amnesty international is at ground zero on guantanamo bay...

"It is appropriate that a person from Australia, home of the kangaroo, should be the first one dragged before the kangaroo court at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay. David Hicks, imprisoned there for more than five years, pleaded guilty Monday to providing material support for terrorism."

i've always loved amy goodman, maybe because we're part of the liberal wing of the tribe or perhaps because she's just a damn good commentator but she's the source of the above quote...

someone i met last weekend at amnesty international's annual general meeting in milwaukee was jumana musa the advocacy director of domestic human rights and international justice for amnesty international usa...

amnesty international has been all over the guantanamo bay human rights issue from the get-go at gitmo...and this week's first detainee trial referred to by amy goodman is simply a continuation of that commitment to the values of fairness, due process, rule, of law, and human dignity...here's what jumana shared with me yesterday...

This week, I observed the first military commission hearings for Amnesty International. As you probably know, Australian national David Hicks pleaded guilty to “providing material support for terrorism.”

Amnesty International was there, irrespective of Mr. Hicks' guilt or innocence, because his plea was made after years of indefinite detention, isolation, and allegations of torture and ill-treatment. Amnesty was there because the military commission system does not provide for due process or justice... and it does not represent the America we believe in.

I want to personally thank you for being an Amnesty supporter, because your support is what enables us to investigate the abuses at Guantánamo as well as a myriad of other human rights abuses around the world.

This week's proceedings do not bode well for the 60 to 80 people whom the government claims it will prosecute under the military commission system. The proceedings reaffirm the need to close the Guantánamo detention camp and to end the lawlessness that it has come to symbolize.

The military commissions should be scrapped. The government should charge the Guantánamo detainees with recognizable criminal offenses and bring them before a fair trial before a competent, independent, and impartial tribunal, or else release them with full protections against further abuse.

You can read my report on the proceedings in Guantánamo earlier this week here.

you can take action on closing guantanamo bay by clicking here or on david hicks who has been illegally detained - regardless of his guilt or innocence - and denied due process for far too long by clicking here...

why??? well if not for the tennessee dude (haha) then follow amy goodman's lead...

peace out <3

"The grim Guantanamo experiment is reaching its climax. The house of cards that has been erected to support this immoral, criminal enterprise is poised to collapse. Call, shout, sit down, march, donate, write, protest … demand that Guantanamo be closed"