FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
US SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE TO DEBATE US/UK EXTRADITION TREATY
CONTACT:
Irish Freedom Committee
National Chairman - Joe Dillon, P.O. Box 220182, Boston MA 02122
National Offices - P.O. Box 11417, Chicago IL 60611 USA
Thursday, November 10, 2005
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The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has announced hearings for the proposed US/UK Extradition Treaty. The hearings are to take place TUESDAY NOVEMBER 15th 2005.
PLEASE ACT NOW.
The Irish Freedom Committee strongly urges all US residents to immediately call your US Senators, and all standing members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to ask that they block this dangerous and un-American Treaty before it is passed to the Senate for ratification.
The US/UK Extradition Treaty -- signed under cover of great secrecy on March 31st, 2003 by then-US Attorney General John Ashcroft, and Britain’s Home Secretary David Blunkett-- permanently erases America’s symbolic image as a land where the oppressed of the world can escape to as a haven of freedom from foreign oppression.
This treaty will make possible the extradition and imprisonment of any American deemed to be “anti-Britain” or opposed to British military rule in Ireland.
Under the terms of this Extradition Treaty, American citizens will be eligible for extradition to Britain to stand trial without proof of guilt and without judicial review. There is no statute of limitations to these offenses, which can be lodged on the word of a single, unnamed witness.
The US/UK Extradition Treaty decimates the political exemption clause; a cornerstone of America’s diplomatic relations since Thomas Jefferson refused the extradition of an opponent of the French Revolution.
This is by far the most extreme US Treaty yet and will have drastic effect on any person who has ever spoken out against British human rights abuses at any time in their lives.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR US SENATOR and MEMBERS OF THE US SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE TODAY and urge that they oppose this draconian and un-American US/UK Extradition Treaty. If your US Senator is a current member of the FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE your help is especially needed.
The following are members of the US SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE:
· Senator Richard G. Lugar (Chairman) - INDIANA
· Senator Joseph R Biden Jr. (Ranking Minority Member) - DELAWARE
· Chuck Hagel - NEBRASKA
· Lincoln Chafee – RHODE ISLAND
· George Allen - VIRGINIA
· Norm Coleman - MINNESOTA
· George V. Voinovich - OHIO
· Lamar Alexander - TENNESSEE
· John E. Sununu – NEW HAMPSHIRE
· Lisa Murkowski - ALASKA
· Mel Martinez - FLORIDA
· Paul S. Sarbanes - MARYLAND
· Christopher J. Dodd - CONNECTICUT
· John F. Kerry - MASSACHUSETTS
· Russell D. Feingold - WISCONSIN
· Barbara Boxer - CALIFORNIA
· Bill Nelson - FLORIDA
· Barack Obama - ILLINOIS
For US Senate contact info please go to
http://www.senate.gov/ For more information on the US/UK Extradition Treaty including background information, full text of the Treaty, and talking points, please see the Irish Freedom Committee website at http:www.irishfreedomcommittee.net
or go direct to our central Action Page on the Treaty at:
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/IFC_INFO/CAMPAIGNS/USUK_EXTRADITIONTREATY/extradition_treaty_ACTION.htm Please contact your US Senator today!! This Extradition Treaty must be blocked – don’t let the interests of a foreign government dictate US law!
UPHOLD THE CONSTITUTION WHILE WE STILL HAVE IT!!
-For more information please see
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/IFC_INFO/CAMPAIGNS/USUK_EXTRADITIONTREATY/extradition_treaty_ACTION.htm CONTACT INFORMATION:
The Irish Freedom Committee
National Chairman - Joe Dillon, P.O. Box 220182, Boston MA 02122 USA
National Offices - P.O. Box 11417, Chicago IL 60611 USA
The Irish Freedom Committee
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net 