Amnesty International has kicked off a two week campaign aimed at encouraging U.S. President George W. Bush to use the January 31 State of the Union Address to "tell the truth about torture." In a release issued today, the group asks for "full, honest disclosure of U.S. Acts of Torture" against detainees since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The group has aired concern about a legal interpretation issued by the White House shortly after the president signed a law explicitly prohibiting abuse or humiliation of enemy combatants, which critics have argued greatly undermines the law. In the "signing statement," Bush claimed that he was not bound to follow the law in all circumstances.
As the first phase of their campaign, Amnesty is "circulating" an Internet petition, which can be found on the organization's website.
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Amnesty plans to continue action in various forms leading up to, and even following, the State of the Union.
