WASHINGTON - May 21 - MoveOn.org today launched a nonpartisan campaign calling on President Bush to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in light of growing evidence that he is personally responsible for allowing the torture of Iraqi prisoners in violation of the Geneva Convention, which guarantees the human rights of prisoners of war.

“By issuing a policy that violated bedrock human rights, Rumsfeld put American troops and civilians at risk, and severely damaged our moral authority and credibility worldwide,” said Peter Schurman, Executive Director of MoveOn.org.

MoveOn.org will run TV ads in 14 major markets calling for Rumsfeld’s dismissal. The TV ads will air in Washington, DC; New York, NY; Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Detroit, MI; Jacksonville, FL; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Raliegh, NC; San Diego, CA; Seattle, WA; and Tampa, FL.

During the Congressional recess next week, hundreds of members of MoveOn.org and TrueMarjority.org in 40 cities will visit their Representatives’ and Senators’ offices to insist that Congress demand that President Bush fire Rumsfeld. MoveOn.org will also air radio ads in 10 of the markets where Congressional meetings will take place, calling on local Senators and Representatives to demand Rumsfeld’s dismissal. The radio spots will run in: Wilmington, DE; Orlando, FL; Indianapolis, IN; Louisville, KY; Springfield, MO; Omaha, NE; Cleveland and Cincinnati, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; and Richmond, VA.

“Someone has to take responsibility. Someone has to take the first step toward restoring US credibility with the Iraqi people, the Arab world and the entire international community. It’s up to the President to fire Rumsfeld, and up to Congress to make it clear to the President that nothing less is acceptable,” said Schurman. “We’ve got to fire Rumfeld to show the world we take human rights and torture seriously,” he said.

MoveOn.org is an issues-based organization with more than 2.2 million members in every state of the U.S.

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