national defense authorization act

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Shut Guantánamo! Public Rally: Called by London Guantánamo Campaign, Save Shaker Aamer Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, CND and supported by other human rights campaigns. Trafalgar Square, Saturday 7th January 2012. Among other speakers was Cortney Busch from Reprieve. REPRIEVE uses the law to enforce the human rights of prisoners, from death row to Guantánamo Bay. Campaigners demanded Guantánamo closure on tenth anniversary of prison. London MEPs Baroness Sarah Ludford (Liberal Democrat) and Jean Lambert (Green), Louise Christian, Victoria Brittain. Other speakers, including Kate Hudson from the CND, Aaron Kiely from the National Union of Students (NUS), Steve Bell from the Communication Workers Union (CWU). Other speakers included Lindsey German from the StWC, Joy Hurcombe from the SSAC and Shaun Brown from the LGC. To coincide with the tenth anniversary of the opening of the illegal detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, activists from the London Guantánamo Campaign demanding President Obama to fulfil his earlier promises to close Guantánamo Bay and release former British residents, Shaker Aamer and Ahmed Belbacha to the UK. Aisha Maniar, from the London Guantánamo Campaign, said: "President Obama has chosen to mark the tenth anniversary of Guantánamo, which he once considered a "misguided experiment" by perpetuating the lawless regime of detention there, without charge or trial, through provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act 2012. Once considered part of the disastrous legacy of his predecessor, George Bush, President Obama has made this "experiment" state policy. Similarly, President Clinton before him made extraordinary rendition state policy in the 1990s. "As the United States gears up for presidential elections later this year, it is hard to forget the dashed hopes of the world in the aftermath of Barack Obama's complete backtracking on his pledge to close Guantánamo Bay by 2010 and end military tribunals. Instead, hardly any prisoners have been released, a minor has been tried for war crimes and the closure of Guantánamo and other similar facilities is ever more distant. "Through their collusion, other states, including the United Kingdom, have some responsibility to bear in aiding its closure. In the case of the British government, it must do more to secure the immediate release of Shaker Aamer and Ahmed Belbacha, formerly resident in the UK." The London Guantánamo Campaign campaigns for justice for all prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, for the closure of this and other secret prisons, and an end to the practice of extraordinary rendition. The London Guantánamo Campaign has been campaigning since 2006 for the return of all British residents from the Guantánamo Bay prison camp, the release of all prisoners, the closure of this prison and other similar prisons and an end to the practice of extraordinary rendition. Human rights for all. http://londonguantanamocampaign.blogspot.com Cortney Busch: As a member of the Guantanamo Bay/Secret Prison Team, Cortney summarises evidence in preparation of litigation and researches and reviews detainee cases in Guantanamo and international secret prisons. Cortney Busch holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from the City Law School, City University and completed her Legal Practice Course in June 2009. She was awarded a Legal Practice LL.M. concentrating in criminal legal aid at City University in June 2010. Cortney obtained a B.A. in English, pre-law, political science, British literature, history and philosophy from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the United States. She began volunteering with the Secret Prisons team in July 2008. She previously worked as a paralegal for law firms in Lincoln, Nebraska. http://www.reprieve.org.uk Video report by: VideoGraphicsDigital: Non-profit video journalism for education and participation.