E-News: Action against Torture, Iraq and More Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 16:18:53 -0500 (CDT) E-News: Action against Torture, Iraq and More June 12, 2007 Read this newsletter online at: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/JZVUHHDNCD/1245825216 Take Action: Participate in Torture Awareness Week At the end of June, people from across the country will be rallying here in Washington and around the country to urge Congress to restore the principles of freedom and fairness upon which the U.S. was founded. Congress needs to eliminate secret prisons, restore habeas corpus rights and due process of law for all detainees, and say "No" to torture, without exception. Read about these plans: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/CJUQHHDNCE/1245825216 Quote of the Week: Colin Powell Calls for Closing Guantanamo "If it was up to me, I would close Guantanamo not tomorrow, but this afternoon. I'd close it. And I would not let any of those people go. I would simply move them to the United States and put them into our federal legal system...And so I would get rid of Guantanamo and I'd get rid of the military commission system and use established procedures in federal law or in the manual for courts-martial." ~ Former Secretary of State Colin Powell: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/FRWNHHDNCF/1245825216 Report Back: Senate Judiciary Committee Votes to Restore Rule of Law A key Senate committee took a first step toward restoring the right of detainees held by the U.S. military to challenge their detention in a court of law when the Senate Judiciary Committee passed the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/GTNVHHDNCG/1245825216. If this bill becomes law, this would be a major victory for civil liberties advocates and a step towards restoring one of America's finest traditions: the rule of law. Urge your senator to cosponsor this legislation: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/FFOGHHDNCH/1245825216 From the Hill: Senate Debates Energy Legislation This week the Senate began debating energy reform legislation. Read Senior Legislative Secretary Ned Stowe's analysis of the Senate energylegislation: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/FKNNHHDNCI/1245825216 Iraq: Bipartisan Calls for Change Gaining Momentum Your lobbying for a change in U.S. policy toward Iraq is making a difference. In the next two weeks we at FCNL will be continuing to urge members of Congress to cosponsor the Iraq Study Group Implementation Act and to ensure that this legislation is attached as an amendment to the military authorization bill when it comes to the Senate. Read more: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/CUBNHHDNCJ/1245825216 From the Quakers' Colonel: U.S. Death Toll in Iraq Reaches 3,500 By almost any measure, the U.S. war in Iraq is going from bad to worse. The New York Times reported this Sunday that the monthly death toll of civilians is higher than at any point since the beginning of the war. The Pentagon reported that 126 U.S. troops died in May, making this the third deadliest month of the Iraq war. Read an analysis by FCNL's Senior Fellow for Military Affairs Dan Smith: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/JSVIHHDNCK/1245825216 Iraq: Over Halfway to 50 Percent Goal Almost there! We have set the goal of increasing the number of people sending messages to Congress on Iraq by 50 percent before July 4. Let your members of Congress know how you feel: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/GJNLHHDNCL/1245825216. Ask two of your friends to do the same: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/FZPUHHDNCM/1245825216 http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/BVZMHHDNCN/1245825216 Analysis: What happened to the Immigration Bill? After seven days of debate on immigration reform, the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (NV) ended the debate when he failed to reach agreement on a deadline for a final vote. Some have argued that the immigration debate is essentially dead for this year, but the White House and key senators are rallying support to bring the bill back up for debate. Read more: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/AUMQHHDNCO/1245825216 Successes: Committee Increases Non-Proliferation Budget by $1 Billion At the beginning of June, the House Appropriations Committee cut the nuclear weapons budget proposed by the Bush Administration by $630 million and increased support for nuclear non-proliferation programs by nearly $1 billion. Read more: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/MSQQHHDNCP/1245825216/ War is Not the Answer photo of the week: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/HSCGHHDNCQ/1245825216 _______________________________________ The Next Step for Iraq: Join FCNL's Iraq Campaign, http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/DQWDHHDNCR/1245825216/ Contact Congress and the Administration: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/JQTHHHDNCS/1245825216/ Order FCNL publications and "War is Not the Answer" campaign bumper stickers and yard signs: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/NIASHHDNCT/1245825216/ http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/KLWLHHDNCU/1245825216 Contribute to FCNL: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/HNPBHHDNCV/1245825216/ Subscribe or update your information to this list: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/GIIIHHDNCW/1245825216/. To unsubscribe from this list, please see the end of this message. Subscribe to other FCNL legislative, policy, and action alert lists: http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/OBUOHHDNCX/1245825216. ________________________________________ Friends Committee on National Legislation 245 Second St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-5795 fcnl@fcnl.org * http://capwiz.com/fconl/utr/1/DJCCHHDIAP/AGGFHHDNCY/1245825216 phone: (202)547-6000 * toll-free: (800)630-1330 We seek a world free of war and the threat of war We seek a society with equity and justice for all We seek a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled We seek an earth restored. --- If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please visit http://capwiz.com/fconl/lmx/u/?jobid=86426615&queueid=1245825216.