Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Human Rights Watch urges US to investigate George Bush for torture

One of the world's leading rights organizations, Human Rights Watch, published a report on 12 July 2011 in which the organization urged US president Barack Obama to "... begin a criminal investigation into US government detention practices" under the Bush administration.

It is known that the Bush administration authorized the commission of widespread and systematic acts of torture against detainees in US custody. The administration allegedly authorized the abduction and transfer of individuals suspected of terrorism to countries where they were tortured.

Perpetrators of torture, more often than not, try to distance themselves from allegations of torture and deny it happened under their watch, but George W. Bush makes no secret of his involvement in "enhanced interrogation techniques" that violate basic human rights and international law.

In a controversial interview in 2010, W. Bush, 43rd president of the US, admitted he authorized torture and attempted to justify torture and other cruel practices exacted against detainees in US custody.

The 107-page report by Human Rights Watch exposes torture in US counter terrorism operations, including the CIA Detention Program and the CIA Rendition Program. The report shines light on the role of four key US officials:
  • Former president, George W. Bush.
  • Former Vice President, Dick Cheney.
  • Former Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld.
  • Former CIA Director, George Tenet.
Human Rights Watch believes there is enough evidence to launch a criminal investigation and prosecute the above officials for torture and ill-treatment of detainees. 

The US has signed the UN Convention Against Torture and has a legal, as well as moral, obligation to investigate and prosecute acts of torture, cruel and inhuman practices. Failure to carry out an impartial investigation into state-sponsored torture under the Bush administration weakens the voice of the US in international human rights discourse.

Some torture techniques cited in the report include waterboarding, stress positions, light and noise bombardment, near suffocation, sleep deprivation, hooding during questioning, use of detainees' phobias, "short shackling."

In the report (page 58-59), Human Rights Watch points out that the US has criticized other countries, including Burma, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran and Libya for using the above techniques against individuals in custody.

You are encouraged to read the detailed report by Human Rights Watch, "Getting Away with Torture: The Bush Administration and Mistreatment of Detainees." 

An opinion piece published on the Washington Post, titled "The books aren't closed on Bush's torture policy," written by the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch is also worth reading.

*Photo of George W. Bush. Source: myclassiclyrics.com.


1 comment:

  1. i hope this happens.though chances seem bleak.eveybody laughs at how he always makes a point of making a fool of himself.but this is the man who has committed horrible crimes in the name of "justice".

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