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NCSTN CHRONOLOGY: AN INCOMPLETE DIGEST OF NOTEWORTHY EFFORTS AND EVENTS July 24 – Members and allies gather for a vigil on the airport perimeter. May 5 – The Clayton News-Star published an opinion piece, "Torture program scarred many people," Christina Cowger's articulation of our view that accountability for U.S.-sponosred torture must begin at the top and make room for healing the harm to victims, survivors and perpetrators. May 1 – A small group met and gathered nearly 30 signatures on this petition at the Clayton Wal-Mart. As has become familiar, nearly 2 in 3 of those approached agreed to sign the petition. April 8-10 – NCSTN collaborated with Duke Human Rights Center, the Immigration & Human Rights Policy Clinic at The University of North Carolina School of Law, and the International Human Rights Law Society at Duke University Law School to organize a three-day conference Weaving a Net of Accountability: Taking on extraordinary rendition at the state and local level. The conference received generous support from a diversity of organizational and individual co-sponsors and was hosted by Duke University. March 21 – Rev. Mark Davidson, Church Pastor, Rev. Robert Seymour, Pastor emeritus at Binkley Baptist Church and Steve Edelstein,Esq., member of NC Stop torture Now, will offered comments at a dedication of Chapel Hill Church of Reconcilliation's display of a Rabbis for Human Rights and National Religious Campaign Against Torture banner reading: "Honor the Image of God …Stop torture Now." March 15 – The News & Observer prints an Op-Ed by NCSTN coordinator and Weaving a Net conference organizer questioning revocation of invited speaker's visa. February 2 – NCSTN releases a Scorecard on Torture: The Obama Administration's First Year, which was reprinted by The Independent, mentioned briefly in the Raleigh News & Observer and covered on Greensboro Fox Channel 8 Web site. The conference also served as an opportunity for NCSTN to announce a conference launching a dynamic, and innovative grassroots effort: Weaving a Net of Accountability: Taking on extraordinary rendition at the state and regional levels. December 7, 2009 – Chuck Fager and Jule Shanklin represented NCSTN at the monthly meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. November 14, 2009 – NCSTN collaborated with No More Guantánamos to host a fundraiser for the E P M civil rights fund, which helps underwrite the costs associated with three NC attorneys' legal advocacy on behalf of Sharifullah and other Guantánamo detainees. November 2, 2009 – Chuck Fager was the lone NCSTN representative at the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. In spite of a confrontation with a hostile constituent, Chuck noted that the Commissioners are increasingly engaged with us and our issues. Septebmer 8, 2009 – Two commissioners, Tony Braswell and W. Ray Woodall, chose to leave the meeting rather than hear a constituent address the Board and present petitions gathered in events described below. August 8, 2009 – Petition drive continues. Six members gather another 60 signatures from Johnston County residents on this petition. August 3, 2009 – Johnston County resident Timothy Hodges, president of the county NAACP, leads testimony to the Johnston County Board of Commissioners during the public comment period of the board's monthly meeting. July 12, 2009 – More than a dozen volunteers from the North Carolina counties of Johnston, Durham, Orange, and Wake carried out a “stop torture” visibility vigil. July 2, 2009 – Christina Cowger, Spencer Bradford (NC Council of Churches), Steven Edlestein and Johnston County residents Allyson Caison and Julia Elsee met with Al Delia, Policy Director, and Megan Brown, Policy Advisor, Office of Governor Beverly Perdue to encourage the Governor to proactively engage in efforts to end North Carolina's support for the ongoing extraordinary rendition program. June 13, 2009 – A small but committed contingent of NCSTN members gathered signatures on this petition in the parking lot of the Clayton Wal-Mart on US Business Hwy 70. During two hours on the asphalt, 5 of us gathered approximately 50 signatures. Remarkably, those we approached were most often supportive of our efforts. A consensus among those who worked the crowd was that nearly two-thirds of those approached signed. June 1, 2009 – Chuck Fager and Allyson Caison revisited the Johnston County Board of Commissioners. This was Chuck's fourth visit to the Board to advocate for an investigation of Aero Contractors and Chairman Wade Stewart initially acted to silence Commissioner Braswell's objection to another appeal, but responded to Chuck's inquiry by noting his and the Commission's stalwart support for Aero Contractors and even endorsing an expansion of the extraordinary rendition program to capture adversaries in North Korea and Iran. Allyson offered the Commissioners testimony summarizing an article she she shared with the Commissioners reporting on how one Al Qaida captive had resisted waterboarding and other torture, but broke down and spilled his guts after being offered a cookie. Allyson then noted that this showed how even seemingly small gestures of humanity could help promote big changes, and concluded her testimony by sharing homemade chocolate chip cookies to each of the board members. May 10, 2009 – At the invitation of UNC Law graduates, NCSTN activists and allies gathered in protest of the appearance of torture advocate and former U.S. Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey as the featured speaker for the commencement exercise. Mother's Day cards were distributed to graduates' families. April 28, 2009 – NCSTN releases a statement summarizing our view on transparency, accountability and restitution. April 6, 2009 – NCSTN activists, led by Chuck Fager of Quaker House, returned to the Johnston County Board of Commissioners to learn whether any had discussed concerns raised February 2 with Congressman Bob Etheridge. The group left the Commissioners with copies of a 70-page, topically indexed packet NCSTN provided to the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee regarding North Carolina's links to and support of the extraordinary rendition program. March 20, 2009 – The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) heard testimony, March 20, from Colleen Costello, Human Rights USA, Michael Ratner, Center for Constitutional Rights, and other allies in the struggle to end the U.S. torture policy and seek meaningful accountability for the most recent authors and perpetrators of these policies during a battle described by the Bush Administration as a War on Terror. North Carolina Stop Torture Now filed a letter in support of the petition for this hearing by the World Organization for Human Rights USA and the Center for Constitutional Rights. March 10, 2009 – North Carolina state Representatives Paul Luebke (30th District), Earl Jones (60th District), and Pricey Harrison (57th District) wrote selected members of the North Carolina Congressional delegation to seek follow-up on earlier calls for an FBI investigation of Aero Contractors. March 2, 2009 – About two dozen anti-torture activists again visited the Johnston County Board of Commissioners to learn if they would investigate or take action against their renegade tenant. Floyd McGurk, a retired Army officer with 2 sons and other family members on activity duty in Iraq testified, as did four Johnston County residents including the wife of an activity duty Marine. Ultimately, the Board took no action except to promise to raise the issue with Congressman Etheridge as private citizens. Chairman Wade Stewart even offered an endorsement of torture: ""If torture were not ... at times ... effective ... it would have ceased 2,000 years ago, because it didn't work." The meeting was reported in the March 11 edition of The Herald (Smithfield, NC). February 2, 2009 – Nearly 20 anti-torture activists from Johnston, Carteret, Orange, Durham, Wake, and Cumberland counties attended the meeting of the Johnston County Board of Commissioners to ask the Commissioners to take action against torture flights emanating from their county airport and operated by the CIA-affiliated shell company, Aero Contractors Ltd. But, the Commission took no action on a request to direct the Johnston County Airport Authority to adopt a pledge to prohibit future rendition flights and seek information about past flights originating from JNX. January 17, 2009 – A score of activists vigil across the street from the Governor's Mansion, putting Governor Perdue on notice that we expect her campaign pledges of accountability to extend to ending the state's supporting role of the extraordinary rendition program. December 9, 2008 – Nearly a score of activists and allies demonstrated in support of Maher Arar's quest for justice in the U.S. Courts in downtown Raleigh. Later that evening, the event's co-sponsor, the Human Rights Coalition of North Carolina honored NC STN co-founder Peggy Misch for her commitment and work on behalf of human rights. November 17, 2008 –The Johnston County Airport authority referred a proposed policy statement committing the Board and airport operating staff to monitor and investigate Aero Contractors. Reporter Bob Geary described the event on his blog for The Independent Weekly. November 13, 2008 –Our group was honored to be recognized by the Wake County chapter of the ACLU as the 2008 winner of the group's Civil Liberties Award, for "... efforts to expose and stop torture and extraordinary rendition." The award was presented at the annual W.W. Finlator Dinner. November 8, 2008 – Nearly a dozen activists gathered for a monthly vigil at the Johnston County Airport, encouraged by approving honks and waves from passing motorists. Informational literature was shared with the curious and two more Johnston County residents asked to join future efforts. October 20, 2008 – Ten activists, including 6 service-learning students and three Johnston County residents delivered a policy statement crafted by the Duke Chapter of Amnesty International calling on the Johnston County Airport Authority to investigate tenant Aero Contractor's alleged historic and ongoing support of the extraordinary rendition program. September 15, 2008 – NCSTN joined as a friend of the court in a lawsuit brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights against private contractors CACI International Incorporated and Titan Corporation (now L-3 Communications Titan Group) that charges the companies with torture and other heinous and illegal acts while they were providing interrogation and interpretation services, respectively at detention facilities in Iraq, including at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison. September 14, 2008 – New Garden Friends Meeting, Greensboro, NC hosts "North Carolina Says NO to Torture," an event featuring a performance piece by Hector Aristizabal. September 13, 2008 – Chuck Fager of Quaker House; represented NCSTN at the UNC Parr Center for Ethics' Symposium: "Torture & Interrogation: Have We Gone Too Far?" by offering his view on the Torture-Industrial Complex. September 13, 2008 – Nearly twenty-two NCSTN members and allies, including at least three Johnston County residents, and an ally from Robeson County gathered during a 4-hour vigil concurrent festivities at the Johnston County Airport's annual Open House. At the request of airport officials we stopped giving out helium balloons out of concern for the safety of pilots and passengers, but distributed informational literature and engaged many Open House visitors in one-on-one conversation. September 10-12, 2008 – Chuck Fager, of Quaker House; and Andy Silver represented NCSTN at the Evangelicals for Human Rights summit on "Religious Faith, Torture and our National Soul." August 9, 2008 – Nine NCSTN members and allies (including three members of Amnesty International - Group 213, Raleigh) held another monthly vigil at the Johnston County Airport. A member of the Bill of Rights Defense Committee of Durham distributed flyers to passing July 28, 2008 – Following an invitation secured by an ally with the Triangle Chapter of Code Pink, four members and allies of NCSTN – including representatives of the ACLU and the Human Rights Coalition of North Carolina – met with Congressman Brad Miller (NC-13) to share our concerns and ask for his support. July 18, 2008 – Seven constituents of Congressman Price meet to thank him for his support and seek guidance on the way forward toward Congressional investigations of the U.S. torture program and North Carolina links to extraordinary rendition. July 17, 2008 – Congressman Price (D - 4th District, NC) calls for a Congressional Investigation of Aero. July 12, 2008 – Allies and NCSTN activists encouraged curious passers by pull to the roadside to learn more about Aero Contractors during our monthly vigil at the perimeter of the Johnston County Airport. June 19, 2008 – HB 2417 passed out of House Judiciary I on a 4-3 vote. In advance of the vote, the bill's sponsors distributed a persuasive editorial from The Fayetteville Observer. June 17, 2008 – 37 constituents turned out in support of HB2417, Crimes of Torture and Enforced Disappearance, for its hearing in the House Judiciary I committee, but the bill was tabled for additional discussion and a vote on Thursday, June 19. June 8, 2008 – Fifty-six members – including Congressman David Price (Dem. - NC-4) of the House urge U.S. Attorney General Mukasey to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate this administration's authorization of torture. May 21, 2008 – HB 2417 "Crimes of Torture and Enforced Disappearance " introduced in North Carolina General Assembly. May 20, 2008 – Allyson and Walt Caison honored by NC Peace Action as Peacemakers of the Year, 2008. May 3, 2008 – Duke Center for Human Rights and NCSTN co-host a conference titled: "Waterboarding, Ghost Planes and Guantánamo: Inside America's Secret War," featuring talks from Moazzam Begg, Tina Monshipour Foster and Brad Garrett, and an afternoon of strategy sessions and workshops. May 1, 2008 – FBI's Assistant Director for Congressional Affairs, Robert Powers, tells Congressman Watt his agency has been waiting since October 2006 for a go-ahead to launch an investigation into Aero Contractors. April 23, 2008 – During House Judiciary committee testimony, Congressman Mel Watt asks FBI Director Robert Mueller for an update on a criminal investigation of Aero Contractors referred to the agency by NC Attorney General Roy Cooper. March 8, 2008 – Alerted by NCSTN, Irish allies meet a rendition-linked aircraft at Shannon and demand it be searched for captives. March 7, 2008 – North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission specifically recognized what one commissioner called "the elephant in the room," -- US government sponsorship of torture and enforced disappearance supported by CIA-front companies operating in North Carolina. The Commission convened a Torture Offense Subcommittee that met on January 18 and noted that "the people of North Carolina do not condone torture and that it is contrary to who they are as Americans." January 18, 2008 – The Torture Offenses Subcommittee of the NC Sentencing & Policy Advisory Commission meets to consider HB 1682 and classify the offenses created by the bill. The Subcommittee recognizes Aero Contractors as the “prototype offender” for whom the bill is designed. The Subcommittee recommends adding a preamble that North Carolinians do not condone torture, and recommends numerous other wording changes designed to strengthen the bill. January 11, 2008 – NCSTN joins key allies in the human rights and civil liberties community to demand the closure of the prison camp at Guantanamo Bay. December 23, 2007 - The Fayetteville Observer covered NCSTN's ongoing effort to directly monitor and photograph aircraft linked to torture flights at stopovers in North Carolina. The story focused on the August 29 arrival of N475LC at KFAY, which is documented at our planespotting page. November 28, 2007 – NCSTN planespotter captures image of N478GS at Fayetteville Regional / Grannis Field. November 21, 2007 – NCSTN honored by the Independent Weekly with one of five 2007 Citizen Awards. October 27, 2007 – NCSTN with the help of numerous co-sponsors organizes a "PEACE RALLY & WALK OF REMEMBRANCE FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF WAR AND TORTURE," in Smithfield, NC home to Aero Contractors' headquarters. October 18, 2007 – Maher Arar testifies by video link to a joint meeting of House subcommittees of the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary. Lawmakers apologize to Arar for his mistreatment. None of the three NC Congressional Representatives sitting on the committee calls to expand the investigation of rendition to include Aero Contractors. October 12, 2007 – Three NCSTN activists learned that the Johnston County District Attorney's office plans to dismiss charges against them connected to their attempts to deliver a Citizens' Arrest demanding Aero Contractors' senior management cooperate with investigations of criminal conduct by three of the company's pilots. September 29, 2007 – The German government ends pursuit of extradition requests for 13 CIA agents charged with kidnapping a German citizen and taking him to Afghanistan for interrogation and abuse. Relations with the US government, Berlin says, are more important. September 26, 2007 – "Unheard voices in the War on Terror," a panel discussion hosted by Duke Human Rights Center features Canadian rendition survivor, Maher Arar via video link; Arar's legal counsel, ACLU lawyer Steve Watt; British journalist and author of Ghost Plane, Stephen Grey; NCSTN Coordinator, Christina Cowger; and readings from "Poems from Guantanamo." September 7, 2007 – Germany Makes Official Request to US in 'CIA Rendition' Case. <http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2773299,00.html> August 24, 2007 – Two planespotters photographed another rendition-linked aircraft at Fayetteville Regional/Grannis Airfield. This aircraft is registered to L 3 IS LLC, a Great Falls, Montana company thought to be yet another brass plate company doing front work for the CIA. August 9, 2007 – Anonymous planespotter photographs another mysterious airplane at Johnston County Airport. August 8, 2007 – NCSTN and ACAT-Germany send joint letters to Chancellor Merkel, Secretary of State Rice, and Attorney General Gonzales. July 24, 2007 – Two NCSTN Activists spot and photograph an aircraft linked to rendition flights: N168D. June 26, 2007 – Four NCSTN Activists join in coordinated lobbying effort to restore habeas corpus. Three delegates meet with Congressman Brad Miller and ask specifically whether he will prompt to FBI to investigate Aero Contractors. June 9, 2007 – Nearly two-dozen citizen activists receive training on the techniques of monitoring ground traffic and radio communications at Johnston County Airport. May 10, 2007 – Three of eight activists who walked through an open gate onto Johnston County airport property while trying to deliver citizens’ arrests are convicted of criminal trespass. Each served notice of intent to appeal the decision to a jury trial in Superior Court. November 19, 2005 – STN also gathered at the recently completed Aero hangar at the Kinston Global TransPark to call attention to Aero’s Boeing 737, used for many CIA rendition flights. At the same time, letters were delivered to several members of the Global TransPark Authority (GTPA) board.
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