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Dear
Friend,
Last
week, Attorney General Michael Mukasey opened a narrow investigation
into the CIA's destruction of videotapes depicting the "harsh"
interrogation of detainees in its custody. But half-steps don't get at
hard truths.
Like most
Bush administration actions, this limited investigation will only
prevent vital questions from being asked -- it will not get key answers
that America needs. Michael Mukasey has decided to keep control of his
prosecutor, and only allow a narrow probe into the destruction of
evidence, not the illegal activities by our government that reportedly
were filmed on the CIA’s torture tapes in the first place. Because the
Attorney General won't investigate the shameful conduct that is at the
heart of the matter on his own, Congress needs to turn up the heat.
Tell
your members of Congress: Mukasey must appoint a special counsel --
someone with real independence and transparency.
It's a
sign of progress that the Attorney General felt enough pressure that he
was forced to take some action. But, hopes for a fair and
thorough investigation have been thwarted by Mukasey’s insistence that
the investigation remain within the control of the Bush administration.
The administration cannot
investigate itself! The prosecutor he appointed reports directly to the
Deputy Attorney General. The current nominee for Deputy Attorney
General refuses to say that waterboarding is illegal. The Deputy
Attorney General reports to Mukasey, who also refuses to say that
waterboarding is illegal. And, Mukasey can stop the prosecutor from
filing charges.
Not only that, but by
limiting the investigation only to the destruction of the tapes,
Mukasey can stop the prosecutor from addressing other questions that
must be asked, including whether what was being videotaped was a crime
or whether failing to disclose the existence of the tapes to the 9/11
commission or the courts violated the law.
Tell
your members of Congress: Mukasey must appoint a special counsel.
With our nation’s
reputation and the rule of law at stake, we need a complete and
independent investigation not only of who destroyed CIA tapes of
interrogations, but also of who authorized, ordered and carried out any
criminal acts of torture and abuse.
That’s
why the ACLU has called on Mukasey to appoint a special counsel -- one
with real independence and transparency. Mukasey hasn’t listened yet.
But if enough people write their members of Congress, he will be forced
to pay attention. And if enough of our senators and representatives
keep the pressure on, Mukasey will be forced to act.
Thank you
for your voice in this critical fight.
Thank you,
Anthony
D. Romero
Executive Director, ACLU
P.S.
Friday, January 11th is the sixth anniversary of the opening of the
prison at Guantánamo Bay.
That’s why the ACLU has joined with dozens of other organizations and
is asking all our members to wear
orange to protest this stain on America’s reputation. Closing the
prison and ending torture and indefinite detention without charge is a
first step towards restoring our reputation in the world. Please
remember to wear orange this Friday.
©
ACLU, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor New York, NY 10004
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Remember to wear orange tomorrow, January 11,
to demand an immediate end to the injustice at Guantánamo Bay. 