Greg Hartnett

Perhaps you have heard of Guantanamo. Up until a few years ago, it was a relatively unheard of area that American troops have occupied to protect our corporate interests in the region. Today it houses suspected terrorists and enemy combatants, and Amnesty International recently referred to Guantanamo as the “gulag of our times.”

Torture and blatant civil rights abuses have become commonplace at Guantanamo, and at secret US operated detention centers throughout the world. In an effort to spotlight these abuses, and potentially hold those perpetrators accountable, a group of Republican senators have introduced a bill that would prohibit cruel and inhumane treatment of prisoners held by US forces.

Not surprisingly, the Bush administration has threatened to veto the bill, stating that it would interfere with the president’s ability to fight terrorism.

As the world’s pre-eminent superpower, it is us to us to provide the example of how prisoners should be treated. How can we expect the beheadings of US civilians and soldiers to cease in Iraq, when we torture prisoners on a daily basis? Where is the accountability, or the concept of universality that is required in our 21st century world?

So please take a moment to tell our leaders that

Opposing torture is not a partisan cause. The practice of torture so fully embraces evil it dehumanizes both the torturer and its victim. No just cause can be won if it relies on torture to succeed.

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