<div bgcolor="#ffffff">
<big><b>Join Us in BOSTON on Monday to
Thank and Encourage Spain to Prosecute Bush Officials</b></big><b><br>
(Also Monday</b><big><b> in DC, NY, SF, LA, CHI, BOSTON, MIAMI)</b></big><br>
<br>
<p>WHAT: Delivery of petition and Valentine's Day flowers to Spanish
Embassy<br>
WHEN: 1:00 .m.<br>
WHERE: 31 St. James Avenue, Suite 905, <b>Boston</b><br>
CONTACT: Sue Serpa, neimpeach at <a href="http://gmail.com/" target="_blank">gmail.com</a></p>
<p>If you've wanted to be part of a powerful effort to bring
Bush-era officials to justice for their crimes, now is your
chance. We've joined a national effort to reach out to the people
of Spain, whose courts are considering prosecuting six of Bush's
lawyers under international law. Our campaign includes an open
letter and ads in prominent Spanish newspapers and billboards.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://rootsaction.org/" target="_blank"><img alt="ad" src="http://afterdowningstreet.org/sites/afterdowningstreet.org/files/images/newbillboardsm.jpg" vspace="5" width="400" align="right" border="0" height="181" hspace="5"></a>Even though the Obama administration has been
working hard behind the scenes to stop this, our friends at the
Center for Constitutional Rights have already submitted proof to
the Spanish courts that our government is not taking action under
international law and treaties. Now is our chance - we can keep
the wheels of justice turning by doing people-to-people diplomacy
now.<br>
<br>
<b>Here's what else you do:</b> Read and sign the letter
to the Spanish people at <a href="http://rootsaction.org/" target="_blank">http://rootsaction.org</a><br>
<br>
WarIsACrime.org's name is behind it. The letter will go to the
Spanish embassy and consulates across the country on Monday -
Valentine's Day. We'll also bring Spanish officials flowers and
invite the media. You can join us in these events. Get details
at <a href="http://rootsaction.org/" target="_blank">http://rootsaction.org</a><br>
<b><br>
But we can't stop there. </b>We've designed a billboard
and newspaper advertisement that says in Spanish, "Please do what
the U.S. won't. Prosecute torturers." We are raising money to
place ads and billboards around Madrid where the country's leaders
will see that there are Americans who want the case to continue.<br>
<br>
We need to raise $30k to make this happen, so please consider a
generous donation toward bringing the message directly to the
Spanish people. Read and sign the letter at <a href="http://rootsaction.org/" target="_blank">http://rootsaction.org</a></p>
<p><b>To the people of Spain<br>
From the people of the United States of America</b><br>
<br>
We are writing to thank you and to ask for your support as your
courts consider cases to bring American officials to justice for
the crime of torture. A Spanish judge, acting under international
law, will soon decide whether to investigate US officials' roles
in authorizing torture. We hope you agree that such cases must go
forward, despite pressure from the Obama administration to drop
them.<br>
<br>
The organizations signing this letter represent hundreds of
thousands in the American public who believe the US government
must be held to the same rule of law as other countries. We are
profoundly disappointed that our own government refuses to
prosecute former officials, despite open admissions and government
documents showing that they approved torture.<br>
<br>
It will take a public show of support for the case to withstand
pressures from Washington. WikiLeaks cables show the extremes to
which U.S. officials have gone to thwart any attempt by Spain or
other countries to uphold justice. We applaud the courage shown
by Spanish officials who insist on giving priority to the rule of
law.<br>
<br>
Despite earlier assertions by President Barack Obama and Attorney
General Eric Holder that waterboarding is torture, former
President George W. Bush publicly stated three times last year
that he authorized waterboarding and added proudly that he would
do it again. In a TV interview aired on November 8, Bush said he
considered waterboarding legal "because the lawyer said it was
legal." Waterboarding and other forms of torture were banned by
the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or
Degrading Treatment or Punishment, ratified by the United States
in 1994.<br>
<br>
If international law is to serve any useful purpose, other
countries must condemn violations "by any other nations, including
those which sit here now in judgment," in the words of the chief
prosecutor at Nuremberg.<br>
<br>
We sincerely hope that the citizens of Spain and its judiciary
will dispel the notion that any country is above the law.<br>
<br>
Signed,<br>
High Road for Human Rights, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns,
National Accountability Action Network, National Campaign for
Nonviolent Resistance, Pax Christi USA, Progressive Democrats of
America, Psychologists for Social Responsibility, Robert Jackson
Steering Committee, RootsAction.org, September 11th Families for
Peaceful Tomorrows, Tackling Torture at the Top Committee of Women
Against Military Madness, Veterans for Peace, War Criminals Watch,
WarIsACrime.org, WeThePeopleNow.org, World Can't Wait.<br>
<br>
Along with:<br>
Amnesty International USA, Bill of Rights Defense Committee,
Council for the National Interest, Democrats.com, Fellowship on
Reconciliation, United for Peace and Justice, Velvet Revolution,
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, War Resisters
League, Witness Against Torture, Code Pink Women for Peace, Voters
for Peace.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://rootsaction.org/" target="_blank">http://rootsaction.org</a><br>
<br>
*****<br>
<br>
<b>A la gente de España, de la gente de los EEUU</b><br>
<br>
Escribimos para agradecerles y para solicitar su apoyo mientras
sus cortes consideran procesos contra oficiales norteamericanos
por el crimen de haber autorizado la tortura. Conforme con la ley
internacional, un juez español pronto decidirá si va a investigar
la complicidad de oficiales estadounidenses en tal autorización.
Esperamos que Uds. estén de acuerdo que estos casos deben seguir,
pese a las presiones por la administración de Obama para
abandonarlos.<br>
<br>
Las organizaciones que firman abajo representan a cientos de miles
de personas en los EEUU que creen que el gobierno estadounidense
debe obedecer las mismas leyes como otro paises. Sentimos
profundamente desanimados que nuestro gobierno rehusa procesar a
los ex-oficiales aunque sus plenas declaraciones y los documentos
gubernamentales manifiestan que autorizaron la tortura.<br>
<br>
Se requiere una amplia y pública manifestación en favor del caso
para resistir las presiones desde Washington. Los cables de
WikiLeaks demuestran el afán vehemente de los oficiales
estadounidenses para prevenir cualquier intento por España y otros
países para sostener la justicia. Aplaudimos el coraje de los
oficiales españoles que insisten en defender el estado de derecho.<br>
<br>
Pese a las anteriores afirmaciones del Presidente Barack Obama y
del Procurador General Eric Holder que el “waterboarding” (ahogo
simulado) es tortura, el ex-presidente George W. Bush dijo
públicamente tres veces el año pasado que autorizó el
waterboarding y añadió orgullosamente que lo haría de nuevo. En
una entrevista transmitida en televisión el 8 de nov., dijo Bush
que consideró el waterboarding legal “porque asi dijo el abogado.”
El waterboarding y otros métodos de tortura se abolieron por la
Convención de las Naciones Unidas Contra Tortura y Otros
Tratamientos y Castigos Crueles, Inhumanos, y Degradantes,
ratificada por los EEUU en 1994.<br>
<br>
Para que la ley internacional tenga alguna eficacia, los otros
países deben condenar las violaciones “por otras naciones,
incluyendo aquellos que ahora juzgan,” según las palabras del
acusador estadounidense en Nuremberg.<br>
<br>
Esperamos sinceramente que los ciudadanos y la magistratura de
España refuten la idea que cualquier país puede violar la ley.<br>
<br>
En solidaridad,<br>
<br>
High Road for Human Rights, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns,
National Accountability Action Network, National Campaign for
Nonviolent Resistance, Pax Christi USA, Progressive Democrats of
America, Psychologists for Social Responsibility, Robert Jackson
Steering Committee, RootsAction.org, September 11th Families for
Peaceful Tomorrows, Tackling Torture at the Top Committee of Women
Against Military Madness, Veterans for Peace, War Criminals Watch,
WarIsACrime.org, WeThePeopleNow.org, and World Can't Wait.<br>
<br>
Along with:<br>
Amnesty International USA, Bill of Rights Defense Committee,
Council for the National Interest, Democrats.com, Fellowship on
Reconciliation, United for Peace and Justice, Velvet Revolution,
Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity, War Resisters
League, Witness Against Torture, Code Pink Women for Peace, Voters
for Peace.</p>
<br>
<div>-- <br>
<p>David Swanson is the author of "War Is A Lie"<span> </span></p>
<p><a href="http://warisalie.org/" target="_blank">http://warisalie.org</a></p>
<p><span><a href="http://davidswanson.org/" target="_blank">http://davidswanson.org</a></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://warisacrime.org/" target="_blank">http://warisacrime.org</a></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://facebook.com/pages/David-Swanson/297768373319" target="_blank">http://facebook.com/pages/David-Swanson/297768373319</a></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://twitter.com/davidcnswanson" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/davidcnswanson</a></span></p>
<p><span><a href="http://youtube.com/afterdowningstreet" target="_blank">http://youtube.com/afterdowningstreet</a></span></p>
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</div>Media Contact:<br>
<br>
Ralph Lopez<br>
617-412-9338<br>
<br>
Facilitator:<br>
<br>Susan Serpa<br>617-599-5195<br><a href="mailto:neimpeach@gmail.com" target="_blank">neimpeach@gmail.com</a>