Posted on 05/31/2003 9:32:52 AM PDT by kAcknor
Amnesty International?s executive director says Washington?s war against Al Qaeda has dealt a severe blow to human rights worldwide
By Brian Braiker
NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE
May 29 -- The "war on terror" ensured that 2002 was a good year for political repression, arbitrary detentions, draconian immigration measures and torture, according to Amnesty International's annual report, released this week.
THE LONDON-BASED international human-rights watchdog made its fiercest assault yet on the policies pursued by the United States and Britain since the attacks of September 11, 2001. According to the report, the U.S.-led antiterror campaign has done more to harm human rights worldwide than to protect people - partly because other governments have been using it as a pretext to erode basic principles of international humanitarian law within their own borders by cracking down on political dissidents, arbitrarily detaining residents and introducing discriminatory emergency measures affecting asylum seekers.
The report specifically accuses the United States of detaining more than 600 prisoners without trial in Guantanamo Bay, clamping down on suspect foreign nationals on the American mainland and either turning a blind eye to, or directly participating in, repression and torture in other countries. It also criticizes President George W. Bush for not cooperating with the International Criminal Court in investigations or prosecutions of American citizens. The report concludes that the war on terror has also had the effect of distracting the international community from grave human rights crises in Africa and South America.
William Schulz, Amnesty International's executive director, recently spoke with NEWSWEEK's Brian Braiker about his organization's report.
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(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.com ...
Major Hurl.
Amnesty International's complaining about "more than 600 prisoners without trial in Guantanamo Bay" is little more than an excuse to bash the U.S. If we tried them, they would complain about that! The ONLY goal is to see everyone out of prison for everything, everywhere. In lieu of that, prisons have to be little more than country-club vacation spots.
A quote of William Schulz: "We believe that protecting human rights is one of the best ways to stop terrorism."
Huh huh, and we believe that putting terrorists in jail is also a 'best' way.
"batIhHa' vanglu'taHvIS quv chavbe'lu'" (One does not achieve honor while acting dishonorably.)
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