Week of Action on Darfur!

This week, activists across the nation are meeting with their local congressional offices to urge them to support the deployment of peacekeepers in Darfur. You can help by calling your Representative, along with Senators Lautenberg and Menendez!

Since 2003, 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur and 2.5 million have been displaced. Both government-aligned and rebel organizations have prevented humanitarian organizations from delivering food, medical treatment, and other urgent supplies to the population. In 2006 and 2007, Amnesty and other groups asked Congress to send strong messages to the Arab League and China to use their influence to persuade the Sudanese government to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur.

These efforts have paid off. Roughly 9,000 UN/African Union peacekeepers have already been deployed. Yet the Sudanese government has tried to slow or prevent the complete deployment of 26,000 peacekeepers. Worse yet, it continues to create obstacles that prevent the peacekeepers from doing their job. Furthermore, the peacekeeping force does not have the financial resources it needs from the international community.

Please call the offices of your Congressman and both of our Senators and urge them to write to Secretary of State Rice and ask her to:
· Increase the diplomatic pressure on Sudan to cooperate with the complete and effective deployment of UN/African Union peacekeepers in Darfur
· Provide an addition $334 million for peacekeeping operations in Darfur for fiscal years 2008 and 2009

Upcoming Torture Vote in the Senate

In December, activists across the country told the House of Representatives to approve legislation that would ensure that all U.S. agencies and personnel are bound by the same rules regarding torture and interrogation. It makes it clear that even the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is bound by the standards set forth in the Army Field Manual.

The next step is a senate vote on the same conference report. Please call the offices of Senator Lautenberg (202-224-3224) and Senator Menendez (202-224-4744) and urge them to support section 327 of the Conference Report on the Intelligence Authorization Act (H.R. 2082).” Doing so will help

·Ensure the accuracy of intelligence because information obtained through torture and other inhumane methods is inherently unreliable

·Strengthen U.S. efforts to stop terrorism by improving relations with our allies

·Protect U.S. citizens, including servicemen, by supporting international law and thus removing any cynical justification for violating their rights

·Decrease support for anti-Americanism by improving our nation’s image

·Restore the America that We Believe—the nation governed by the U.S. Constitution