There has never been a more urgent need to preserve fundamental privacy protections and our system of checks and balances than the need we face today, as illegal government spying, provisions of the Patriot Act and government-sponsored torture programs transcend the bounds of law and our most treasured values in the name of national security.

What's Happening in Maine

In June, the MCLU worked with other activist groups, including the Maine Council of Churches, to develop a panel discussion with several experts who discussed American torture and detention policies from religious, military, and legal perspectives.

Among the panelists were Ben Wizner, one of the attorneys in the ACLU National Security Project who has shepherded the various lawsuits through the courts that are seeking to uncover the truth about previous torture policies. 

Also speaking was a former Air Force interrogator and author, Matthew Alexander, who argues that he successfully gathered important information from suspects using conventional police techniques, rather than torture.  Alexander, who details these experiences in his book, How to Break a Terrorist, also argues that Americans' use of torture has made us less safe.

What's Happening Nationally

In recent months, the ACLU has led the charge for public accountability and honesty about the illegal practice of torture under the Bush Administration.  The ACLU has argued that without understanding and acknowledgement of the errors of the past, the American public will not have the information it needs to ensure that torture is never practiced again in its name.  The ACLU legal team in its National Security Project has filed several lawsuits, seeking the release of documents and information on past practices. While some redacted documents have been released, much is still being withheld, and the Obama Administration is making provision to retain prisoners indefinitely in military detention.

To read more on what is happening nationally, please visit the ACLU Safe and Free.