No War No Torture

By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Sat Sep 30, 2:12 AM ET

WASHINGTON – The Senate, with no debate Saturday, passed and sent to the president legislation that would impose mandatory sanctions on entities that provide goods or services for
Iran’s weapons programs.

The Senate action came two days after the House approved the measure following a debate over the wisdom of toughening unilateral sanctions on Tehran at the same time the United States was trying to work with its U.N. partners on a multinational approach to Iran’s nuclear threat.

Both chambers approved the measure, which sanctions any entity that contributes to Iran’s ability to acquire chemical, biological or nuclear weapons, by voice vote.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., in a statement, said the action “strengthened one of our most important tools in the fight to keep nuclear weapons out of the mullahs’ hands.” more….

The New York Times | Editorial Thursday 28 September 2006

Here’s what happens when this irresponsible Congress railroads a profoundly important bill to serve the mindless politics of a midterm election: The Bush administration uses Republicans’ fear of losing their majority to push through ghastly ideas about antiterrorism that will make American troops less safe and do lasting damage to our 217-year-old nation of laws – while actually doing nothing to protect the nation from terrorists. Democrats betray their principles to avoid last-minute attack ads. Our democracy is the big loser.

Republicans say Congress must act right now to create procedures for charging and trying terrorists – because the men accused of plotting the 9/11 attacks are available for trial. That’s pure propaganda. Those men could have been tried and convicted long ago, but President Bush chose not to. He held them in illegal detention, had them questioned in ways that will make real trials very hard, and invented a transparently illegal system of kangaroo courts to convict them.
more….

Keith Olbermann:
A Textbook Definition of Cowardice
09.26.06

Demonstrators wearing shirts that spelled out No Torture stood during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings titled “Examining Proposals to Limit Guantanamo Detainees’ Access To Habeas Corpus Review.”

We can’t all be in Washington, but we can telephone all the Senators, (see list in an entry below); we can organize and be visible wherever we are.  Unless we stop this, it is going to happen.  Will you act now?

Here is a link to the text of a letter submitted by former intelligence and military officials strongly against the use of torture:

Letter From Intelligence and
Military Professionals on
Use of Torture

Thom Hartmann:
Republicans Give In To Bush, Betray America
http://ncrcafe.org/blog/1122/

Above are two links Barbara sent.

The first, Republicans Give in to Bush, Betray America, gives details about the way that the Republican leaders Senators John Warner, John McCain and Lindsey Graham “were presented with an opportunity to uphold the fundamental human right known as habeas corpus, or flinch and write a law that would retroactively make sure that George W. Bush could not be prosecuted for violations of habeas corpus in our overseas concentration camps and prisons. It was a contest between protecting the President and protecting the Constitution. The Republican senators flinched.”

The second, the web address to the NCR blog, is an article by John Dear about the conference of Nobel Peace Laureates and their inspiring call to make peace in the world and other peace activism.

Thank you to Barbara for sending these along.

Elaine Brower
Why We Fight: A Mother’s
Guide to Civil Disobedience

Above is a link to a report from one of the patriots who were willing to go to jail last Tuesday in order to speak out against the Bush administration and the war.

Below is a link to a listing of all US Senators’ office phone numbers, email, and address.  We can contact these people as often as we want to.  They were elected to serve us.

I will not go to my grave having failed to let every one of them know that I want her or him to vote against legalizing torture or any departure from the Geneva Conventions.

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Army Spc. Agustin Aguayo, 34, talks during a press conference at Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006. Aguayo, an army medic who jumped out of a window and fled rather than serve a second tour in Iraq because he believes war is immoral said Tuesday that he will surrender to face possible court-martial.

Paul Rockwell
A Soldier of Conscience
Is Coming Home

Click on the link above to another first hand story of what US military is doing in Iraq.

Dave Lindorff:
War Signals?

Click on the link above to read an article about growing evidence that orders for a strike on Iran have already been given and are being executed.

The link below is to the Time Magazine article quoted in Lindorff’s article.  Click on the web address to go to the article reprinted in Truthout.

What Would War Look Like?
By Michael Duffy