Eva's Sharebook 

Dear Eva,

Your hard work paid off! Last night the House gave overwhelming support to Sen. McCain's ban on mistreatment of detainees in U.S. custody.

Many of you asked your representative to support Sen. McCain's ban on torture and cruel treatment. And they did - in a stunning 308 to 122 vote. The House vote follows the similarly overwhelming vote in the Senate - 90 to 9 - in October.

See how your representative voted: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll630.xml

Now, the fate of Sen. McCain's amendment rests in two places: the outcome of the Senator's negotiations with the White House over some provisions, and then with a handful of House and Senate members who will negotiate a final bill.

We have heard that Senator McCain and the White House are going to announce an agreement today. The White House came under enormous pressure to accept an absolute ban on abuse – because of the message sent by the Senate, and now the House. 

You should know that it is because of your support - and tireless campaigning - that both chambers of Congress sent the White House (and the world) a clear message: The American people do not tolerate torture or cruel and inhuman treatment.

Today the Washington Post put the story on its front page: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/14/AR2005121402045.html

Look out for an announcement about the McCain amendment later today - we are confident all your hard work is going to make sure torture never again happens in America's name, and we look forward to working with you on this issue and others in 2006.

Sincerely,

Jill Savitt
Director of Campaigns
Human Rights First

HERE'S WHAT STARTED ALL THE CONTROVERSY AMONG AMERICANS WHO JUST COULD NOT LOOK AWAY AFTER THESE HIDDEOUS ACTS OF BARBARISM WERE EXPOSED TO THE WORLD.  THIS VIDEO IS CALLED "A FEW BAD APPLES."

http://www.cbc.ca/fifth/video.html
A FEW BAD APPLES
They were the photos that shocked the world. Detainees in Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison attacked by dogs, made to crawl on all fours while on the end of a leash, hooded with electrical wires attached to limbs. This humiliation, even torture, was carried out by their guards, members of the American military.

President Bush and his government wanted the public to believe that this was the work of just a few bad apples. But, an investigative team from the fifth estate, led by reporter Gillian Findlay, takes us inside one of these notorious images, talks to the American soldiers who were there, and finds a markedly different story.
Watch the video
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