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Human Rights First builds respect for human rights and the rule of law to help ensure the dignity to which everyone is entitled and to stem intolerance, tyranny, and violence. More » |
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Making the Case
After the Election, Human Rights First convened a group of retired generals and admirals to discuss the Bush Administration's interrogation and detention policies with some of President-elect Barack Obama's top legal advisors, including Eric Holder, Obama's pick to be attorney general, and Greg Craig, incoming White House counsel.
"It's important that the dialogue is going," said Joseph Hoar, a retired Marine Corps general and former commander of the U.S. Central Command. "Part of the challenge here is big and philosophical. Part is nuts and bolts. How do you translate the rhetoric of the campaign and the transition period into action?"
The group of 14 retired officers said that the new administration should prohibit the CIA's use of harsh interrogation techniques and require interrogators across all government agencies to abide by a single standard of humane treatment.
"Fundamentally, those kinds of techniques are ineffective," said John D. Hutson, a retired Navy rear admiral and former judge advocate general. "If the goal is to gain actionable intelligence, and it is, and if that's important, and it is, then we have to use the techniques that are most effective."
The group also advocated closing the prison at Guantánamo Bay and prohibiting the secret transfer of detainees to countries where they may face torture. They urged the new administration to abide by the Geneva Conventions, arguing that failure to do so undermines U.S. authority and the ability to ensure the humane treatment of American prisoners detained abroad.
They urged President-elect Obama to act quickly and decisively: “If he’d just put a couple of sentences in his inaugural address, stating the new position, then everything would flow from that,' said retired Major General Fred Haynes, whose regiment in World War Two raised the American flag on Iwo Jima.
Press Materials: The meeting was featured extensively in the media. Read about it in the Washington Post, the AP, Reuters, and CNN.com. Watch Major General Paul Eaton on Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and watch Rear Admiral John Hutson on CNN Live.
During the presidential campaign, retired military leaders traveled to key states to ensure that the next commander-in-chief understand the fundamental importance of prisoner treatment issues to members of the United States Armed Forces and to our national security.
October 23, 2008, a University of Virginia Law School/Human Rights First panel discussion featured Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster and Lieutenant General Charles Otstott. Read about it and watch the video here. "It doesn't matter what they do, it’s what we do. We don't lower ourselves to the level of this terrible enemy we are fighting. It's about what our standards are," said Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster. "The rules are the same, and should be the same. All the Machiavellian work that has been done to get around those rules is detestable, and I can't believe we are doing that as an official policy in the United States of America." Added Lieutenant General Charles Otstott.
October 6, 2008, a William and Mary Law School/ Human Rights First panel featured Major General Paul D. Eaton, Major General Fred E. Haynes and Brigadier General James P. Cullen.
Building Bipartisan Support for 
Humane Treatment
Human Rights First hosted receptions at both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. In Denver, at the DNC, we honored retired generals and admirals who have spoken out in support of humane and effective interrogation and detainee treatment policies that reflect American laws, values and interests. We hosted a similar reception at the RNC in St. Paul, celebrating the rule of law. Retired military leaders also called for the inclusion of strong anti-torture language in both party platforms. They wrote, “This should not be a partisan issue. We are asking the platform committees of both major parties to send a clear message that the next President of the United States – no matter who he is – will uphold our obligations under the Geneva Conventions and return the United States to its long-standing and proper role as a world leader on human rights.”
Co-hosts for the RNC reception included Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Robert Carl “Bud” McFarlane, National Security Adviser to President Reagan, General Charles C. Krulak, USMC (Ret.), Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster, USA (Ret.), Major General Fred E. Haynes, USMC (Ret.), Major General William L. Nash, USA (Ret.), Brigadier General James P. Cullen, USA (Ret.), Brigadier General Richard O'Meara, USA (Ret.) Brigadier General Murray G. Sagsveen, USA (Ret.), and Brigadier General Stephen N. Xenakis, USA (Ret.).
Co-hosts for the DNC reception included Madeleine K. Albright, Richard Danzig, Richard Holbrooke, William J. Perry and Timothy J. Roemer. The honorees in attendance were General Merrill A. McPeak, USAF (Ret.), Lieutenant General Robert G. Gard, Jr., USA (Ret.), Vice Admiral Lee F. Gunn, USN (Ret.) Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, USA (Ret.), Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster, USA (Ret.), Rear Admiral Don Guter, USN (Ret.), Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, USN (Ret.), Major General Paul D. Eaton, USA (Ret.), Major General William L. Nash, USA (Ret.), Major General Antonion ‘Tony’ Taguba, USA (Ret.), Brigadier General James P. Cullen, USA (Ret.), Brigadier General John H. Johns, USA (Ret.), and Brigadier General Murray G. Sagsveen, USA (Ret.).
Spreading the Message
In January 2008, HRF co-hosted two forums featuring retired admirals and generals in South Carolina, one with the University of South Carolina’s Walker Institute for International and Area Studies, and another at The Citadel. In Florida, we joined with the Florida State University’s Center for the Advancement of Human Rights to host a panel discussion featuring three retired generals at the Claude Pepper Center.
These public forums resulted in lively discussions about torture and U.S. policy. Read about them here. http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/us_law/etn/elect08/media/
Watch ABC news clip of South Carolina event»
Listen to radio interviews with retired military leaders»:
Downloadable WMAs:
In Florida:
- Gen Irvine on MetroOrlando
- Gen Irvine on WFLA
- Gen Irvine on WOCA
- Gen Soyster on WFSU
- Gen Soyster on WMEL
In South Carolina:
Streaming Audio:
Audio Clips:
»Read News Clips
In South Carolina:
- WRNN SC
- WSC SC
- WTMA SC
- WVOC SC
- Greenville News SC
- Post and Courier SC
- SCNN SC
- Anderson Independent-Mail
In Florida: