Close Guantanamo

[Brian]

The 19th anniversary of the unconstitutional prison at Guantanamo Bay was January 11, but I waited for the latest impeachment to go through the House before writing to my representative and U.S. senators. Let's pray that this is the last year that we get customizable letters like this by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture:

nrcat.salsalabs.org/close-guantanamo-2021/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=be3ba991-6d74-41a0-956f-78be396cba7f

Yes, Kamala Harris is still our senator, so I'll have to write another letter to Alex Padilla soon.

[Brian]

The National Religious Campaign Against Torture has another customizable letter to your House representative and U.S. senators about closing the prison at Guantanamo Bay. This letter asks for an annual National Defense Authorization Act that -- for once -- contains no provisions that restrict detainees from being brought to the U.S. for trial or medical treatment:

nrcat.salsalabs.org/takeaction-guantanamo-21/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=67a647d5-56f3-4e8e-af4c-4617f7eac6bd

[Brian]

The latest:  For the first time in more than a decade, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act without any language barring the transfer of Guantanamo detainees to the U.S. Instead, the act would allow transfers for medical treatment or for trials.  But in the Senate, it was business as usual.  Will a "clean" NDAA survive in the final reckoning?  The National Religious Campaign Against Torture just put up another customizable letter you can send to your representative and senators:

nrcat.salsalabs.org/takeaction-guantanamo-21-2/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=1569819d-1f6b-4a45-9977-b507d0abfdb6

[Oss Rae]

Signed.

[Brian]

January 11, 2021 is the 20th anniversary of the Guantanamo prison. The National Religious Campaign Against Torture is gathering signatures on a petition to Congress and President Biden saying close it now:

nrcat.salsalabs.org/close-guantanamo-petition/index.html?

[Brian]

I'm not going to let up on my representative and senators until every prisoner is removed from Guantanamo, and apparently neither is the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

You might have read this week that a prisoner who was tortured so badly that he was ruled ineligible for trial 14 years ago was just released to Saudi Arabia. Now there are 38 men remaining at Guantanamo. NRCAT offers a timely customizable letter:

nrcat.salsalabs.org/close-guantanamo-2022-2/index.html?

[Brian]

Yes, I do this every year -- and so does the National Religious Campaign Against Torture.

Wednesday, January 11, 2023 marked the 21st anniversary of the unconstitutional prison at Guantanamo Bay.  The number of Muslim men and boys detained there peaked at 780.  Today 35 remain, three fewer than when I last posted in March.  The majority of them have never been charged with a crime and have been recommended for transfer.

Also on Wednesday, NRCAT offered this e-mail form to send to President Biden along with more than 100 other organizations:

nrcat.salsalabs.org/close-guantanamo-21st-anniversary/index.html