Ten days ago, on January 11 (the 10th anniversary of the opening of the "war on terror" prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba), the "Close Guantánamo" campaign was launched, with a mission statement signed by Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Chief of Staff to former Secretary of State Colin Powell; the Hon. John J. Gibbons, former Chief Judge, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit; Gen. David M. Brahms (Ret.); Rear Adm. Donald J. Guter (Ret.); Rear Adm. John D. Hutson (Ret.); Col. Morris Davis, former chief prosecutor for the Military Commissions at Guantánamo; the Center for Constitutional Rights; Human Rights First; Human Rights Watch; attorneys for the Guantánamo prisoners, and journalists.

We are currently preparing new material for the campaign, and will be making available stories of the prisoners, as related by their attorneys, or in some cases, as described in their own words, to present the human face of Guantánamo. This, we are sure, will help to explain why it is essential that the prison is closed, and why it remains unforgivable that 89 of the remaining 171 prisoners, who have been cleared for release, are still held.

For now, however, we need your help to secure 25,000 signatures on the Close Guantánamo Now! petition on the White House's "We the People" website by Feb. 6, to receive a response from President Obama, and to show that it is unacceptable that the closure of Guantánamo has become a victim of political maneuvering.

Please note that the petition can be signed by anyone, not just U.S. citizens. When registering from outside the U.S., just leave the "zip code" section blank. Good luck, and thanks for the support!