csua.org/u/9b4 -> obsidianwings.blogs.com/obsidian_wings/2004/10/torture_outsour.html
Justice Department spokesman Mark Corallo said, "We can't comment on any specific provision, but we support those provisions that will better secure our borders and protect the American people from terrorists."
opposes it: The American Bar Association objects strongly to the inclusion of provisions authorizing "extraordinary rendition" in the House leadership's bill that purports to implement the 9/11 Commission recommendations. These provisions would permit secretly transferring terrorist suspects to foreign countries known to use torture in interrogating prisoners. Extraordinary rendition not only violates all basic humanitarian and human rights standards, but violates US treaty obligations which make clear that the US government cannot avoid its obligations under international law by having other nations conduct unlawful interrogations in its stead. This practice not only violates our own cherished principles as a nation but also works to undermine our moral leadership in the eyes of the rest of the world.
"We respectfully submit that consideration of controversial provisions at this late hour can harm our shared purpose in getting a good bill to the president before the 108th Congress adjourns." Hamilton said items that should be dropped include "alien-removal provisions." The House bill contains several measures that would make it easier for the government to deport undocumented immigrants who have fallen under suspicion for various reasons. They include a broader application of "expedited removal" rules, higher barriers to obtaining asylum, and relaxed standards for sending foreigners to countries where they might be tortured.
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops opposes it, as well as several other anti-immigrant provisions in the bill. "This would raise the likelihood that torture victims would be sent back to their torturers," Bishop Wenski said.
"All attempts by Democrats to alter or strike the immigration and law enforcement enhancements were defeated on party-line votes" in committee, including Congressman Markey's amendment. Here is an update from Markey's staff: We are unlikely to get a new base text of the HR 10 floor language until sometime on Tuesday. At that time, we will know whether they have done anything to affect the torture outsourcing language. We will be filing our amendment at Rules on Tuesday, and Rep. Markey will testify before the Rules Committee at its hearing on the Rule for House Floor consideration of HR 10, which is expected to take place Wednesday. On Thursday, the bill is expected to come to the House floor. Assuming our amendment is made in order under the Rule (which is not guaranteed), we would vote on the amendment on Thursday, and probably also on final passage (though this could slip to Friday depending on what else is going on on the House floor).
Here is a short letter you can cut and paste if you don't have time to compose your own letter: I am writing to you to express my strong opposition to Sections 3032 and 3033 of HR 10, the "9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act." Section 3032 and 3033 would make it legal for the Secretary of Homeland Security to deport people to be tortured in other countries. We call this "extraordinary rendition", but a more accurate term would be "outsourcing torture." The 9/11 Commission itself opposes Section 3032 and 3033. Please vote in support of Representative Edward Markey's amendment to remove Section 3032 and 3033 and replace them language outlawing "extraordinary rendition" from his bill, HR 4674*. Your vote on this issue will strongly influence my vote on election day.
Congressman Markey has written a letter to President Bush asking him directly whether he supports torture outsourcing. Excerpt: Mr President, on June 22, 2004, following the revelations of the abuses at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, you made a strong statement condemning torture. At the time you stated: "Let me make very clear the position of my government and our country. The values of this country are such that torture is not part of our soul and our being." Just yesterday a newspaper quoted a Justice Department spokesperson as saying that the Department supported thses provisions. In light of your strong statement against torture and the Justice Department's apparent endorsement of the provisions, I respectfully request your views on Sections 3032 and 3033 of HR 10. In light of the impending House floor vote on this bill on the week of October 4th, I request that you please let the Congress know now--before the vote--where you stand on this issue, before we take up and approve a provision that would legitimize the outsourcing of torture to other countries."
If you would like a reporter to see that question, please link to this post. And thanks again to everyone who linked to the last one and/or wrote their representative. NOTE:If you're concerned about this issue please check Obsidian Wings from time to time for updates.
Update on torture from Crooked Timber Katherine has a significant post on the potential legalization of outsourcing torture. Opponents of the provision include the American Bar Association, the 9/11 Commission, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Amnesty International, and Hu...
outsourcing torture from Al-Muhajabah's Islamic Blogs Via Body and Soul and Procrastination, comes this post from Obsidian Wings: The Republican leadership of Congress is attempting to...
net Obsidian Wings has an important Torture Outsourcing Update, with news about the the House Republicans' attempt to legalize "Extraordinary Rendition" and the growing, and horrified, reaction to it.
ABA Slams Proposed Extraordinary Renditon Bill from TalkLeft: The Politics of Crime The American Bar Association issued this statement today in opposition to S 11, the Extraordinary Rendition bill we have critized here: The American Bar Association objects strongly to the inclusion of provisions authorizing "extraordinary rendit...
What do the President's "values" say about outsourcing torture? from Mark A R Kleiman The President says he's against torture, but his administration backs the torture-outsourcing bill.
Well, We've Outsourced Everything Else from Running Scared Why not outsource the torture of terror suspects? One of the most shocking parts of this proposed legislation is not the fact that Ashcroft and/or Ridge would seek this sort of power, but that they would do it this close to an election.
Endorsing Toruture from Semioclast: Propaganda and Disinformation Fafblog's the Medium Lobster is on the record as being in favor of 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act of 2004, Sections 3032 and 3033, which, far from being part of the actual recommendations made by the 9/11 Commission, instead authorizes "Extrao...
The Latest on Republican Moves to Outsource Torture from Bloodless Coup Obsidian Wings has an update. If this matters to you, read the update and call your congressman....
Extraordinary Rendition from Michael J Totten Extraordinary Rendition. House Speaker Dennis Hastert wants to legalize it - sort of. He proposed a bill that would allow the United States to ship people off to totalitarian dungeons like Syria where torture...
Katherine | October 1, 2004 06:06 PM There is nothing about me --- no opinion, no values, no thought, no feeling, no policy --- that is represented by the so-called representative in my district: Tom Tancredo.
Arpan | October 1, 2004 06:29 PM The WSJ's account contradicts the Post's account, at least on the point of whether the Justice Department supports the provision. It won't let me link, but the exact text from their Sept 30 article is "One of the things the House bill would do is deny immigrants certain court appeals, including banning court reviews of claims that an illegal immigrant would be tortured upon return to his or her home country. American Civil Liberties Union lawyer Timothy Edgar called that part of "the enactment of a hard-line anti-immigrant policy." The Bush administration opposes that provision, Justice Department spokesman Mark Corello said Thursday."
McDuff | October 2, 2004 01:05 PM I called my representative, Pete Hoekstra,...
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