For Immediate Release
Brenda Bowser Soder
bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org
O -202/370-3323
Retired Military Leaders Fed Up With Fear Tactics, Urging Closure of Guantanamo Detention Facility to Protect America
WASHINGTON - Fed up with the spread of misinformation and disinformation by those
opposed to closing the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo, four of
the nation's most distinguished retired military leaders are coming to
Capitol Hill to "set the record straight" during an event on Tuesday,
September 29.
General David M. Maddox, USA (Ret.), Lieutenant General Harry E.
Soyster, USA (Ret.), Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, JAGC, USN (Ret.) and
Major General William L. Nash, USA (Ret.), will join Human Rights First
CEO and Executive Director Elisa Massimino for a frank discussion about
the national security benefits of closing the facility and about the
heated rhetoric and scare tactics that have shaped this debate in
recent weeks. The group will also take questions from the audience.
General Maddox served in the U.S. Army from 1960 until 1995. He
retired after serving as Commander in Chief, U.S. Army in Europe. While
on active duty, General Maddox served extensively overseas with four
tours in Germany during which he commanded at every level from platoon
through NATO's Central Army Group, 7th U.S. Army and theater. His last
six years of active duty were in Europe transitioning from the Cold
War, through Desert Storm, to the total reengineering of our presence
and mission in Europe. Lieutenant General Soyster served as Director,
Defense Intelligence Agency during DESERT SHIELD/STORM. He also served
as Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Department of the
Army, Commanding General, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
and in the Joint Reconnaissance Center, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Rear
Admiral John D. Hutson served in the U. S. Navy from 1973 to 2000 and
was the Navy's Judge Advocate General from 1997 to 2000. Major General
Nash served in the Army for 34 years and is a veteran of Vietnam and
Operation Desert Storm. He has extensive experience in peacekeeping
operations, both as a military commander in Bosnia-Herzegovina
(1995-1996) and as a civilian administrator for the United Nations in
Kosovo (2000).
General Maddox, Lieutenant General Soyster, Rear Admiral Hutson, and
Major General Nash were among the retired military officials who stood
behind President Obama on his second day in office as he signed the
Executive Orders banning torture and ordering the closure of the
Guantanamo detention facility by January 2010. As the four retired
military leaders continue to unite their voices in support of these
orders, they and more than a dozen other retired military leaders from
throughout the nation are traveling to Washington, DC on September
29-30 to meet with a number of top Administration officials, including
Attorney General Eric Holder.
Tuesday's Capitol Hill discussion is open to the press. Lieutenant
General Soyster, Rear Admiral Hutson, Major General Nash, and Elisa
Massimino are also available for interview prior to and following the
event. To RSVP or to obtain more information, please contact Brenda
Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323.
WHAT: "Protecting America Post-Guantanamo"
WHO: Panelists: General David M. Maddox, USA (Ret.)
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Lieutenant General Harry E. Soyster, USA (Ret.)
Rear Admiral John D. Hutson, JAGC, USN (Ret.)
Major General William L. Nash, USA (Ret.)
Moderator: Elisa Massimino, Human Rights First CEO & Executive Director
WHEN: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 - 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
WHERE: U.S. Capitol Visitor's Center, Room SVC 210
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Human Rights First is a non-profit, nonpartisan international human rights organization based in New York and Washington D.C. Human Rights First believes that building respect for human rights and the rule of law will help ensure the dignity to which every individual is entitled and will stem tyranny, extremism, intolerance, and violence.
