ACLU Online Symposium To Feature Leading Writers On Torture

Inaugural Forum Launches ACLU Blog Of Rights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: (212) 549-2689 or 2666; media@aclu.org

NEW YORK – Several of the nation’s top writers and experts on the subject of torture will participate in an online symposium beginning today in conjunction with the launch of the American Civil Liberties Union’s new blog, the ACLU Blog of Rights. The symposium will be a recurring feature on the ACLU Blog of Rights, bringing together ideologically diverse groups of bloggers to focus on pressing civil liberties issues. The guest writers in this week’s symposium include writers from some of the Web’s most widely read blogs.

“We envision the ACLU Blog of Rights as a marketplace of ideas and discourse on pressing civil liberties issues, from surveillance and extraordinary rendition to religious freedom and the rights of protestors,” said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. “Beginning with this week’s symposium on torture, this blog will be a place where everyone concerned about civil liberties can come together.”

Today the Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General issued a report revealing that officials at the highest level of government – including the White House – received reports on the abuse of prisoners in U.S. military custody overseas as early as 2002. In light of that report, along with newly released DOJ memos authorizing abusive interrogation techniques and the admission by President Bush that he knew top officials were discussing and authorizing the use of torture by the CIA, this week’s symposium will focus on what the use of torture means to the United States. Scheduled bloggers in this week’s symposium include:

• Tuesday, May 20: Glenn Greenwald, Salon.com; Joan McCarter, DailyKos; and Daniel Larison, Eunomia/American Conservative
• Wednesday, May 21: Chris Anders, ACLU; Christy Hardin Smith, Firedoglake; Nicole Belle, Crooks & Liars; Digby, Hullabaloo; and Paul Verhaeghen, author
• Thursday, May 22: Jameel Jaffer, ACLU; Jeralyn Merritt, TalkLeft; and Marcy Wheeler, Emptywheel/Firedoglake
• Friday, May 23: Caroline Fredrickson, ACLU; Cliff Schecter, AMERICAblog; and Matt Stoller, OpenLeft

The ACLU Blog of Rights will serve as an online home for the discussion of crucial civil liberties issues including privacy, freedom of speech and religion, capital punishment, racial justice, voter rights, and the rights of immigrants, women, and prisoners. Blog posts will highlight current legislation, litigation and efforts to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

The ACLU Blog of Rights is online at: /