Torture Victims Oppose Gonzalez Nomination for Attorney General

Interview with Orlando Tizon, human rights activist and torture survivor, conducted by Scott Harris

Before a Senate confirmation hearing Jan. 6, Alberto Gonzalez, President Bush's nominee to be the nation's next attorney general, repeatedly evaded questions about his involvement in writing memos that appear to authorize abuse and torture of prisoners held by the U.S. in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Guantanamo U.S. Naval base in Cuba. While denying that he or the White House approve of the torture of prisoners, Gonzalez in his role as counsel to President Bush signed off on a very narrow definition of torture, which many observers say opened the door to the widely publicized abuses at the U.S.- run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

A January 2002 memo signed by Gonzales described some provisions of the Geneva Conventions as "quaint and obsolete." At the Senate hearing, Gonzalez refused to renounce claims by the White House that the president has the authority to ignore anti-torture treaties -- and went on to say that the administration was considering amending the Geneva Conventions.

Among the many critics of the Gonzalez nomination are a dozen retired high-ranking U.S. military officers, including generals and admirals who assert that disregarding the Geneva Conventions undermines the rule of law and endangers the lives of American troops captured in battle. Also present at the hearings were members of Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International or TASSC. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with TASSC's assistant director Orlando Tizon, who survived torture under the Marcos dictatorship in the Philippines during four years of imprisonment from 1982-1986. Tizon explains why he and other victims of torture strongly oppose the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez to be attorney general.

Contact Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition International by calling (202) 529-2991 or visit their website at www.tassc.org

Related links:

Center for Constitutional Rights - (212) 614-6464, www.ccr-ny.org Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

http://www.btlonline.org

*

"Between The Lines" is a half-hour syndicated radio news magazine that each week features a summary of under-reported news stories and interviews with activists and journalists who offer progressive perspectives on international, national and regional political, economic and social issues. Because "Between The Lines" is independent of all publications, media networks or political parties, we are able to bring a diversity of voices to the airwaves generally ignored or marginalized by the major media. For more information on this week's topics and to check out our text archive listing topics and guests presented in previous programs visit: http://www.btlonline.org

*

"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).

*

For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

*

For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

*

betweenthelines@snet.net

*

http://www.squeakywheel.net/

*

Distributed by Squeaky Wheel Productions

©2005 Between The Lines. All Rights Reserved.