First, a great, very clearly outlined BBC analysis of the fundamental legal and practical issues Obama will face in attempting to close Gitmo:

BBC: Obama wrestles with Guantanamo problem

...and Amnesty's 100 Days Petition/Human Rights Challenge to President-Elect Obama: read and sign the petition here.

Ex-U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has been appointed as a "distinguished visiting fellow" at the Hoover Institution, as stated in the Stanford Report. There have already been quite a few strong reactions on and off campus to news of the appointment, with everything ranging from skepticism to anger. Many students and faculty members are disappointed that Stanford would honor a man who many believe completely mis-handled the war in Iraq, has been accused repeatedly of allowing torture and disastrous human rights abuses to occur in the process, a la Abu Ghraib, and has made remarks that characterize critics of the war as unpatriotic.

Students and faculty are currently circulating an online petition objecting to the Rumsfeld appointment for these reasons, amongst others. If you wish to sign, you can read and sign the petition here.

America's use of torture is wrong. The America I believe in doesn’t torture people or use cruel, inhuman treatment; doesn’t hold people without charge, without fair trials, without hope, and without end; doesn’t kidnap people off the street and ship them to nations known for their brutality; doesn’t condone prisoner abuse and excuse high-ranking government officials from responsibility for that abuse; doesn’t justify the use of secret prisons; and does not rob people of their basic dignity.

I’m joining with the Stanford chapter of Amnesty International to restore the America I believe in.

The America I believe in leads the world on human rights.

More Things You Can Do To Take Action

(1) E-mail this petition to your friends or share this link on Facebook

(2) Inform yourself about America's use of torture with our research and resources

(3) Come to our Events

(4) E-mail Senators Feinstein and Boxer, or find your own representatives

(5) Join the Stanford Against Torture group on Facebook

(6) Sign up to receive e-mail announcements from Stanford Amnesty

(7) Come to Amnesty meetings on Tuesdays at 8PM in the Womens' Center (Firetruck House)