Ask CSPAN to cover Public Hearings THURS on Detainee Abuse (re: photos)

[cyberpj]

CONTACT CSPAN NOW - to cover Open Hearings on Detainee Abuse

I've already emailed Skinner to make this an official DU Activist item but we don't have much time so I thought this might give some of us a head start...

CONTACT CSPAN NOW to request they cover this open hearing!
Main Number: [phone]
Suggest Events:
Submit a public event that you think C-SPAN should cover -
[e-mail]

Judge rules in favor of holding public hearings on detainee abuse
Larisa Alexandrovna

Following the latest round of filings by the Department of Defense in conjunction with the State Department -which attempts to stipulate that all current and future photographs and tapes of detainee abuse be permanently sealed and, in addition, the reasons given for the motion be heavily redacted - the court ruled largely in favor of public disclosure.

The government's most recent motion was filed several weeks back when it missed its deadline for the release of all documents pursuant to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit, which has forced the release of over 60 thousand documents thus far in relation to detainee abuse and torture.

snip...

Judge Hellerstein stated that the public had an "educational interest" in the reasons for sealing the abuse documents, and scheduled a public hearing for this Thursday.

The hearing this Thursday will address whether the government has agreed to accede to the court ruling that the DOD and State declarations be unredacted, or if they tend to repeal. The hearing will be public, but any appeals with regard to the DOD/State declarations may require closed door hearings as part of the larger public hearing.

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Judge_rules_in_favor_of_holding_public_hearings_on_detainee__0816.html

[Quakerfriend]

1. Kick it!

[democrank]

2. Thanks for the info.

Email sent.

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. When are they happening?

[cyberpj]

5. All I know from Raw Story article is Thursday. Bet they'll update when

they know more...

[The Night Owl]

4. Done!

[MelissaB]

6. Done! All she said was, "Okay, mam. Thanks." n/t

Sounds like they need a lot more calls.

[MelissaB]

7. From lala_rawraw

lala_rawraw (1000+ posts) Tue Aug-16-05 02:21 PM
Response to Original message
22. You guys have limited time to ask C-span to cover this...
I suggest you get going because the haring on the Government's abuse of the FOIA clause is tomorrow. The judge ruled to let it be public so that the citizens can see what the government wants to hide (summary in my own words, not exact quote). So can you please keep this kicked and get busy emailing and calling c-span. Thank you.

Here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1705644#1705839

Come on guys!

[cyberpj]

9. paineinthearse mentioned cspan doesn't do "courts" but you never know...

so ask anyway.

[Independent_Liberal]

8. Done!

[slipslidingaway]

10. Done and thanks for posting. nt

[dalloway]

11. done n/t

[dxstone]

12. Kicked and nominated and I wrote and now I'm gonna call!!!

Thanks for further disseminating this, pj!
This is the email I sent (I even excerpted the Raw Story copy, just in case they are UNAWARE--ha!--of what is going on in their world):

Subject: PLEASE cover the hearing on detainee abuses set for Thursday!

This is REAL NEWS, of the most important sort... why I even have to write to ask you to do your jobs is beyond me, but write and call I will, again and again, until you guys start doing so on your own.
This is an important public trust you've been charged with; PLEASE start acting as such.
D X Stone

-------------------

Excerpted from Raw Story
http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Judge_rules_in_favor_of_holding_public_hearings_on_detainee__0816.html

Judge rules in favor of holding public hearings on detainee abuse
Larisa Alexandrovna

Following the latest round of filings by the Department of Defense in conjunction with the State Department -which attempts to stipulate that all current and future photographs and tapes of detainee abuse be permanently sealed and, in addition, the reasons given for the motion be heavily redacted - the court ruled largely in favor of public disclosure.

The government's most recent motion was filed several weeks back when it missed its deadline for the release of all documents pursuant to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) suit, which has forced the release of over 60 thousand documents thus far in relation to detainee abuse and torture.

Judge Hellerstein stated that the public had an "educational interest" in the reasons for sealing the abuse documents, and scheduled a public hearing for this Thursday.

Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) issued a comment to Raw Story, saying that, "by attempting to keep the abuse cases secret the legal arguments they offered, the Administration is breaking new ground in their effort to insulate themselves from public review."

"It is truly Kafkaesque to envision a government which does not even permit its legal arguments to be disclosed for publlic scrutiny," continued Conyers. "This not only violates the Freedom of Information Act, it turns the Act on its head."

[cyberpj]

13. You're very welcome - don't see anything for today though.....

I guess cspan really doesn't do court proceedings...

Seems we'll have to watch Raw Story or ACLU for updates on this

[dxstone]

14. Yeah... I didn't think they did news, haha... n/t