Urgent Action Needed On Us/uk Extradition Treaty

[Seven Stars]

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

Wednesday July 12, 2006
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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 as early as NEXT WEDNESDAY JULY 19, 2006.

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 [Treaty Doc. 108-23]-- 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:

>>>NEW - PHONE NUMBERS OF SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS MEMBERS

· 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, Sample Letter to US Senators, and Talking Points for Calling Your Senator, 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_I...eaty_ACTION.htm (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 UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION WHILE WE STILL HAVE IT!!

-For more information please see
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/IFC_I...eaty_ACTION.htm (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

©The Irish Freedom Committee, 2006

[Seven Stars]

Just been notified that the hearing has been moved to Friday so that gives us more time to call.

[Seven Stars]

Wednesday July 12, 2006

Irish Freedom Committee ACTION REQUEST

PLEASE ACT TODAY – Phone US Senators re US/UK Extradition Treaty Hearings

Please take a few minutes TODAY to phone members of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, listed below with their Washington DC office telephone numbers, to urge their opposition to the US/UK Extradition Treaty. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will hold hearings on this Treaty as early as NEXT WEDNESDAY JULY 19 2006, so the need to act is URGENT. Every call represents up to one thousand opinions so please CALL. If you are the resident of a state holding a Senator on the FR Committee, please also call their local offices in your state (http://www.senate.gov) and indicate that you are a constituent in the state she/he represents.

It is vital that members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee be aware of your opposition to the US/UK Extradition Treaty, slated for Hearings NEXT WEEK.
1. Phone the Foreign Relations Senator’s offices – DC numbers for each are listed below.

2. Tell the receptionist you are calling regarding the US/UK Extradition Treaty, ask if they are aware of the issue. Ask to speak to the Senator’s Foreign Relations staffer.

3. Identify yourself, and the organization you represent, if applicable.

4. Ask if the staffer if the Senator has an opinion on the proposed US/UK Extradition Treaty and if she/he will be opposing it or supporting it on Tuesday.

5. Ask that the senator oppose this draconian and un-American Treaty that allows a foreign government judicial and punitive powers against US citizens. Explain that:
a. This proposed Treaty will permit a foreign government, Britain, to virtually kidnap American citizens for up to 60 days, even if no federal law has been violated.

b. Americans could be arrested and charged on the word of a sole, unnamed witness.

c. Americans would be tried in a British court and imprisoned in a British jail, and the British government would seize all of the accused’s property and assets.

d. “Crimes” could be acts such as signing a human rights petition over ten years ago. There is no statute of limitations in this proposed Treaty and it would be applied retroactively.

e. The requirement for "prima fascea" evidence is made irrelevant. Merely a government’s allegation could result in criminal charges.

f. The cherished "political offense exemption" clause, a pillar of US extradition law since the days of our founding fathers, would be rendered obsolete under this Treaty.

g. The rule of law in the United States, the entitlement to due process for all American citizens, and the rights and freedoms guaranteed us by the US Constitution would be forever altered, perhaps irreparably, by the sweeping terms written into this Treaty.

h. This Treaty is vastly un-American and must be blocked. Please urge the Senator to oppose the US/UK Extradition Treaty in Hearings next week!

6. Ask to be apprised of the Senator’s decision next week.

7. Provide your contact details including name, address, and zip code; and telephone and email if desired.

8. Thank the representative for their prompt action.


PLEASE CALL TODAY AND EVERY DAY NOW UNTIL WEDNESDAY JULY 19th 2006. To call all Senators on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will take perhaps an hour of your time – how long will it take to undue the damage caused by this proposed Treaty??

PHONE THESE MEMBERS OF US SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE. Keep calling to urge that they OPPOSE the draconian and un-American US/UK Extradition Treaty during the Hearings next week

Senator Richard G. Lugar - R
Chairman
Indiana (202)224-4814

Senator Joseph R Biden Jr. - D
Ranking Minority Member
Delaware (202)224-5042

Chuck Hagel - R
Nebraska (202)224-4224

Lincoln Chafee - R
Rhode Island (202) 224-2921

George Allen - R
Virginia (202)224-4024

Norm Coleman - R
Minnesota (202)224-5641

George V. Voinovich - R
Ohio (202)224-3353

Lamar Alexander - R
Tennessee (202)224-4944

John E. Sununu - R
New Hampshire (202)224-2841

Lisa Murkowski - R
Alaska (202) 224-6665

Mel Martinez - R
Florida (202)224-3041

Paul S. Sarbanes - D
Maryland (202)224-4524

Christopher J. Dodd - D
Connecticut (202)224-2823

John F. Kerry - D
Massachusetts (202)224-2742

Russell D. Feingold - D
Wisconsin (202)224-5323

Barbara Boxer - D
California (202)224-3553

Bill Nelson - D
Florida (202)224-5274

Barack Obama - D
Illinois (312)886-3506 / (202)224-2854

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For more information and talking points please see the Irish Freedom Committee central Action Page on the Treaty at:
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/IFC_I...eaty_ACTION.htm (http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/IFC_INFO/CAMPAIGNS/USUK_EXTRADITIONTREATY/extradition_treaty_ACTION.htm)

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© The Irish Freedom Committee – Please forward widely with credits
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net

[Janus]

This is unacceptable but what other countries has the US made extradition treaties with?