Security Check
The Politics of Justice
February 16, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
The President is re-injecting himself into the debate over the civil trials of Khalid Shiekh Mohammed and four others, and Attorney General Eric Holder has started to change his rhetoric on the importance of holding civil trials. What's going on? What changed between now and when Holder made his announcement in November? Things got "political." Partisan and political. What should have been standard-operating-procedure -- trying terrorism suspects in American courts -- has become a round-robin of recriminations as the right wing attacks the Obama Administration for doing something the Bush Administration did hundreds of times -- prosecute and convict terrorists in US courts. Read More »
New Yorker Magazine Looks at Tough Times for Holder, Terrorism Trials
February 11, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
It's not going to be easy to prosecute terrorism suspects. Not when people on the right demagogue the rule of law. Check out Jane Mayer's piece in The New Yorker where she takes a look at how poisonous the political environment has become as the right wing attacks the Justice Department for trying to prosecute terrorists. Read More »
Fear: The Wedge Issue For All Political Seasons
February 10, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has read the political tea leaves (re: polls) and has learned that National Security is the ticket! And by ticket, we mean a great thing to use as wedge issue to divide Democrats, spread fear and misinformation to the American public and, *Sen. McConnell crosses fingers* lead to victory in the fall. Read More »
Brennan: Republicans Playing “Political Football” On National Security
February 08, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
What do Rep. Pete Hoekstra, Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell, House Minority Leader John Boehner and Republican Sen. Kit Bond all have in common? As soon as the would-be Christmas Day underwear bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, was apprehended and under questioning, these Republicans were notified that he was in FBI custody. Did they ask about how the suspect would be handled? Did they object to him being read his Miranda Rights? Did they raise one eyebrow in protest? Not if you ask White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan who said he briefed these men the night of the incident. Yet now they're Obama and the Department of Justice's largest critics. I wonder how that came about? Obviously "weak on terrorism" was polling higher than "follow the rule of law" the next day. Let the games of "political football" begin.
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Democrats Take Up Fight For National Security
February 05, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
The right has had a good run dominating the debate on National Security but it's been refreshing watching Democrats in the days after the President's first State of the Union Address as they finally play some good defense (and some pretty nice offense too) on national security. From the President to Attorney General Eric Holder to now the FBI reminding Republicans that their methods of getting information work (not whatever they dreamed up after watching Jack Bauer in a "24" marathon), people are pushing back against those right wing tactics of fear and confusion over terrorism. Read More »
VIDEO: Obama Talks About Closing Guantanamo (YouTube)
February 04, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
In an interview that aired on YouTube Feb. 1 President Barack Obama talks about the obstacles he faces in trying to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. He describes some of the opposition as "pretty rank politics." Which I would argue is a nice way of putting it. Read More »
The Party of No Goes Nutty Over Miranda Rights, Rule of Law
February 03, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
It's easy to criticize. It's hard to govern. The Bush Administration didn't leave President Obama with many great options when it came to national security. They left him with a legal nightmare of an off-shore gulag in Guantanamo Bay, two wars and host of other abhorrent policies -- waterboarding, anyone? -- that caused more problems. Yet the President is trying to do the right thing. Trying to close Guantanamo Bay. Trying to try terrorists in court. Trying to return detainees who pose no threat to their home countries. But who's standing there at every turn mucking up the process? The Party of No. Read More »
Trying Terrorists in U.S. Court: The Fear of the Familiar
February 02, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
You'd think we'd never held a terrorism trial in the United States before? We've only had 195 successful trials and convictions of terrorists since 2001. And no one batted an eyelash when past presidents, including George W. Bush, tried terrorists on American soil. No one was worried that they'd become radioactive, green and be really unlikable when angry. Yet that is the absurd yarn many fear-mongering right wingers are spinning as politicians in New York blink and fall for the politics of fear. Read More »
The Great Retreat: Democrats Need to Fight For National Security
January 29, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
You'd think the Democrats would be more aggressive. You'd think they'd go on offense. You'd think they'd stand their ground on national security. But more often than not, you'd be thinking wrong. After eight years of the Bush-Cheney Administration that resulted in terrorist attacks, two poorly planned and thought-out wars, the creation of America's own personal gulag on Guantanamo's, out-of-control defense spending, a lowered standing in the eyes of the rest of the world and numerous other foreign policy debacles YOU'D THINK the Republicans wouldn't dare show their faces, let alone offer criticism about national security. After all, all the did was get it nightmarishly wrong. Yet they have individuals like former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz defining the national security debate. How did politics' losers become the definers? Easy. The Democrats let them. Read More »
WATCH: Veterans Tell Congress It’s Time to Close Gitmo
January 28, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
A group of twenty veterans from all over the United States traveled to Capitol Hill January 21, 2010 to talk to members of Congress about why the prison at Guantanamo Bay needs to be closed. They said it puts our soldiers lives at risk. They said we have to be "the good guys." We can't support torture and we can't support the prison at Guantanamo Bay. Watch as they explain their journey in their own words and tell why their first-hand experience in the field has taught them that Gitmo needs to close now. Read More »
WATCH: Tom Andrews Talks The State of the Union on MSNBC
January 28, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
New Security Action Executive Director Tom Andrews visited The Ed Show on MSNBC to talk about President Obama's first State of the Union Address Wednesday. Watch to see what Tom had to say about jobs, infrastructure and what he hoped to hear from the President last night. Read More »
LIVE from Capitol Hill: It’s the State of the Union Live Blog!
January 27, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Follow New Security Action here on our blog and on Twitter to hear the thoughts of NSAction's Tom Andrews and blogger Danielle Belton on President Obama's address to the nation tonight. (Also, watch Tom on The Ed Show on MSNBC tonight before the speech!) Read More »
50 Detainees To Be Forever Trapped on Gitmo’s Isle of No Return?
January 22, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
It's disturbing news. A Justice Department led task force on Guantanamo Bay has come to the conclusion that 50 detainees should face indefinite detention, declaring that there isn't solid enough evidence to try them, while simultaneously claiming that these detainees are too dangerous to release. What does this mean for the detainees? What does this mean for the closure of Gitmo? And how did the Obama Administration come to this conclusion? Is this setting a dangerous precedent for the Executive Branch? We've got a lot of questions, but are there any solid answers? Read More »
Veteran Speaks Out About Gitmo (Video)
January 22, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Mark Starr was one of the 20 veterans who came with New Security Action and VoteVets to lobby Congress on Capitol Hill Thursday. Watch as he talks about his experience in the Army and about why he believes the prison at Guantanamo Bay should be closed immediately. Read More »
LISTEN: Tom Andrews talks to Air America’s Montel Williams About Gitmo
January 21, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
New Security Action's Tom Andrews sat down with radio talk show host Montel Williams on Air America this morning to talk about the VoteVets/New Security Action Veterans' Lobby Day on Capitol Hill and why the prison at Guantanamo Bay needs to be closed. Click to the link listen to the audio. Read More »
The Politics of Torture and Guantanamo Bay
January 21, 2010 | Posted by Tom Andrews
Combat Veterans and Senator Elect Scott Brown (R-MA) are arriving on Capitol Hill today with opposite messages. Your voice is needed too. More than 20 veterans working with New Security Action and VoteVets will be meeting with Members of Congress and their staffs to talk about why the prison at Guantanamo Bay needs to be closed now. These veterans will be speaking from experience, with the first-hand knowledge that Gitmo does not make us safer. But tell that individuals like Senator Elect Scott Brown who used justified torture in his campaign and played on the fears of the public to push a distortions about the prison. But we're not going to stand silent. We, VoteVets and thousands of others are speaking out today. Join us. Read More »
Time For Some Common Sense on Gitmo (Video)
January 19, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Check out New Security Action's newest video featuring interviews with veteran, terrorist interrogator Matthew Alexander and NSAction's Tom Andrews on why the prison at Guantanamo Bay needs to be closed and why Republican fearmongering needs to stop. Read More »
Gearing Up For Next Week
January 15, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
A year ago President Obama announced he would close the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Congress has been less than stellar getting that ball rolling as the Republicans play the fear card and act as the "Party of No," throwing up divisive votes and measures to keep Gitmo open. Next week VoteVets and New Security Action will be working together to spread awareness about why Congress needs to act now in closing Gitmo. We've got a lot of exciting irons in the fire. Here's a sample of what we're working on. Read More »
BBC Newsnight: Former Gitmo Guard Apologizes to Detainees (Video)
January 14, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
Watch the full report from BBC Newsnight about the reunion of former Guantanamo prison guard, Brandon Neely, and British detainees, Shafiq Rasul and Ruhal Ahmed. Read More »
Former Gitmo Guard Befriends Ex-Detainees Through Facebook
January 13, 2010 | Posted by Danielle Belton
In one of the most amazing stories I've heard since the prison at Guantanamo Bay was opened, a former guard, Brandon Neely of Texas, has come out against the prison and is talking about his old job. But he didn't stop just there. He reached out to two former detainees on Facebook, then flew to Great Britain to meet them and apologize in person. Said Neely about Gitmo: "The news would always try to make Guantanamo into this great place ... like 'they [prisoners] were treated so great'. No it wasn't. You know here I was basically just putting innocent people in cages." Read More »
