NORTH CAROLINA
STOP TORTURE NOW

PO Box 50345
Raleigh, NC 27650
e-mail via:
contact AT ncstoptorturenow.net

(919) 834-4478
(evenings, or messages during business hours)

Aero Contractors, Ltd. is one of the private companies linked to the CIA’s practice of extraordinary rendition a phrase that disguises the kidnap, detention and torture of individuals alleged to be enemies of the United States, including those guilty of nothing other than being misidentified. Aero Contractors' headquarters is located at the Johnston County Airport near Smithfield, NC.

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Congressman Price Asks Intel Committees to Investigate Aero Contractors

July 17 – Thanks to persistent encouragement from his constituents, Congressman David Price (Dem. – 4th District) joined his colleague Congressman Mel Watt (Dem. – 12th District) in demanding an investigation of Aero Contractors, Ltd. support for the ongoing torture program.

Indeed, Price has upped the ante and called for a Congressional inquiry. Price has long been a leader in checking this administration's abuse of power, and today insisted that North Carolina 's support of CIA snatch and torture squads be investigated.

As Rep. Price is a senior member of the North Carolina Congressional delegation and a power broker within the state Democratic party, there is every reason to expect other Congressional Representatives and statewide elected officials and candidates will follow his initiative.

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Anti-Torture Bill Endorsed by
NC House Judiciary Committee

Our hard work paid off! The House Judiciary I Committee of the NC General Assembly voted in favor of HB 2417 Crimes of Torture and Enforced Disappearance the morning of June 19.

Sadly, the legislation didn't advance from there. Our allies in the General Assembly made every effort, but Jones Street couldn't be bothered to evict torturers from the state this year.

What woud HB 2417 have accomplished?

Based on the recognition that "the people of North Carolina do not condone torture and that it is contrary to who they are as Americans ..." this bill:

Creates a separate crime called “torture” in the North Carolina statutes. Torture is already a crime under the common law of the state, but the bill creates a statutory definition and makes all related offenses, such as conspiracy to commit torture, crimes as well.

And, it provides the state Attorney General's office with the power and direction to investigate conspiracy to commit torture as long as any part of the conspiracy was formed in North Carolina.

The bill was recommended by House Judiciary I thanks to leadership from the ACLU of North Carolina and especially the work of Sarah Preston, ACLU-NC Legislative Counsel, we marshalled support from members of the Bill of Rights Defense Committees, Unitarian Universalist Fellowships, Veterans for Peace, and others to make phone calls, send e-mails, and personally visit legislators to earn a 4-3 vote in the committee.

Also, the alert action of NCSTN's John Booth helped put an editorial from the Fayetteville Observer in the hands of committe members in advance of the vote.

The bill -- authored by Reps. Paul Luebke (Durham); Pricey Harrison (Greensboro); Linda Coleman (Wake); and Earl Jones (Guilford County) -- and co-sponsorsed by 24 members of the state house, incorporates recommendations from a March 7 report by the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, a broadly, bipartisan group including judges, law enforcement officers, and prosecutors.

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JOIN US at our next Meeting
2-4 p.m., Sunday, August 3
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
3313 Wade Avenue

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State Democrats Pass Resolution Calling For End to
U.S.-sponsored Torture

During the state convention June 20-22 in New Bern, NC -- hanks to the perserverance of numerous grassroots activists, but espeically Stephanie Eriksen and Peggy Misch --the state Democratic Party passed a resolution outlining steps towards "Ending United States Use and Sponsorship of Torture."

Here is an exceprt from text of the resolution:

"...WHEREAS, sub-contactors of the United States Government including Aero Contractors Ltd., situated in Johnston and Lenoir counties of North Carolina among others, acting on behalf of the United States, have been implicated beyond reasonable doubt in the practice of facilitating torture by providing “extraordinary rendition” services (illegal kidnapping and transport of suspects to countries where torture is routine);" [emphasis added]

"THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the North Carolina Democratic Party calls on the national leadership to eradicate current torture practices by the United States in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo as well as in United States controlled prison facilities elsewhere; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the North Carolina Democratic Party calls on United States Senators Elizabeth Dole and Richard Burr and the North Carolina delegation in Congress to ban the United States policies and practices of torture through appropriate and immediate legislative restraints, including specifically the prohibition of CIA detainee transport by Aero Contractors Ltd and others; ..."

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Rep. Price & Colleagues Urge Mukasy
to Appoint Special Prosecutor

June 6 – Fifty-six members of the United States House of Representatives – including Congressman David Price (Dem., NC-4) – the House urged U.S. Attorney General Mukasey to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate this administration's authorization of torture.

The Washington Post reported that "the lawmakers cited what they said is 'mounting evidence' that senior officials personally sanctioned the use of waterboarding and other aggressive tactics against detainees in U.S.-run prisons overseas. An independent investigation is needed to determine whether such actions violated U.S or international law, the letter stated."

The Post goes on to highlight text of the letter reading:

"Despite the seriousness of the evidence, the Justice Department has brought prosecution against only one civilian for an interrogation-related crime ..."

"Given that record, we believe it is necessary to appoint a special counsel in order to ensure that a thorough and impartial investigation occurs."

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FBI Tells Congressman Watt They're Waiting for Guidance

On May 1, the FBI's Assistant Director for Congressional Affairs, Robert Powers, wrote Congressman Watt in response to his April 23 demand that FBI Director Robert Mueller update the House Judiciary Committee on the investigation into Aero Contractors' support of the extaordinary rendition program hearing, April 23.

According to the FBI, that agency has been waiting on guidance from the Department of Justice since October 2006, when North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation Director Robin Pendergraft referred the matter to them.

Watt also noted during questioning of Mueller that North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper had repeated Director Pendergraft's referral in 2007 as follow-up to an inquiry from 22 state legislators. Watt also noted that three Aero employees had been indicted in Germany.

What is the Department of Justice doing? Why aren't other members of the North Carolina Congressional delegation demandiing to know when crimes being committed in this state will be investigated?

Please take a moment to write your Congressional Representative and ask him or her to urge Attorney General Mukasey to direct the FBI to investigate Aero Contractors. If you can, schedule a meeting in your Congressional District during the upcoming Independence Day recess.

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updated 19 July 2008, JMcI