NORTH CAROLINA
STOP TORTURE NOW
PO Box 50345
Raleigh, NC 27650
e-mail via:
contact AT ncstoptorturenow.net
(919) 834-4478
(evenings, or messages during business hours)
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JOIN US at the next Airport Vigil
2-3 p.m., Saturday, May 10
Johnston County Airport
on the south shoulder of Business 70, just east of the highway's intersection with Swift Creek Road
(parking along Citation Lane across Hwy 70)
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JOIN US at the next NCSTN Meeting
2-4 p.m., Sunday, May 18
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
3313 Wade Avenue***
DONATE
Donations in support of NCSTN's work may be made payable to:
North Carolina Stop Torture Now
and mailed to:
PO Box 50345,
Raleigh, NC 27650
Questions about how to direct donations that may qualify as charitable, tax-deductible contributions should be directed to:
contact@ncstoptorturenow.org***
WRITE THE US ATTORNEY GENERAL AND YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES AND URGE INVESTIGATION OF AERO CONTRACTORS
On April 23, Congressman Mel Watt (D-12th District, NC) asked FBI Director Robert Mueller for an update on the investigation into Aero Contractors' support of the extaordinary rendition program during a hearing before the House Judiciary Committee.
Watt noted during questioning of Mueller that the North Carolina Attorney General had referred the matter to the FBI more than a year ago. He also noted that three Aero employees had been indicted in Germany.
And, Watt wondered, when might Mr. Mueller provide the committee an update on an investigation of which Mueller claimed he was completely unaware.
Congressman Howard Coble (R-6th District, NC) also sits on the Judiciary committee.
Congressman Brad Miller (D-13th District, NC) sits on the House Foreign Affairs committee, which earlier -- during a special joint session with the House Judiciary -- heard testimony from and then apologized to Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen intercepted at JFK and flown to Syrian torture chambers by a private air carrier.
Arar was returned to Canada, where his government apologized and offered compensation for his mistreatment. So far, the U.S. administration has refused to admit anywrondoing.
Contact information for the NC Congressional delegation
(courtesy of NC Peace Action)The Attorney General can be reached at:
Attorney General Michael Mukasey
U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001***
WRITE YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TO URGE SUPPORT FOR H.B. 1682
Better yet, gather signatures from your neighbors and present your state elected official with this petition.Pass the page around at the next meeting of:
Your church's social justice committee;
your garden club or bowling league; or
your poker gang or neighborhood association.Then recall that petitions are notoriously ineffective sitting on your desk.
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WANT TO DO EVEN MORE?
(1) Ask your elected representatives:
"What action have you taken to sever North Carolina's link to kidnapping, extrajudicial detention and torture?"
Here are the questionnaires we sent every candidate for Governor, U.S. Senate or NC Attorney General. To their credit, Messrs. Neal and Staley (Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate) and Mr. Munger (Libertarian candidate for Governor) agreed that torture is always "illegal, immoral, and ineffective," and indicated support for our goal of ending the extraordinary renditiion program.
(2) Ask candidates for public office a similar question:
"What will you do to ensure North Carolina is a torture free zone?"
(3) Are you a plane spotter? Do you live within a few miles of the Johnston County Airport and own a radio scanner? If so, numerous allies have asked our help learning what planes Aero is now flying. Or, if you have an old, but functional VHF radio scanner, NCSTN could put it to good use. For details see our Planespotting pages
If you live in proximity to Johnston County Airport, Kinston JetPort, or Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Field, let us know so we can alert you when suspicious aircraft are incoming or outbound:
Introductory and background on North Carolina's Torture Taxis including pointers for volunteer plane spotters, is available: http://www.stlimc.org/newswire/display/947/index.php
(4) Can you devote some time to monitoring Arabic and Asian media outlets? Do you have language skills to help summarize and retell the human side of rendition as reported by victims and their families? If so, please let us know
(5) Join our listserve to learn of other upcoming opportunities. Visit the contact page to learn how.
(6) MORE? Check Act Against Torture's quick list of ten things you can do, with links to additional resources.
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updated 02 May2008, JMcI