Posted on 04/25/2002 3:02:20 PM PDT by knighthawk
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) The European Union Parliament urged the United States on Thursday to adhere to international laws in its treatment of Taliban and al-Qaida suspects detained at the U.S. naval base of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.
The European Parliament voted 439 to 10, with 59 abstentions to pass its annual world human rights report, which highlighted the threats to individual rights in the war against terrorism.
While condemning all forms of terrorism, the EU assembly said in a statement ``terrorism must not in itself lead to breaches of human rights.''
``The fight against terrorism can in turn lead to human rights violations, be used as a pretext for governments to violate human rights, silence critics or eliminate opposition,'' the parliament said.
It criticized a decision by President Bush to set up military-run courts behind closed doors to try the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, who now number 300. The legislature said such a move was ``in contravention of provisions for a fair trial as guaranteed by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the U.S. is a party.''
The parliament also demanded U.S. officials seek to give the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay prisoner-of-war status, and provide international reassurances that those charged will be given a fair trial.
The EU report said ``waving the anti-terrorism banner'' was being used to justify repression in the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and also cited Russia's ongoing military campaign in Chechnya, China's actions against Xinjiang Muslim separatists and media repression in Zimbabwe.
``In the name of a military victory, Western countries tend to abandon their values by turning a blind eye to human rights abuses perpetrated by some of their new allies in the fight against terrorism,'' the report said.
The assembly also called on EU governments to put human rights considerations into all their relations with other countries. It specifically called for the EU to draft a list of countries that violate international child labor laws and called on them to introduce a joint position on fighting child prostitution.
The UN and EU are unconcerned about protecting African children from Arab slavers.
The UN and EU are unconcerned about assaults on Jews and Americans in Europe.
The UN and EU are unconcerned about Mad Cow disease which the EU created and is spreading worldwide.
What the EU and UN ARE CONCERNED ABOUT is protecting their source of terrorist spittle
which is becoming an endangered resource in their sick minds.
Proof: They enjoy partaking in Arafat passing his illness (retrovirus,?Mad Cow Disease) to EU officials and Annan
who regard it an honor to drink sputum directly from the mouth of terrorist Arafat.
The truly bad news is the Bush Administration's vacillating from it's original so-called doctrine to annihilate all terrorists -- apparently the back-room NWO ministers had a word or two with him...
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