Chacounne

Excerpts from my application for a Netroots Nation Scholarship

The voices of those who have been detained, renditioned and disappeared, must be heard. I bring them here so you may know what has actually happened to real live human beings, in your name.

Several days ago, I shared with the firedoglake community the story of my husband, Dan who was a Vietnam vet who survived torture. Yesterday, I shared the first part of the story, of Murat Kurnaz, who was born in Germany of Turkish descent. He spent five years as a detainee. Today, I will continue Mr. Kurnaz's story.

My husband, Dan, was a Vietnam vet who survived torture. He suffered from his injuries for over thirty years, until his fatal heart attack almost four years ago. Dan left me a mission, to stop torture as the law, policy and practice of the United States. This is the second installment of what will be, from today, a daily series giving voice to what the detainees, the renditioned and the disappeared have been through, from their perspective.

The first part of a daily series on what has really been done to the victims of torture under the Bush administration. I begin with the inspiration for my fight against torture, my husband, Dan, who was a Vietnam vet who survived torture by the North Vietnamese.

On Monday, November 24th, between Noon and 1pm, I will be speaking at Harvard Law School, Pound Hall, Rm 332. Anyone in the Boston or New England are is most welcome to attend.

Two small children, 7 and 9 years old, were kidnapped and given to the CIA and disappeared in 2002. They have reportedly been tortured. We don't known whether they are alive or dead.