UN suspects secret U.S. terrorist prisons

[Benal]

I thought this was an interesting article. Comments?

UN suspects secret U.S. terrorist prisons
Jun. 29, 2005. 02:20 PM

'Undeclared holding areas' could include navy ships in international waters, torture expert says

ASSOCIATED PRESS

VIENNA — UN human rights experts have started an investigation into U.S. detention facilities for terrorist suspects amid allegations that there are secret prisons, one of the project leaders said today.

Manfred Nowak, the UN's special expert on torture, said some undeclared holding areas could include U.S. navy ships in international waters. He said there were "serious" allegations to that effect from Amnesty International and other non-governmental human rights groups.

"I have heard these rumours and we have to follow them up," he told The Associated Press, urging Washington to co-operate with the investigation.

Officials at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in Vienna refused to comment.

Asked about the investigation, U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said: "I think that Mr. Nowak himself said that these allegations are based on rumours. And I have no information that would substantiate those rumours."

Nowak, a Vienna law professor, is one of several independent human rights experts appointed by the 53-country UN Human Rights Commission, the United Nations' top rights watchdog.

Nowak, who also reports to the UN General Assembly, has great autonomy in deciding what to investigate and did not need to seek outside approval in launching the inquiry into U.S. detention practices and locations.

The United States has criticized the commission because its members include countries with poor human rights records. But the experts operate independently and sometimes reproach their own countries for violations.

Jose Diaz, spokesman for Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and a former Supreme Court of Canada justice, said Nowak had "great authority in investigating suspected abuses."

"Our long-standing position is that we encourage countries to co-operate with the special rapporteurs of the commission," said Diaz. "Their dialogue with the U.S. should continue so that they (the investigators) can be allowed to carry out their work."

Nowak said he and three fellow experts decided last week to launch the inquiry without waiting for assurances of U.S. co-operation after holding off for more than three years in hopes Washington would give members access to Guantanamo Bay and other facilities holding suspected terrorists.

Nowak expressed disappointment at a lack of U.S. response. Still, he said, he was assured after recent high-level meetings with U.S. officials that the request to visit Guantanamo Bay was "being given highest consideration at the top level of the State Department (and) the Pentagon."

He said that the four-member team also would like to visit Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and other U.S.-run sites known to hold terrorist suspects.

The team also wants to trace allegations of clandestine prisons — including reports of detainees being held on U.S. navy ships in extraterritorial waters in the Indian Ocean and elsewhere.

Nowak said team members had begun interviewing former suspects held and subsequently released by U.S. authorities in efforts to establish conditions in the prisons and their exact locations.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

Those who reelected Bush and supports the current version of War on Terror paves the road for the fascistminded republican hawks (Rumsfeld etc.) to continue/ increase their human rights abuses.

If these accusations are true or not, I don't know; but I hope more Republicans soon will step up and protest that somebody uses the Republican Party as a stage for introducing fascism in one of the world's largest democracies; something I believe true Republicans are strongly against.

[kurto]

I have no idea the likelihood of this would be. I just noted:
[ QUOTE ]
urging Washington to co-operate with the investigation.

Officials at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in Vienna refused to comment.


[/ QUOTE ]

If the US was doing this, no amount of urging is going to lead to the US cooperating.

Clearly if there are 'secret' torture sites, they're not going to share that with the world. That's the key to the word 'secret.' [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[kurto]

Your energy is better spent just hoping the allegations are just false.

Because this: "but I hope more Republicans soon will step up and protest that somebody uses the Republican Party as a stage for introducing fascism in one of the world's largest democracies; something I believe true Republicans are strongly against" is pretty unlikely from what I've seen thus far. You're more likely to see them thinking that secret torture sites is a great idea. remember,... "these are terrorists (whether that's been proven or not) and deserve to be tortured."

and when It was pointed out a likely-innocent cab driver was tortured to death... some were like, 'sh*t happens'.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

I guess their grandchildren will be proud of them when China imprisons and kills all American businessmen there in 2080 since they might be anti-chinese.

What goes around, comes around.

[lehighguy]

That will probably happen anyway regardless of what actions the US takes. Nevertheless, we shouldn't stoop to thier level.

[Arnfinn Madsen]

Who knows if it will happen or not. Probably unlikely.

My point is that US' power is fading and it will be their children and grandchildren that will suffer for the lack of sympathi with Americans. WTF should I or my children or grandchildren care to support Americans against human rights abuses when basically what other countries did was to follow America's example?

[BCPVP]

Why is the U.N. bending over backwards to chase rumors of abuse in the U.S. when there are genuine, substantiated instances of abuse around the world?

[Arnfinn Madsen]

This whole US-UN fight has become a bit childlish, both US and UN behaviour.

[Benal]

[ QUOTE ]
Why is the U.N. bending over backwards to chase rumors of abuse in the U.S. when there are genuine, substantiated instances of abuse around the world?

[/ QUOTE ]

The words Lies and Hypocrisy come to mind...