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)

Aero Contractors, Ltd. is one of the private companies linked to the CIA’s practice of extraordinary rendition a phrase that disguises the kidnap, detention and torture of individuals alleged to be enemies of the United States, including those guilty of nothing other than being misidentified. Aero Contractors' headquarters is located at the Johnston County Airport near Smithfield, NC.

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Report: "Waterboarding, Ghost Planes, and Guantánamo:
Inside America's Secret War,"
A Conference and Strategy Session

May 3 - More than 50 people gathered to listen to Moazzam Begg, former Bagram and Guantánamo detainee and co-author of Enemy Combatant; Tina Monshipour Foster, human rights attorney, executive director of International Justice Network; and Brad Garrett, consultant ABC News, private investigator, and retired officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation offer advice on working to end U.S. sponsorship of torture.

The event was featured in a news item in Sunday's edition of the Raleigh News & Observer.

Video of the event is being posted as it is edited into manageable components at: www.ncstn.spaces.live.com and the first installment is below:

Near the end of his talk, Begg replied to a question about his plans moving forward. He plainly explained his commitment to continue reaching out to British and U.S. and global citizens to end torture, and noted that he draws considerable energy and hope from spreading his message via video or in personal presentations.

Begg, Garrett and Foster each emphasized the importance of reframing the struggle against torture in terms that fearful people can understand and support.

Begg noted that when the U.S. releases a journalist from Guantánamo, as it did just days earlier, the news saturates media outlets throughout the Islamic world and inspires outrage and militancy.

Likewise, Foster noted that the lawyers for detainees have only been successful when they appeal to the court of public opinion. The practice of swooping in and capturing non-combatants from their homes based on the say-so of bounty hunters only serves to create more enemies and makes us less safe.

"The military and intelligence community have a daunting job," Garrett said. "You can't make it worse by making people hate us."

During a post-lunch strategy session, another invited speaker, state Senator Ellie Kinnaird, suggested and NC Council of Churches staff member, Rev. Spencer Bradford, echoed the need to do significant outreach to faith-based communities.

During afternoon workshops participants explored:

How to make torture an election issue, featuring a discussion led by state Representative Paul Luebke and state Senator Ellie Kinnaird and Sarah Preston, Legislative Coordinator for the ACLU-NC.

Considered how Americans can best meet our responsibility to expose our program of disappearance and torture, during a session facilitated by Steven Edelstein, Esq.

Created components of a traveling, educational art installation exploring our nation's use of torture and how citizens must respond, facilitated by Roger Ehrlich, Joe McTaggart, and a corps of volunteers from the group: Public Assembly.

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Please report broken links or other concerns.
updated 16 June 2008, JMcI