Petition to close Guantanamo Bay

Amnesty International is currently gathering signatures for a global petition to close Guantanamo Bay.

Sign the petition, “10 years on: Close Guantánamo Bay”, here.

Amnesty International writes:

Sign our global petition calling on President Obama to take action to close Guantánamo by ending indefinite detention. It’s been ten years too long.

On 11 January 2002 the first detainees were transferred to Guantánamo Bay. Since then, the US detention facility has made headlines with allegations of torture, enforced disappearances and illegal detention.

A decade on and 171 detainees remain at Guantánamo Bay. At least 12 arrived as part of the original group first transferred ten years ago. Most have never been charged with a crime and don’t know when they will face trial, if at all. Those who have been charged face unfair trial by military commission.

Indefinite detention without trial violates international human rights law and must end now.

We call on the United States President Barack Obama to address the detentions at Guantánamo Bay as a human rights issue that requires urgent attention.

• Guantánamo detainees should either be charged and prosecuted in fair trials or released to countries that will respect their human rights, including into the USA if that is the only available option;
• The US military commissions, which do not meet international fair trial standards, should be abandoned, as should any pursuit of the death penalty;
• Former or current US officials responsible for human rights violations must be held to account, including in respect of crimes under international law such as torture and enforced disappearance by bringing them to justice. Victims of human rights violations must be provided genuine access to effective remedy
• The USA must recognise the applicability of, and fully respect international human rights law, when conducting counterterrorism operations, including detentions in Guantánamo, detention facilities at Bagram in Afghanistan and elsewhere.

Parasites

Guantanamo Bay: By The Numbers

Taken from http://www.aclu.org/national-security/guantanamo-numbers

Tony Blair Inc’s income rise ‘baffles’ accountancy experts

Despite the global financial crisis that’s hitting individuals and companies the world over, there are some who remain unaffected, recording record profits.

Image via Wiki.

Recently filed Companies House records show that Tony Blair Inc’s income rose by over 40% last year to more than £12m. It is channeled through a complex network of firms and partnerships, which makes it difficult to trace where it is originating from or how it is being spent.

Windrush Ventures Ltd, an obscure company that operates under the trading name “the Office of Tony Blair”, saw its turnover rise to just over £12m, up from £8.5m in 2010, with pre-tax profits rising from £729,000 to £1.1m.

Accountancy expert Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK, said “”It is baffling; these accounts make remarkably little sense.

“This limited disclosure is not within the spirit of the law. ”

Tax Research UK scrutinises company finances. Blair’s companies and partnerships are taking advantage of laws that allow him to limit what is disclosed, meaning the accounts do not go into detail. For example, accounts reveal that Windrush Ventures received “remuneration of £9,837,000 in connection with management services” from a limited liability partnership ultimately controlled by Blair. In the previous year Windrush Ventures Limited received £5.2m in remuneration for providing management services. Also, Windrush Ventures Ltd spent almost £3m on staff, rent and other services but had total administration costs of almost £11m.

“Just what is this company doing?” Murphy asked. “You would expect total costs to be around double the costs of employing staff. But in this case total administrative costs are £10.9m. That’s a very high ratio indeed.”

He added: “We have no idea where this money is coming from or how it’s being spent. The structure seems designed to impose a veil of secrecy over its accounts.”

Blair has advisory roles for a number of companies including luxury goods firm LVMH and Swiss insurer Zurich, as well as having undertaken work for the Kuwaiti royal family, an Abu Dhabi-based investment house and a South Korean oil firm. Much of his private business interests are thought to be channelled via another set of linked firms called Firerush Ventures. One of the firms has a licence from the Financial Services Authority allowing it to provide investment advice.

A spokesman of Blair said: “Across all of his activities there are more than 120 people employed around the world. The Windrush accounts are prepared in accordance with relevant legal, accounting and regulatory guidance. Tony Blair continues to be a UK taxpayer on all of his income and all his companies are UK registered.”