Below is a letter sent to Congress regarding the Administration’s proposed Military Commission Act of 2006. Several members of Peaceful Tomorrows signed on, and other followed.
Three republican senators took the lead on this initiative–John Warner (Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee), John McCain (former POW and torture victim), and Lindsey Graham (a military reservist and military judge).
The fundamental problems with the Administration’s bill is that it proposes to radically limit US acceptance of key provisions of the Geneva Conventions, to amend the War Crimes Act to decriminalize very brutal interrogation methods, to create a system of military trials that lack many essential elements of due process and lack any genuine judicial oversight. (Many former military officers strongly oppose the bill. Two former Joints Chiefs of Staff–Colin Powell and Jack Vesey–have written to Sen. McCain strongly opposing the effort to gut Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.)
Here is the letter:
September 14, 2006
Dear Senator:
As members of families who lost loved ones in the 9/11 attacks, we are writing to express our deep concern over the provisions of the Administration
