Recent polls suggest an alarmingly high percentage of Americans believe there are times when torture is "OK." If that is true, America is slipping deeper & deeper into a moral morass.

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Friends, there's a moment here, this month, when more and more is coming out about the systematic, sanctioned use of torture by the US, approved at all levels, including the responsible Democrats in Congress. In two weeks, more photos come out for the world to see.

And the war criminals are on parade.  Dick Cheney is leading the argument for the open, justified use of torture. On Face the Nation Sunday, he said that what the Bush regime had done is not torture.  CBS reported, "Cheney still bristled at the suggestion that what President Bush authorized constituted torture, saying they weren't in the "torture business...I think it's very, very important that we have a clear understanding that what happened here was an honorable approach to defending the nation, that there was nothing devious or deceitful or dishonest or illegal about what was done."

And, the clincher: Cheney, when asked if Bush knew about the interrogation program: "I certainly, yes, have every reason to believe he knew -- he knew a great deal about the program. He basically authorized it. I mean, this was a presidential-level decision. And the decision went to the president. He signed off on it." World Can't Wait and other groups are putting together events around the country wherever the Bush era war criminals are appearing this month, raise the cry "Torture is a War Crime! Prosecute!"  They're speaking at graduations and getting regular columns published (John Yoo in the Philadelphia Inquirer).  All this is beginning to be challenged publicly, including a scorchingly critical column in the Philadelphia Daily News against Yoo's column, and thanks to students at Stanford (Condi Rice), the Fire John Yoo Coalition, and other people of conscience who know this matters.

Please participate in the actions this month, and set up your own if you need to.  So far, they are:

-HONOLULU: Tuesday May 12 NO ALOHA for War Criminals! IMPEACH and PROSECUTE JAY BYBEE! 8:30-11:00 am 132 Bishop Street, Honolulu. Jay Bybee is a federal judge and will be hearing cases. worldcantwaithawaii@yahoo.com 808-534-2255

-CHICAGO: Saturday May 16 Help greet patrons outside the Modern wing of the Art Institute with blown up images of the paintings of Fernando Botero, artist of the infamous Abu Grahib paintings. 9:00am on at the Millennium Park entrance.  Chicago@worldcantwait.org 773-227-2453

-SF BAY: Saturday May 16 8 am, UC Berkeley Boalt Hall Law School Graduation, UC Berkeley Greek Theater (commencement) and Great Hall and Clark Kerr Courtyard (gala reception). Protest denouncing the continuing presence of former Bush administration lawyer John Yoo on UC's tenured faculty. sf@worldcantwait.org 415-864-5153

-ORANGE CO, CA: Friday May 22 Chapman University Law School Graduation where war criminal John Yoo has been teaching this semester (plans will be made on Sat., May 16th, noon at Rutabegorz Restaurant in Orange).

-LOS ANGELES: Saturday May 23 3 PM - Michael Haas will discuss and sign his book, "George W. Bush, War Criminal? The Bush Administration's Liability for 269 War Crimes" at Libros Revolucion bookstore, 312 W. 8th St., LA 213.488.1303

-NYC: Sunday May 24 1:15pm Film: "Taxi to the Dark Side" Resistance Cinema at Community Church of NY, 40 East 35th St.866 973 4463

-NYC: Tuesday May 26 6 pm, Radio City Music Hall, 1260 6th Avenue, NYC. Karl Rove appearance will be protested. Warcriminalswatch.org 866-973-4463

-NYC: Thursday, May 28 John Negroponte, Bush intelligence czar, presents an award to General Petraeus, architect of the Iraq surge. Union League Club, 38 E. 37th Street (between Park & Madison), NYC. Orange jumpsuit gathering at Grand Central Station, 5 pm; march to Union League Club. Warcriminalswatch.org 866-973-4463

-BOSTON: Thursday May 28 Harvard Square, Cambridge MA 2 pm - 4 pm. Protest Douglas Feith, a visiting scholar at Harvard, who admits he played a "major role" in Bush's decision to suspend Geneva Convention rights for detainees at Guantánamo. Warcriminalswatch.org 866-973-4463

-CHICAGO: Thursday May 28 Karl Rove at the Chicago Theater, 175 N. State Street, Chicago. 6 pm. Chicago@worldcantwait.org 773-227-2453

-SEATTLE: Thursday May 28 Protest at CIA recruiters office, University of Washington.  12:00 noon at Red Square.  Plans underway for protests June 13 when Defense Sec'y Robert Gates speaks at commencement, June 13.

-SF BAY AREA: Thursday, May 28 The Bay Area has five Bush war criminals (Yoo, Bybee, Haynes, Rice, and Pelosi) . An evening program on the demand to prosecute.  Details TBA sf@worldcantwait.org 415-864-5153

Torture is part of the US global "war on terror," not an aberration, and not used to keep the US safe. While focusing this month on protesting the torture, we take notice of the outrageous escalations of war on civilians in Afghanistan. Reports that the US forces used white phosphorous are coming because doctors are reporting "unusual burns" on the civilian victims. 

Read Chris Hedges in Becoming What We Seek to Destroy reporting that the US occupation forces have killed twice as many civilians as Taliban in 2009.  Thousands of Afghanis, including many students in Kabul, have been protesting the massacre last week, and demanding an end to US occupation. 

Authors Website: http://www.worldcantwait.net

Authors Bio:
Debra Sweet is the Director of World Can't Wait, initiated in 2005 to "drive out the Bush regime" by repudiating its program, forcing it from office through a mass, independent movement and reversing the direction it had launched. Based in New York City, she leads World Can't Wait in its continuing efforts to stop the crimes of our government, including the unjust occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan and the torture and detention codes, as well as reversing the fascist direction of U.S. society, from the surveillance state to the criminalization of abortion and immigrants. She has worked with abortion providers for twenty-five years, organizing community support and helping them withstand anti-abortion violence. Since the age of 19, when she confronted Richard Nixon during a face-to-face meeting and told him to stop the war in Vietnam, she has been a leader in the opposition to U.S. wars and invasions. Debra says, "Stop thinking like an American, and start thinking about humanity!"



You can read Debra's writings at debra.worldcantwait.net.

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