Yoo Withdrew: Amidst Growing Call for Criminal Investigation-Yoo Withdraws From Fed Society Panel

[kpete]

Monday, November 9, 2009
Yoo Withdrew: Amidst Growing Call for Criminal Investigation, Torture Memos Author John Yoo Withdraws from Federalist Society Panel

Amidst a growing call for a criminal investigation of the DOJ lawyers who authorized torture, John Yoo, author of the most infamous of the “torture memos” withdrew as a speaker at the conservative Federalist Society Convention where Alliance for Justice and human rights supporters are scheduled to take action.

“John Yoo’s withdrawal from the Federalist Society Convention shows that pressure is building to hold accountable those who provided legal cover for torture,” said Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron.

Yoo was scheduled to speak on the panel, “Professional Responsibility: The Role of Government Attorneys and the Global War on Terror” this Thursday, November 12. Alliance for Justice is organizing human rights supporters to rally outside the convention that day and call the Attorney General to ask for immediate release of the report by the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) on the Justice Department lawyers who wrote the “torture memos.”

Yoo’s withdrawal comes after a top Bush administration Justice Department official, Daniel Levin, publicly stated last week that he was not opposed to a criminal investigation of his and his colleagues’ conduct in preparing and reviewing the “torture memos.” Levin was the acting head of the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel in 2004-05, during which the OLC reviewed the legalities of the CIA’s “enhanced interrogation practices.”

more:
http://afjjusticewatch.blogspot.com/2009/11/yoo-withdrew-amidst-growing-call-for.html

[Agony]

1. Keep the pressure on, pick up the phone. November 12th [phone]

On November 12th we will raise awareness about the need to hold accountable those who authorized torture during the Bush administration.

Call Attorney General Holder and urge him to take the first step towards accountablity by releasing the report on the authors of the "torture memos."

Sample Talking Points:

I'm calling to ask the Attorney General to immediately release the OPR Report on the authors of the torture memos and conduct a full investigation of those who ordered, designed, and justified torture.

The Bush administration turned America into a nation that tortures, and we have a right to know what was done, what laws were broken, and hold those who are responsible accountable so this never happens again.

Only by knowing the facts can our nation move forward and take the necessary actions to uphold the Constitution and the law.

https://secure3.convio.net/afj/site/Advocacy?alertId=161&pg=makeACall&JServSessionIdr003=zkumozf132.app332b


Make a call to Attorney General Eric Holder's Office
Phone: [phone]