| WASHINGTON,
D.C. U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) will join a Congressional
fact-finding trip to the U.S. military base at Guantanamo naval base on
Saturday, July 26, 2003. The trip will be headed by U.S. Representatives
Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, U.S. Representative
Benjamin L. Cardin, senior Democrat on the Commission.
The
members will meet with U.S. officials to discuss the detention of suspected
terrorists and will review the procedures under which the suspects are
being interrogated and their overall treatment.
It
is critical for members of Congress to examine firsthand the conditions
and treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo naval base and I look forward
to reporting those findings back to my colleagues and my constituents,
Schakowsky said.
The
Helsinki Commission was created in 1976 by Congress as an independent U.S.
agency charged with monitoring military security, economic cooperation,
human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe, Central Asia, and
North America. The Commission also undertakes a variety of diplomatic
efforts designed to prevent, manage and resolve conflicts among participating
states. The Helsinki Commission monitors the activities of the 55
nations, including the United States, who are participating members of
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which is
the largest regional security organization in the world. |
