Many of the countries highlighted in this report have absolutely abysmal records of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of detainees. The United States government must do all it can to end the global culture of torture. But real change can only occur if the Bush Administration not only admits that its own policies perpetuate torture and ill treatment, but also cleans house and stops warehousing detainees in countries with shameful human rights records. |
Not only has the Iraqi government failed to provide minimal protection for its citizens, it has actively pursued a policy of rounding up and torturing innocent men and women. Its failure to punish those who have committed acts of torture has added to the breakdown of the rule of law and to spiraling human rights violations in Iraq. |
Only the deployment of sufficient numbers of troops with logistical support by UN member states will provide the protection that the civilians so desperately need. |
The deployment of UN troops clearly has deterred vicious attacks on civilians. In those areas where a UN presence is still lacking, chaos and lawlessness reign, despite promises made at the signing of the peace agreement. |
The men's captors worked very hard to conceal every aspect of detention but our research assessing information about climate, prayer schedules and flight times suggests that these men may have been held in Eastern Europe or Central Asia. |
The possibility of blanket immunity for those who willfully rape, loot and murder in the course of the civil war demonstrates a total disregard for human rights and would be an outrage for civilians who endured such cruelty. |
The Security Council should not only explicitly reiterate that there can be no impunity for crimes under international law, but also must decide on concrete action to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice. |
The White House has dodged the truth about torture for too long. With reports of torture in the news virtually every day, it is imperative the president and all in his administration end the secrecy and end the torture. This campaign will allow thousands of Americans to demand that torture in our names is not committed again and insist that the president speak the truth in his State of the Union address about this heinous crime. |
This report by the U.S. government provides a thorough review of today's human rights practices around the globe, except for one glaring omission -- its own record. The United States government considers itself a moral leader on human rights issues, but its record of indefinite and arbitrary detentions, secret 'black sites' and outsourced torture in the 'war on terror' turns it from leader to human rights violator. |