Amnesty International: the victims of the USA's 'war on terror'
Regional-USA, Politics, 5/17/2005

Amnesty International presented a report updating its concerns around the USA's detentions in the context of the "war on terror," and US efforts to either ignore, subvert or create new laws that are not in line and sacrifice human rights standards in this so-called war.

The report details how "hypocrisy, an over-arching war mentality, and a refusal to adhere to international obligations continue to characterize the US administration's approach to detentions in the 'war on terror.'"

Amnesty International said: A year after the Abu Ghraib torture scandal broke, the conditions remain in place for torture and ill-treatment in US custody to occur. While the US government is pursuing a public relations exercise to persuade the world that what the Abu Ghraib photographs revealed was a small problem that has now been fixed, thousands of detainees in US custody in Iraq, Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay, and secret locations elsewhere remain at risk of torture or ill-treatment. This is because of the USA's continuing pick and choose approach to international law and standards, and the systematic use of incommunicado detention and denial of judicial review, a basic safeguard against arbitrary detention, torture and "disappearance."

Amnesty International added: More than a year after the United States Supreme Court ruled that the US courts have the jurisdiction to consider appeals from the detainees held in the US Naval Base in Guant‡namo Bay in Cuba, not a single detainee held there has had the lawfulness of his detention judicially reviewed. The report describes how the US administration is continuing to seek to block such review every step of the way, or at least to keep it as far from a judicial process as possible.

Amnesty International said: Evidence of torture and other ill-treatment by US forces continues to mount. To date, not a single US agent has been charged under the USA's Anti-Torture Act or War Crimes Act. While a few, mainly low-ranking soldiers have been tried by court-martial and others subjected to non-judicial or administrative sanctions, no member of the US administration has been subjected to independent investigative scrutiny, despite evidence that human rights violations have been authorized, and evidence that there was a high-level conspiracy to give immunity from prosecution to US agents accused of torture or war crimes. The report also contains Amnesty International's initial response to the US Government's report to the United Nations Committee against Torture, submitted on 6 May 2005. Amnesty also further examines the USA's official investigations into abuses, as well as recent revelations relating to deaths in custody.

The report said: Amnesty International continues to call for the US Congress to set up a full independent commission of inquiry into all the USA's "war on terror" detention and interrogation policies and practices, including its involvement in secret transfers of detainees. It is also calling on the US Attorney General to appoint an independent Special Counsel from outside the Justice Department to conduct a criminal investigation into any administration officials against whom there is evidence of involvement in crimes in the "war on terror," including "disappearances," extrajudicial executions, and torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

Also, Amnesty International said "Hypocrisy, an overarching war mentality and a disregard for basic human rights principles and international legal obligations continue to mark the USA's 'war on terror'. Serious human rights violations are the inevitable result.
The detention camp at the US Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has become a symbol of the US administration's refusal to put human rights and the rule of law at the heart of its response to the atrocities of 11 September 2001. Hundreds of people of around 35 different nationalities remain held in effect in a legal black hole, many without access to any court, legal counsel or family visits. As evidence of torture and widespread cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment mounts, it is more urgent than ever that the US Government bring the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and any other facilities it is operating outside the USA into full compliance with international law and standards. The only alternative is to close them down."

Previous Stories:
  War on terrorism requires advance of freedom, Bush says   (3/9/2005)
  Defense lashes out at US treatment of Moroccan former Guantanamo detainees   (2/9/2005)
  Too many mistakes are being committed during the global war against terrorism, al-Shara   (9/28/2004)
  US: No Policy of abuse at Abu Ghraib; direct responsibility up to the brigade level   (8/26/2004)
  US Supreme Court rules on detention of enemy combatants   (6/29/2004)
  Bush likens war on terror to World War Two, Cold War   (6/3/2004)
  New York Times: White House strips those accused of terrorism of any due process   (10/11/2003)
  US court decision on terror detainees sets 'dangerous precedent', UN rights expert   (3/13/2003)
  Annan:'collateral damage' of war terrorism on human rights   (1/21/2003)

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