversial, inneffective, and unjust military tribunals is a betrayal of American ideals of habeas corpus and the right to a fair trial. With regards to the photos that the DOJ is seeking to block the release of on grounds of being a threat to national security, Mr. Obama continues to play the worn-out game of exploiting the American public from the depravity and inhumanity of our tortured foreign policy in the name of decorum.
Under the Obama Administration, the Departmet of Justice continues to remain stagnate and look to other countries to resolve the legal and political quagmire that is Guantanamo. There remains over 50 men who were cleared for release by the Bush Administration and the current review of evidence by the Obama Administration affirms the freedom these men should have. But instead of expediating the release of these men, the hostility and trumped up fears by the likes of Dick Cheney, conservative talk show hosts and most of Congress has this nation in a frenzy. Instead of putting time and energy into ensuring justice is met, the debate about the effectiveness of torture rolls on, continuing to taint America's commitment to human rights and democracy. The impunity granted to U.S. policy makers and government officials who legitimized torture continues to be a dark shadow in our recent past. Mr. Obama seeking to reinstate the controversial, inneffective, and unjust military tribunals is a betrayal of American ideals of habeas corpus and the right to a fair trial. With regards to the photos that the DOJ is seeking to block the release of on grounds of being a threat to national security, Mr. Obama continues to play the worn-out game of exploiting the American public from the depravity and inhumanity of our tortured foreign policy in the name of decorum.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
The Imperial Reach of Barack Obama: Spain, Guantanamo, and Beyond
President Barack Obama's friendship with Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero seems to be saving face for the American centrist who wants to "look forward as opposed to looking backwards." Once again, politics take priority as human rights and international law take a back seat as Guantanamo and Bagram remain open and its architects enjoy the privileges of the power elite.
Spain's Attorney General, Candido Conde-Pumpido, announced that the case against six former Bush Administration officials is a "plaything." Conde-Pumpido, in an AP article, said that prosecutions for torture should only proceed with people who were actually present at the time of the torture. The American men who were facing possible indictment by Spanish investigative judges are considered the architects of torture, not the torturers themselves. Read the BBC story here.
The weak argument put forth by Spain's top law-enforcement official wreaks of political pressure and back-door dealings. The best justification that the Spanish polity can muster to avoid a political quandary with the United States is nonsequitur, illogical, immoral and inconsistent with past human rights violations and war crime tribunals that prosecuted and convicted policymakers as perpetrators. Consider Israel's case against Adolf Eichmann, the "architect of the Holocaust." This is not to compare Nazi crimes against the Jews and humanity with the Bush Administration's war on terror, but that there is international legal precedent for pursuing the masterminds of war crimes, not just those who carried them through. How can there ever be a lasting peace and if those most responsible for creating systems of oppression and machines of torture and indefinite detention in dark prisons are considered innocent?
For a comprehensive understanding of how the U.S. torture regime came to life, check out "Anatomy of Bush's Torture 'Paradigm.'"
While there is a new president in Washington, many of the faces from the Bush Administration remain the same. Let us not be naive enough to think that the Spanish government is not bowing to pressures from its long-time ally. Finally, Glen Greenwald breaks down the Spanish law that makes such investigations possible: "The Differing Views of the "Rule of Law." Maybe former law professor Obama could use a refresher course himself as a reminder of what the great Dr. King said: "justice too long delayed is justice denied."
Spain's Attorney General, Candido Conde-Pumpido, announced that the case against six former Bush Administration officials is a "plaything." Conde-Pumpido, in an AP article, said that prosecutions for torture should only proceed with people who were actually present at the time of the torture. The American men who were facing possible indictment by Spanish investigative judges are considered the architects of torture, not the torturers themselves. Read the BBC story here.
The weak argument put forth by Spain's top law-enforcement official wreaks of political pressure and back-door dealings. The best justification that the Spanish polity can muster to avoid a political quandary with the United States is nonsequitur, illogical, immoral and inconsistent with past human rights violations and war crime tribunals that prosecuted and convicted policymakers as perpetrators. Consider Israel's case against Adolf Eichmann, the "architect of the Holocaust." This is not to compare Nazi crimes against the Jews and humanity with the Bush Administration's war on terror, but that there is international legal precedent for pursuing the masterminds of war crimes, not just those who carried them through. How can there ever be a lasting peace and if those most responsible for creating systems of oppression and machines of torture and indefinite detention in dark prisons are considered innocent?
For a comprehensive understanding of how the U.S. torture regime came to life, check out "Anatomy of Bush's Torture 'Paradigm.'"
While there is a new president in Washington, many of the faces from the Bush Administration remain the same. Let us not be naive enough to think that the Spanish government is not bowing to pressures from its long-time ally. Finally, Glen Greenwald breaks down the Spanish law that makes such investigations possible: "The Differing Views of the "Rule of Law." Maybe former law professor Obama could use a refresher course himself as a reminder of what the great Dr. King said: "justice too long delayed is justice denied."
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor
by Luke Hansen, SJ
America
March 24, 2009
http://www.americamagazine.
In her theological and moral reflection, Maryann Cusimano Love (“Accounting for Torture,” 3/30) has “hit the mark.” We are disciples of a tortured God, and this means that we have strong moral obligations to never torture, to investigate and prosecute such violations, and to stand in solidarity with torture victims.
However, she assumes too easily that President Obama has returned us to full compliance with the Geneva Conventions. Several realities challenge this assumption. President Obama decided not to extend habeas rights to detainees at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan, so over 600 men continue to be held there illegally without charges or trial. At Guantánamo, instead of allowing independent human rights organizations to review conditions and the treatment of prisoners, President Obama curiously assigned this task to the Department of Defense—the department responsible for operating the facility. Should we trust the architects and perpetrators of torture to investigate themselves? And finally, the illegal and immoral practice of force-feeding continues under the Obama administration. Currently, there are at least 30 hunger striking prisoners at Guantánamo, 25 of which are being force-fed—a practice that “definitely amounted to torture” when reviewed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 2006.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Kairos Chicago Participates in Camp Hope
As millions of Americans waited with hope and anticipation for President Barack Obama's historical inauguration as the 44th President of the United States of America, hundreds of Obama supporters and peace and justice advocates from around the country braved sub-zero temperatures and snowy January days hoping President Obama will follow through with his promises of hope and change. Camp Hope: Countdown to Change was a 19-day presence near Barack Obama's home in Hyde Park, Chicago. All day and every day from New Year's Day to Dr. Martin Luther King Day, we set up Camp Hope to congratulate President Obama and recommit ourselves to the progressive actions he promoted on his campaign trail. In the evenings forum, films, workshops, theater, and speakers helped us to stregthen the local movement for peace and build the relationships to let social justice flow like a river. People like Kathy Kelly from Voices for Creative Nonviolence, Dr. Quentin Young from Physicians for a National Health Program, Ali Abunimah from Electronic Intifada, and groups like Chicago Metropolitan Sactuary Alliance and Witness Against Torture attracted over a thousand people to participate in Camp Hope in someway - from attending a workshop to spending all 19 days out at the vigil. While recognizing the need for profound policy change, Camp Hope asked, President Obama to take eight actions upon being sworn into office The eight asks, representing over 40 social justice organizations, of Camp Hope were:
These are merely starting points for the new administration to begin working toward the fundamental change needed in this country. Our eight asks are not exhaustive and were never intended to be. We fail to address the occupation of Gaza, alternative energy, unfair trade policies such as NAFTA and CAFTA and much else. We realize all of these are interconnected and that, as Dr. King said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Camp Hope was just one action among many, but it was one with an air of positivity and hope that change has indeed come to America.
Barack Obama may have been inaugurated today by Chief Justice John Roberts, but yesterday almost 200 Chicagoans celebrated the birthday of Dr. King and Obama's presidency with "A People's Inauguration: Reclaiming Our Democracy" in Federal Plaza. Artists, activists, students, musicians, poets and many others gathered to close Camp Hope, challenge ourselves to live the radical vision of Dr. King, and usher in an era where communities acting on progressive values to better the lives of the marginalized and the poor will be welcomed in Washington.
And now that President Obama's time has come and his administration looks forward to define the Obama presidency in the first 100 days of his tenure, the time for waiting for change is over. Now is the time for action. Those of us from Camp Hope will leave our handwarmers and campfires from 51st and Drexel Avenue and continue our working for peace and justice in places like the Middle East, Columbia, the Borderlands and organize at home in Chicago and in Washington for more jobs, less poverty, no more torture. Yes, we can; Yes, we did; Yes, we must! So, Mr. President, now it's your turn to do right. We haven't quit yet and are inviting you to be part of the widespread change that is happening at grassroots levels. And just in case you forget what you've promised, we are not afraid to come to D.C. to make sure the voice of the people is not lost among the lobbyists and lawmakers. Camp Hope congratulates you President Obama and, like much of America, is ready for some action - don't leave us out in the cold.
Jake Olzen is a graduate student at Loyola University Chicago and a co-coordinator of Camp Hope: Countdown to Change on behalf of Kairos Chicago
- Regarding Iraq, withdraw troops by 6,000 a month and cease combat operations; commit to the primacy of diplomacy, announce a new diplomatic initiative to end violent actions against Afghanistan and Pakistan
- Take all nuclear weapons off hair trigger alert and work to eliminate nuclear weapons all together
- Close Guantánamo, eliminate military tribunals an allow detainees access to the U.S. court system
- Suspend deportation of immigrants, stop breaking up families and end raids at workplaces
- Submt the Kyoto Protocol for ratification...
- Establish a commission to develop policies for full employment
- Issue a 90-day moratorium on housing foreclosures
- Start a commission to develop policies on Universal Health Care
These are merely starting points for the new administration to begin working toward the fundamental change needed in this country. Our eight asks are not exhaustive and were never intended to be. We fail to address the occupation of Gaza, alternative energy, unfair trade policies such as NAFTA and CAFTA and much else. We realize all of these are interconnected and that, as Dr. King said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Camp Hope was just one action among many, but it was one with an air of positivity and hope that change has indeed come to America.
Barack Obama may have been inaugurated today by Chief Justice John Roberts, but yesterday almost 200 Chicagoans celebrated the birthday of Dr. King and Obama's presidency with "A People's Inauguration: Reclaiming Our Democracy" in Federal Plaza. Artists, activists, students, musicians, poets and many others gathered to close Camp Hope, challenge ourselves to live the radical vision of Dr. King, and usher in an era where communities acting on progressive values to better the lives of the marginalized and the poor will be welcomed in Washington.
And now that President Obama's time has come and his administration looks forward to define the Obama presidency in the first 100 days of his tenure, the time for waiting for change is over. Now is the time for action. Those of us from Camp Hope will leave our handwarmers and campfires from 51st and Drexel Avenue and continue our working for peace and justice in places like the Middle East, Columbia, the Borderlands and organize at home in Chicago and in Washington for more jobs, less poverty, no more torture. Yes, we can; Yes, we did; Yes, we must! So, Mr. President, now it's your turn to do right. We haven't quit yet and are inviting you to be part of the widespread change that is happening at grassroots levels. And just in case you forget what you've promised, we are not afraid to come to D.C. to make sure the voice of the people is not lost among the lobbyists and lawmakers. Camp Hope congratulates you President Obama and, like much of America, is ready for some action - don't leave us out in the cold.
Members from Kairos Chicago at Camp Hope site in Hyde Park on January 3rd!
Jake Olzen is a graduate student at Loyola University Chicago and a co-coordinator of Camp Hope: Countdown to Change on behalf of Kairos Chicago
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