CIA Whistleblower John Kiriakou Help Action Day: May 9th

image source – Catherine Byun illustration

Catherine J. Frompovich
Activist Post

Readers will recall that CIA torture whistleblower John Kiriakou and I are pen pals who have become friends. I empathize with John’s plight because those who did the crime, i.e., authorized and/or committed waterboarding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay Prison in Cuba, never have been, and probably never will be, prosecuted. However, John, who disclosed a person’s name associated with waterboarding, is serving a 30-month prison sentence in the federal pen at Loretto, Pennsylvania.

From what I’ve been able to gather from reports on the Web and what John shares with me in his letters, John apparently experiences deliberate harassment at the hands of prison officials and/or guards. In his April 30th letter to me, John says

The petty harassment is starting to get to me. I mentioned to Heather [his wife] on the phone recently that I had completed The New York Times Sunday Crossword in one sitting for the first time. (Remember, my phone calls are all monitored.) Well, my next Sunday Times came, and the crossword had been torn out and thrown away. A few days later they made the kids leave the visiting room.

The above harassment made my heart sink to think that humans would be deliberately mean to other humans. What apparently is going on, in my opinion, is to make John’s experience an example for potential whistleblowers to understand what life will be like if you choose to do the right thing and report wrongdoing, especially against the U.S. federal government or its agencies.

In my next letter to John, I will try to lift his spirits and enclose a printout of this Activist Post blog because he does not have access to the Internet. I’ve sent him photocopies of various blogs about him published on the net, which he appreciates. John also appreciates those who are trying to help him get: a) relief from harassment, and b) immediate removal to a halfway house near his family.

To that end, Friday, May 9th, 2014, is “John Kiriakou Day of Action.” John Sonenstein, Campaign Director at Firedoglake.com, sent me an email today with their plan of action that I want to share with readers, who I trust will take part on Friday, May 9th.

The plan of action is a ‘blitz’ on all members of Congress in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives asking each Congressperson to contact the Bureau of Prisons to move John Kiriakou (#79637-083) immediately into a halfway house near his family. Here’s Firedoglake’s plan of action:

Step 1: Find Congressional local offices near you:

• US House Offices
• US Senate Offices

Step 2: Download / print our information packet to leave with office staff.

Step 3: Look over our talking points so you know what to say:

• I’m here today to seek (Representative/Senator name)’s help on behalf of family, friends, former colleagues and supporters of ex-CIA agent and whistleblower John Kiriakou.
• John is a highly decorated ex-CIA agent who co-lead the group that captured al Qaeda terrorist Abu Zubaydah. He was the first person to publicly acknowledge the CIA torture program under the Bush administration.
• In 2012, John was arrested and charged with three counts of violating the Espionage Act and other charges for speaking out about torture. The espionage charges against John were dropped and he took a plea deal for a 30 month prison sentence.
• John had few financial resources upon which to draw for a long and drawn-out trial and believed accepting a plea for 30 months was best way to expedite his return home to his five children.
• The Kiriakou family and their bipartisan community of support would like to speak with your office about John’s recent mistreatment by the Bureau of Prisons and ask that your boss intercede with Bureau of Prisons Director Charles Samuels to release John immediately to a halfway house near his home.
• Under Bureau of Prison guidelines, John was eligible for halfway house release on May 1.

For more information and talking points, check out the white paper which contains a lot more information about his case.

Step 4: Report back and let Firedoglake.com know whose office you visited and how it went.

Unable to visit a congressional office?

Call the Bureau of Prisons and ask them to move John immediately

Donate to file FOIA requests for John

If you have any questions about the day, please don’t hesitate to contact Brian at brian@firedoglake.com

The above plan of action should be relatively easy to carry out, even if you only are able to send an email, fax, or make a phone call. Every little effort will contribute to the total sum of getting John what is due him: “Under Bureau of Prison guidelines, John was eligible for halfway house release on May 1.” He’s running a little late on a release date, I’d say.

Thanks for whatever readers can do. I will tell John that you have been supportive. Personally, I appreciate your kindness in reading this blog and helping out. Thanks!

Catherine J Frompovich (website) is a retired natural nutritionist who earned advanced degrees in Nutrition and Holistic Health Sciences, Certification in Orthomolecular Theory and Practice plus Paralegal Studies. Her work has been published in national and airline magazines since the early 1980s. Catherine authored numerous books on health issues along with co-authoring papers and monographs with physicians, nurses, and holistic healthcare professionals. She has been a consumer healthcare researcher 35 years and counting.

Two of Catherine’s more recent books on Amazon.com are Our Chemical Lives And The Hijacking Of Our DNA, A Probe Into What’s Probably Making Us Sick (2009) and Lord, How Can I Make It Through Grieving My Loss, An Inspirational Guide Through the Grieving Process (2008).