Guantanamo Bay Detention Center: 8 Years Too Long!

 This is the text of a leaflet from the Chicago Chapter of World Can’t Wait 

On January 11, 2002 the Bush Administration, in an attempt to circumvent the Constitution and Geneva Conventions which both uphold the right of habeas corpus, opened the doors of Guantanamo Detention Center in Cuba. They had kidnapped and rendered men and even some male children from all over the globe in the so-called “War on Terror.”

Many of those detained were turned over by war lords, tribal enemies, or vengeful neighbors to collect the financial reward promised by the U.S. to anyone with information on alleged terrorists. They were not, as many believe, captured on the battle field. More than seven hundred men, taken from their lives and their families, were denied the right to see or speak to the alleged evidence being used to detain them. And in many cases the “evidence” against them was coerced through the use of torture.  Many of them have now been released after years of detention, without ever having been charged with any crime, let alone the crime of terrorism.

200 men remain at Guantanamo. The Obama administration is now making a flimsy attempt to appease world public opinion. By closing Guantanamo it was hoped that America’s reputation in the world as a nation that champions human rights could be restored. However, as this so-called “War on Terror” is escalated in Afghanistan, Obama’s promise to close Guantanamo on January 22 will be broken. Instead he and his administration promise to continue moving toward opening a “more than super max” prison in a portion of the Thomson Correctional Facility in Thomson, IL.

The Obama administration has confirmed that several dozen of these men will continue to be held indefinitely. The remaining will be “tried” before military commissions. Evidence obtained through torture can still be used against them. Why? Because despite Obama’s amendments to the original Military Commissions Act and his denunciation of water boarding, he has never repudiated many of the inhumane techniques that the likes of Bush lawyers John Yoo and Jay Bybee deemed acceptable in the infamous torture memos.

People of conscience in this country must not remain silent!

We must not let this stand! Join World Can’t Wait on Friday January 22^nd to Demand

Shut Down Guantanamo: No More Guantanamos Anywhere!

meet at the Tribune Tower, 435 N. Michigan Ave at 4 PM for creative street theater

On Saturday January 31^st Chicago World Can’t Wait is co-sponsoring the film showing of Taxi To The Dark Side organized by the Oak Park Coalition for Truth & Justice at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St., Oak Park