Liberty unites with ACLU

Wednesday, 28 January 2009 12:02 AM

By politics.co.uk staff

Liberty and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have come together to establish an Anglo-American alliance based on civil liberties and human rights.

Anthony Romero, executive director of ACLU, and Shami Chakrabarti, director of Liberty, met with government officials and leading parliamentarians to promote the establishment of the new alliance.

The two groups also emphasised the importance of giving praise to the Obama administration for the steps it has taken in the first few days of office.

But Mr Romero urged caution over ambiguities in the executive orders regarding the prosecution of Guantanamo detainees and the international crime of extraordinary rendition.

"As a result of the Bush administration's unlawful national security policies, the public image of the United States has been greatly diminished in the global community," he said.

"The US and the UK have an historically special relationship and now is a perfect time for the two countries to work together to ensure that the US takes full and complete measures to restore the liberties that have been eroded over the last eight years."

Ms Chakrabarti said: "Liberty and the ACLU were founded during the last depression and have witnessed the rise and fall of rights and freedoms on both sides of the Atlantic.

"We weathered the misjudged "war on terror" together and will now work harder than ever in support of the new president's rejection of the false choice between our safety and our ideals."

The two addressed a parliamentary meeting on Monday which was attended by peers and MPs from across the political spectrum.

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