“How to Break A Terrorist” Speaker a Success!
In June 2009, Amnesty St. Louis co-sponsored an event with our friends at Left Bank Books, the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri (ACLU), the St. Louis Interfaith Committee on Latin America (IFCLA), and the Center for Theology & Social Analysis.
Over 80 people attended
“HOW TO BREAK A TERRORIST”
Matthew Alexander, former U.S. interrogator, winner of the Bronze Star, and author of How to Break a Terrorist, spoke in St. Louis about torture, terror, and the future of U.S. interrogation.
See more pictures from the event here.
The Amnesty St. Louis local group was honored to welcome Matthew Alexander, who has spoken out at great personal risk against the use of torture. Matthew Alexander (a pseudonym) spent fourteen years in the United States Air Force and Air Force Reserves. He deployed to Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the Iraq
War in 2003 to command a detachment of special agents at the coalition’s largest air base, successfully protecting it from terrorist attacks. Three years later he returned to the war after he volunteered and was selected to be an interrogator for an elite task force. He rose to be its senior interrogator and has personally conducted more than 300 interrogations and supervised more than 1,000. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his achieveme
nts in Iraq, including finding Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, the notorious Al Qaida leader.
More than this, upon his return to the United States, he has been a constant outspoken critic of the use of torture, and a vigilant reminder to us all about what is at stake in this unbelievable debate. Torture is not only ineffective and makes us less safe, the question of torture, to quote Matthew’s interview in Harper’s Magazine, “is about who we are”.
He has appeared on countless television programs and conducted countless radio interviews, the most recent of which are St. Louis’s own KWMU’s St. Louis on the Air and KMOX’s Charlie Brennan show. He is the author of How to Break a Terrorist (you can buy a signed copy from Left Bank Books!), and of the forthcoming Hornet’s Nest set for publication in 2010.
See Matthew Alexander previously on:
- Show Me Progress Blog: part 1, part 2
- St. Louis on the Air
- the Daily Show
- Countdown with Kieth Olberman
- Brave New Productions
- MSNBC
- Fox
Articles by Matthew:
Washington Post
National Interest
Harper’s
Daily Beast
The use of torture stands as the most potent symbol of the United States’s betrayal of human rights law, Constitutional law, and our own sense of American values. In the years since September 11, 2001, the U.S. government has repeatedly violated both international and domestic prohibitions on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in the name of fighting terrorism. The U.S. is required by international law to respect and ensure human rights, to thoroughly investigate every violation of those rights, and to bring perpetrators to justice, no matter their level of office or former level of office. Torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment must stop, and those responsible for authorizing and implementing it must be held accountable. Learn how you can make a difference here.
Save Troy Davis!
Participate in the Global Day of Action on May 19!
On April 16, by a 2-1 vote, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals denied Troy Davis’ petition. Your action matters NOW more than EVER! TAKE ACTION HERE! (Facebookers, take more action here!)
Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. Nearly two decades later, Davis remains on death row – even though the case against him has fallen apart. Davis’ conviction was not based on any physical evidence, and the murder weapon was never found. Since his trial, seven of the nine eyewitnesses have recanted or contradicted their testimony, and one of the remaining witnesses has been implicated by nine others as the actual murderer. TAKE ACTION NOW!
Support Women’s Human Rights
At our last meeting (March 10), our group learned more about Women’s Human Rights and the Stop Violence Against Women Campaign
Millions of women and girls around the world encounter rape, domestic abuse, mutilation and other forms of gender-based violence. Learn more about how you can stop violence against women! Click on any of the below topics we discussed to learn more and take action!
- I-VAWA The Internatioanl Violence Against Women Ac is legislation that directs the U.S. government to create a comprehensive, 5-year strategy to reduce violence in 10-20 diverse countries identified as having severe levels of violence against women.
- CEDAW- The Convention to Eliminate all forms of Discrimination Against Women was adopted by the United Nations in 1979, and is the most comprehensive international agreement on the basic human rights of women. The Treaty provides an international standard for protecting and promoting women’s human rights and is often referred to as a “Bill of Rights” for women. It is the only international instrument that comprehensively addresses women’s rights within political, civil, cultural, economic, and social life- and the United States is only one of eight countries not to have adopted this convention!
- Maze of Injustice- More than 1 in 3 Native women will be raped in her lifetime. Native American and Alaska Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the United States in general. A complex maze of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions allows perpetrators to rape with impunity and in some cases even encourages assaults.
441 Letters Sent!
The Amnesty International St. Louis local group joined with Amnesty activists around the world and collected 281 signatures and sent 441 letters on behalf of prisoners of conscience and individuals at risk Dec. 13, 2008! We met at Sclaffly Bottleworks for our annual Write-a-thon where we wrote letters and collected signatures to defend human rights around the world! More information about the lobal Write-a-thon is here. Thanks to all who joined us!
Over 70 cards mailed to human rights defenders!
Our Amnesty International St. Louis Holiday Party was a big success! Over 15 Amnesty St. Louis activists gather at Duff’s in the Central West End to enjoy amazing food courtesy of Karen Duffy (Duff’s owner and longtime Amnesty supporter), great company, and human rights work! We wrote and mailed 76 cards of hope to human rights workers around the world! You can still take action by clicking here to find out how you can send a card of hope to a human rights defender who needs to hear from you! Give the gift of hope! Send a card!
Record-breaking 400+ for Midwest Regional Conference!
…Right here in St. Louis! The Amnesty International St. Louis Chapter welcomed the Midwest Regional
Conference October 24-26, 2008. We welcomed a record-breaking 400+ activists from around the Midwest to our conference! The conference included an amazing Art for Human Rights Exhibit featuring local St. Louis-area artists and a life-sized replica of a Guantanamo Bay cell. More info and pictures from the conference to come (hopefully) soon once we can post them! In the meantime, let’s get ready for the Annual General Meeting, Amnesty USA’s yearly national gathering. We’re going to bean-town!
Amnesty USA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM)
March 27-29, 2009
Boston, MA
more info here
Welcome to AI St. Louis!
The local chapter of Amnesty International, St. Louis Group #105, welcomes you! You are invited to browse our site for more information, and to join us for upcoming events and meetings.
Here you also can find answers to FAQs about Amnesty International, see a history of what we’ve done as a group, take action on important human rights issues, or find out about how to join Amnesty.
We hope that you will consider getting involved at any level to make a difference in human rights!