Posted on 07/28/2006 10:50:17 AM PDT by SF Republican
The United States must better protect poor people and African-Americans in natural disasters to avoid problems like those after Hurricane Katrina, a U.N. human rights panel said Friday.
The U.N. Human Rights Committee said poor and black Americans were "disadvantaged" after Katrina, and the U.S. should work harder to ensure that their rights "are fully taken into consideration in the reconstruction plans with regard to access to housing, education and health care."
The United States said federal and Louisiana state authorities were examining many of the issues raised by the committee.
The U.N. panel said it wants to be informed of the results of inquiries into the alleged failure to evacuate inmates from a prison, and into allegations that authorities did not allow New Orleans residents to cross a bridge into Gretna, La.
It offered no further specifics about problems it found with the Katrina response, or possible solutions.
"I think the president and everyone in the United States said that Katrina was something that no one was entirely prepared for and it did raise huge challenges for the United States," said Robert Harris, of the office of the Legal Adviser of the U.S. State Department. "We're looking at a large list of lessons from Katrina and trying to make sure that the next time, God forbid something like that happens, we are better prepared."
The panel of 18 independent experts, which reviews the practices of the 156 countries who have ratified the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, said it was concerned about information that blacks and poor people "were disadvantaged by the rescue and evacuation plans implemented when Hurricane Katrina hit."
Criticism by the panel brings no penalties beyond international scrutiny.
The Katrina findings comprised two paragraphs in a 12-page release of findings that also included recommendations on U.S. policies in the war on terror.
The U.S. mission to the U.N.'s European headquarters in Geneva criticized the committee's examination of many issues it said were outside the scope of its mandate, particularly dealing with the war on terrorism.
But on domestic issues, it said "the committee has made recommendations in matters under its competence, including efforts to address race and sex discrimination, capital punishment, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and voting rights."
The committee also addressed reports of de facto racial segregation in public schools.
(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)
Maybe, but, Souter is hot on her heels. I see the un, international law and the icc as branches from the same tree. Right or wrong, that's my opinion.
Bush needs to appoint another conservative to the bench, I most assuredly agree.
We can only hope...the Republicans should force the nominee through, implementing a USSC case to once and for all remove the filibuster from the nomination process in the Senate, where the Minority blocks candidates regularly.
The Republican party today has NO CAHONES; they cave in to the Liberal activists, politicians, and the polls day after day. Until they confront the enemies of this country and its Constitution (the Democrats and their socialist agenda), we will be beyond the point of no return to America as we know it, if we haven't passed that point already........
Damn, ain't that the cold hard truth.
Sorry it took me so long, I was sesarching for a bookmarked article on Souter, here it it. It's Sosa-v-Alvarez.
http://www.nationalreview.com/adler/adler200407210842.asp
[snip]
While the spirit of Souter's opinion is quite restrictive, there is little doubt that some lower courts — and many academics — will see the opinion as a green light to keep trying to bring ATS claims for all sorts of alleged international injustices. International-law professors and human-rights activists are already highlighting language in Souter's opinion that seems to embrace some of the reasoning underlying several lower-court decisions allowing various ATS suits to go forward. The first such suits in federal courts were brought by foreign citizens against foreign officials alleging severe human-rights abuses overseas, such as torture and mass atrocities. More recently, human-rights and environmental activists have brought suits on behalf of foreign nationals against multinational corporations for their alleged complicity in the rights abuses of foreign regimes. In one suit, for example, U.S. plaintiffs' attorneys are suing corporations that did business with South Africa's Apartheid government, alleging these companies were complicit in the regime's human rights abuses — and that only a whopping tort settlement in a U.S. court can right the wrong.
A toe in the door?
I can't beleive we're still paying millions for that bunch of bloated, bumbling , pompous assh*les to occupy prime real estate in NYC.
Maybe we can get the IDF to "deliberately target" UN headquarters.
Oh, my achin' head........
well, they're right .. next time there's an earthquake or tsuname or flood or famine anywhere else in the world, instead of sending aid there, Uncle Sam should write a check to our indigenous poor.
Yup, the usual suspects...judicial activism is thriving.
Whenever these "agrieved parties" are "made whole", the taxpayers' and/or consumers' pockets are emptied, and the Lawyers' pockets are filled....
Agreed. Always the same crowd.
Whenever these "agrieved parties" are "made whole", the taxpayers' and/or consumers' pockets are emptied, and the Lawyers' pockets are filled....
You hit the nail on the head.
This is a good article about Bolton and International law. What worries me is, who'll come after him? How that man can stay in the same room with those scallywags is beyond me. Will they be as pro-American as he, or will a kerryesque type be our Ambassador after he leaves? I guess only the shadow knows....
For the UN, time is short. Especially if the muslims in this Country "start anything". Once the citizens of this nation become armed in defense of itself, and war reaches these shores....I see the UN as a casualty.
I should have added a caution and barf alert to that site. You might need a bath after leaving there. Just focus on the message not the messenger. :-)
If only we had a UN Katrina Resolution...
I wish Bolton could be a permanent fixture there until we can figure a way to get rid of that den of socialist, leftist, marxist, communists and any other 'ist' you can think of.
The UN can take their opinions and stick 'em where the sun don't shine!
Katrina affected only blacks??? How did I not know that???
Thanks, UN, for this information!
I wish my two RINO Senators (DeWhiner and Voinovich) were like John Bolton, too ! A few "John Bolton's" in the Senate on the Republican side would help immensely...
You probably didn't know John Effin Kerry served in Viet Nam, too, right?
54---yea
Did not vote---12
Voted nay---369
My Senators are Mary Landrieu (i feel your pain) and David Vitter. We here thank God for him.
One outa two is good....we in Ohio are batting zero on Senators, but I'll be damned if I'll vote for a Democrat..
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