The Chicago
Council of Lawyers calls on Congress to bar the United States from seizing
persons and sending them to foreign countries where they are likely
to be tortured. It further calls on Congress to bar the use of any U.S.
funds for such purposes. The government has attempted to keep secret
this practice, called ''extraordinary rendition,'' but recent media
reports in the Washington Post, New York Times, Newsweek and New Yorker
magazine have made it public.
Here's
one example. In September 2002 Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen, was seized
while in transit to Canada through JFK airport and sent to Syria at
the request of the CIA. While in Syria Arar was tortured for about a
year. Syria later released him, finding he had no link to terrorist
activities, and he has returned to Canada and filed a suit against the
United States. The United States has moved to dismiss the case, claiming
it would force it to reveal ''secrets'' about national security.
Another
example, involving persons seized outside the United States: In December
2001, two Egyptian men seeking political asylum in Sweden were seized
in Stockholm and forced onto a jet (apparently owned by a CIA front)
and flown to Egypt. Both say they were tortured while in Egyptian custody.
One was convicted by an Egyptian military court of terrorism-related
charges. The other was set free.
The Chicago
Council of Lawyers believes that this practice already violates the
Convention Against Torture, which the United States has ratified. Rep.
Edward Markey (D-Mass.) has introduced legislation that would prohibit
the United States from sending persons to countries that the State Department
has certified commonly practice torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment during detention and interrogation. The Council calls on Senators
Dick Durbin and Barack Obama and congresspersons from the Chicago area
to support this bill. It also calls on Congress to pass legislation
that would bar the use of any U.S. funds for such activities.
The Chicago
Council of Lawyers believes that rejecting the outsourcing of torture
will not only demonstrate our respect for the rule of law, but will
reaffirm the fundamental principle that abetting torture is not acceptable
under any circumstances.
Gordon
G. Waldron
member, Civil Liberties Committee
Chicago Council of Lawyers