[North-NV-Greens] Fwd: [GPUS-PAX] GPAX Action Alert: Call in to Oppose Gonzales, Monday, Jan 31

[Paul Etxeberri]

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>GREEN PARTY ACTION ALERT TO OPPOSE GONZALES FOR ATTORNEY GENERAL
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>CALL-IN ON MONDAY, JANUARY 31, 2005!  The debate and vote on the 
>nomination is this week, so please call 202-224-3121
>
>In solidarity with a growing number of civil and human rights 
>organizations, peace groups, military veterans, religious leaders, 
>lawyers, judges, and elected officials, the Peace Action Committee 
>of Green Party of the US opposes the confirmation of Alberto 
>Gonzales as Attorney General for the United States.
>
>A key value of the Green Party is nonviolence.  Mr. Gonzales has 
>become notorious for his "legal" justification, as White House 
>Attorney, of the use of torture during interrogation of detainees. 
>We urge Americans to tell their Senators to vote against  - and 
>filibuster - the confirmation of Mr. Gonzales. Only 40 votes are 
>needed to successfully win a filibuster.
>
>You can call your United States Senators at 202-224-3121 to urge a 
>no vote or send a letter via
>http://www.peace-action.org/home/11.29.04torture.html.
>
>You can also find direct contact information for your US Senator at 
>www.congress.org.
>
>The Senate Judiciary Committee voted yesterday along party lines 
>(10-8) to endorse Gonzales' nomination. The full Senate will vote 
>early next week.
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>The nomination of White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales for Attorney 
>General of the United States raises the likelihood that the chief 
>legal officer in the second Bush Administration will undermine, not 
>uphold, the Constitution of the United States he is sworn to support.
>
>According to Human Rights Watch, "In responses to U.S. Senate 
>inquiries, White House Counsel and Attorney General-nominee Alberto 
>Gonzales claimed that the prohibition on cruel, inhuman or degrading 
>treatment-enshrined in a treaty the United States ratified in 
>1994-does not apply to U.S. personnel in the treatment of non- 
>citizens abroad. While asserting that torture by all U.S. personnel 
>was unlawful, Gonzales indicated that no law would prohibit the CIA 
>from engaging in cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment when it 
>interrogates non-Americans outside the United States. The 
>interpretation would permit the CIA to commit in secret detention 
>facilities abroad many of the shocking forms of abuse that took 
>place at Abu Ghraib. Judge Gonzales advised the President that he 
>could declare the entire legal regime of the Geneva Conventions 
>inapplicable to the conflict in Afghanistan.
>
>According to Democracy Now, Gonzales is also coming under scrutiny 
>for his time as Gubernatorial Counsel to then Texas Governor Bush. 
>Earlier this week, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics filed a 
>complaint with the State Bar of Texas requesting an investigation 
>into misrepresentations Gonzales made in a written response to the 
>Senate Judiciary Committee.  These misrepresentations were in regard 
>to the failure of Mr. Bush to disclose his drunk drive conviction 
>record when called for Jury Duty.
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>Thank you for taking action now! 
>
>Peace,
>Green Party Peace Action Committee
>peace at gp.org
>http://www.gp.org/committees/peace/


-- 
Paul Etxeberri

"Forests precede civilizations and deserts follow"   ---Chateaubriand
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