U.N. Officials Seek Guantanamo Bay Visit

AP on Yahoo ^ | 6/23/05 | Bradey S. Klapper - AP

[NormsRevenge]

GENEVA - U.N. human rights investigators, citing "persistent and credible" reports of torture at the U.S. base in Guantanamo Bay, urged the United States on Thursday to allow them to check conditions there.

The failure of the United States to respond to requests since early 2002 is leading the experts to conclude Washington has something to hide at the Cuban base, said Manfred Nowak, a specialist on torture and a professor of human rights law in Vienna, Austria.

"At a certain point, you have to take well-founded allegations as proven in the absence of a clear explanation by the government," Nowak said.

However, he added: "We are not making a judgment if torture or treatment under degrading conditions has taken place."

Washington's response is delayed because the U.S. review process is "thorough and independent" and involves the Bush administration, Congress and the judicial system, said Brooks Robinson, spokeswoman for the U.S. mission to U.N. offices in Geneva.

"The main point is that their request is being addressed and discussed and reviewed in the United States," Robinson told The Associated Press. "That process is underway."

But one investigator, Algerian magistrate Leila Zerrougui, said: "The time is up. We have to act now. If not, we won't have any credibility left."

For more than three years, U.N. investigators have made numerous requests to visit foreign terror suspects at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba and at U.S. facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, the four independent specialists told reporters.

"We deeply regret that the government of the United States has still not invited us to visit those persons arrested, detained or tried on grounds of alleged terrorism or other violations," the experts said.

The four, who report to U.N. bodies on different human rights issues, are appointed to their three-year terms by the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission, the global body's top rights watchdog. They are unpaid for their work, although their expenses are paid.

The United States has criticized the commission because its members include countries with tyrannical governments and poor human rights records, but the experts operate autonomously, often reproaching their own countries and others in the commission.

The four cited "information, from reliable sources, of serious allegations of torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees, arbitrary detention, violations of their right to health and their due process rights.

"Many of these allegations have come to light through declassified (U.S.) government documents," the statement said.

U.S. officials have consistently denied violating the principle of humane treatment of detainees in the war on terror, and Robinson noted that American policy "prohibits and condemns torture."

"American personnel are required to follow this policy and applicable law," she said. "Credible allegations of illegal conduct by U.S. personnel are taken seriously and investigated."

The specialists said they had yet to hear back from Washington on their latest request — made a year ago and renewed in mid-April — to visit the detention facility.

In an April meeting, U.S. officials refused to guarantee the right to speak to detainees in private — an "absolute precondition" for such a visit, Nowak said.

Paul Hunt, a law professor from New Zealand who monitors physical and mental health of detainees, said he wanted to investigate "persistent and credible reports" of alleged violations in person.

"Reportedly medical staff have assisted in the design of interrogation strategies, including sleep deprivation and other coercive interrogation methods," Hunt said.

The experts said they decided to express their misgivings because "the lack of a definitive answer despite repeated requests suggests that the United States is not willing to cooperate with the United Nations human rights machinery on this issue."

"We are all worried about this situation," said Argentinian jurist Leandro Despouy, specialist on the independence of judges and lawyers.

U.S. officials so far have allowed only the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees at Guantanamo, which started being used as a detention center for terror suspects allegedly linked to the Taliban and al-Qaida after the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001.

The ICRC keeps its findings confidential, reporting them solely to the detaining power, although some of the reports have been leaked by what the ICRC terms third parties.

The U.N. experts would be expected to make a public report.

Nowak worked in the 1990s as U.N.-appointed expert on missing persons in the former Yugoslavia. He also has served as a judge at the Human Rights Chamber for Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.

As a U.N. expert on arbitrary detention, Zerrougui has previously criticized China for its policies in Tibet, Nepal for its treatment of journalists and others, and Russia for its anti-terrorism measures.

Hunt has been in his post since 2002. Before that, he reported to the U.N. as a special expert on human rights and poverty issues.

Despouy is a former Argentinian ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva who chaired the Human Rights Commission in 2001. He also served as a U.N. expert on extreme poverty in the 1990s.

[NormsRevenge]

Austria's Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, speaks about a request to the U.S. goverment to visit the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, June 23, 2005. The U.N. human rights experts seeking to visit the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay said Thursday they have reliable accounts of torture of suspected terror detainees being held there. The four experts said the United States had not responded to their numerous requests to check on the conditions of terror suspects at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba. (AP Photo/Keystone, Martial Trezzini)

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He kinda has the Bolton look thing goin' on, imo.

[Dashing Dasher]

This is so ridiculous!

The UN has outlived it's usefulness and must be destroyed.

[frogjerk]

U.N. Officials Seek Guantanamo Bay Visit

I know two certain officials who should get one way trips to Gitmo, Kofi and Kojo...

[pikachu]

I can just picture some Euro-peon metrao-sexual screamin in disgust, "All the pasta is not al dente! You Bastards!"

[NormsRevenge]

Algerian Leila Zerrougui, Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, left, and Argentinean Leandro Despouy, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, right, speak about their request to the U.S. government to visit the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, Thursday, June 23, 2005. The U.N. human rights experts seeking to visit the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay said Thursday they have reliable accounts of torture of suspected terror detainees being held there. The four experts said the United States had not responded to their numerous requests to check on the conditions of terror suspects at the U.S. Naval base in Cuba. (AP Photo/Keystone, Martial Trezzini)

[Sacajaweau]

I believe the Red Cross has interviewed every captive in Quantanamo.

[oolatec]

Why don't they push North Korea/Iran/China etc. to allow them to visit their prisons?

[Sacajaweau]

Pretty soon, your local PTA will be looking for a free trip to Quantanamo. Of course, they'll go during winter so they can get a tan.

[sheik yerbouty]

Give them their own cell, and make sure they have some fetid panties to use as hats..

[Dashing Dasher]

Twice.

Plus, the Amnesty International Twerps and now the Friggin' UN.

Hey, UN - swing by Africa and help those people and leave the murdering thugs at GTMO alone! We've got them covered!

[epluribus_2]

this is about Kofi-gate.

[roses of sharon]

The UN wants to visit their brothers in Gitmo? What for, a jail break?

[Logical me]

Close the base to all, I mean all, investigated bodies. Can't be any worst if we pointed a machine gun at these a@@holes that come to the gate and refuse their entry. They will lie anyway.

[lilylangtree]

Wish the US would tell the UN to take their request and shove it in the Sudan.

[Gaffer]

They can visit when Kofi resigns.

[Sax]

Impotent organizations in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

How about the rampant rape and murder charges levied against UN forces in Africa. Against civilian, adolescent girls, NOT previously-armed enemy combatants.

Also, remember: "Desperate 'one-dollar girls' exploited by U.N. forces in Congo"

Before pushing your snoot our way, clean up your own messes.

[crazyhorse691]

"At a certain point, you have to take well-founded allegations as proven in the absence of a clear explanation by the government," Nowak said.

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And that statement is the reason why the UN commission should be told to set sail for Atlantis. Clear concise explanations and the guidelines used have been provided, but, the loonies just know that the "victims" would not lie.

[siunevada]

you have to take well-founded allegations as proven

If you get some that are 'well founded', feel free to contact us.

I mean, you wouldn't want to go check out Zimbabwe or somewhere that's, like, actually dangerous. Better to slap the US with wet noodles.

[siunevada]

"The time is up. We have to act now. If not, we won't have any credibility left."

Oh, Leila! That train left the station a long time ago.