"We Won't Torture." Trust us.
You may recall the plight of Sameh Khouzam: he fled Egypt in 1998 to avoid torture for being a Christian. Last summer, the U.S. government was ready to deport him back to Egypt, after assuring Khouzam that it received a "diplomatic assurance" from the Egyptian government that it would not torture him upon his return. So despite a federal court's finding that he would likely be tortured back in Egypt, a deportation date was set. The ACLU stepped in on Khouzam’s behalf, and secured a stay of his deportation.
Since then, we've learned a lot about our government's turn-a-blind-eye approach towards torture. Today we made public documents responsive to a July 2006 Freedom of Information Act request for information about this country's compliance with domestic law and international agreements — such as the Convention Against Torture (CAT) — that prohibit the transfer of individuals to countries where they face a substantial risk of torture.
The documents paint a pretty ugly picture.
First, you have to know that diplomatic assurances are like secret handshakes between countries. In fact, until now we’ve had to take our government's word for it that they even exist, because the State Department insists that these "assurances" are kept secret.
Case in point: the memos (PDF) between high-level State Department officials and Indian diplomats regarding the extradition of Sikh separatist Kulbir Singh Barapind. In the memo, Deputy Secretary of State John Bellinger states, “There is no doubt that torture generally remains a problem for Indian law enforcement.” Despite this, the U.S. government extradited Barapind in 2006 based on, you guessed it, diplomatic assurances from the Indian government that he would not be tortured upon his return.
The CAT prohibits the U.S. from transferring a person "to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that he would be in danger of being subjected to torture." The United States signed CAT in 1988 and ratified the treaty in 1994. Despite this and our own domestic laws against torture, the U.S. has deported people based on diplomatic assurances from Syria, India, Egypt, Romania and Mexico. And those are just the ones we know about.
After the past eight years, this is surely a pot-calling-the-kettle-black scenario. But despite our own government's dark history of torture, it doesn't mean we still can't hold it accountable. Scott Horton wrote of torture in the December issue of Harpers: "Open criminality is a cancer on democracy. It implicates all who know of the conduct and fail to act."
Nov 18th, 2008 at 8:07pm
You might recall the plight of Aafia Siddiqui, or maybe you might not, since despite attempts to bring it to your attention, and despite it being in the news, and despite the other human rights organizations that have sporadically shown some concern, you have never indicated that you have ever heard the name before.
Well, today she was ruled unfit to stand trial, a trial that convenes under dubious circumstances in the first place, since her "extradition" to the U.S. was, shall we say, in the manner of PDD-39 -- an extraordinary rendition. And the charges are a little strange, and no doubt since there are not Ghazni police around to testify, they are perhaps better insulated from ridicule than the Jessica Lynch story.
And her lawyer filed an affidavit months ago in U.S. District Court alleging that she had been tortured and held incommunicado by the U.S. or by persons under U.S. control. Her symptoms are consistent with extreme isolation and abuse, but what of it? We only signed that treaty you mentioned above, the one that says we are required to investigate, prosecute, punish, and make reparations for torture.
Oh, well, if recent history is any indication, the ACLU simply isn't interested in her case, although its regarded as the tip of an iceberg into very insidious practices by the U.S. including possible state use of rape and keeping children in inhumane custody as a threat to their parents.
So tomorrow, she'll have another in absentia court non-appearance, this time to determine whether she is to be ordered medicated by the government so she can stand trial, while claims of government criminality go totally unexamined, uninvestigated, and unprosecuted.
No interest from the ACLU. After all, bloggers who are interested, get arrested and held without bail (Tariq Mahanna) on two year old lying to the FBI charges. As we have seen, Karl Rove can lie to the FBI and retain a top security clearance. Other people, American citizens with no prior criminal record, get held without bail. Must have something to do with being devout Muslims. No civil liberties issues to be seen here, move on.
I'm sorry to rant, but what would it have cost to just SAY something?
Nov 18th, 2008 at 8:56pm
Hate the tele-fund raising by ACLU - why doesn't ACLU follow the do-not-call list?
Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:40pm
In 2003, Iran proposed negotiations with the United States with
everything on the table, including its nuclear energy technology.
President Bush refused. Last month, Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad visited New York and expressed support for peaceful
relations with the United States and for a two-state solution in Palestine.
The two major candidates for president of the United States refused to
commit to not aggressively attacking Iran. One of them excited his
supporters by singing "Bomb bomb bomb bomb bomb Iran." But he lost, and
President-Elect Obama already yesterday sat down and met without
preconditions with an unpopular aggressive world leader, George W. Bush
-- apparently without dire consequences. Surely he can meet with
Ahmadinejad.
Say goodbye to any chance or hope for peace in the Middle East, with Israel and AIPAC calling the shots. There will be more wars and to to get the juices flowing, also say goodbye to some mid-size American city, that will come under attack by elements of the Jewish intelligence group and hotbed of assassins, the MOSSAD and by elements in our own government that helped Israel pull off the false-flag of 9/11.
Say goodnight, America as you are no longer the United States of America but the "United States of Israel."
Part of the congressional oath of office is ensuring accountability and oversight.
“The First Cost of World Empire Will Be Our Own Freedoms".
DO NOT ALLOW SUCH GOVERNMENT AGAIN;
STAY INVOLVED.
CHALLENGE: Help market these books to inform the public of the crisis we face. Such foreign influence on American business & government as a whole, gives us less, integrity, quality, and value for our dollar. We have
allowed out-sourcing to such a degree our moral
values, true faith, and ethics have also been out-sourced along with everything else.
We will not let anyone forget the last eight years and the mess the Republicans made of our Country. Never forget the corruption and hyprocracy of "Republican"..by what influence?
STAY INFORMED: PLEASE READ.
What is the "American Revolution" all about?
Who, what, where, when, why!!
For the facts read, read and comprehend: (Help promote the information)
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DECEPTION. ID# 53223
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Barack Obama is an extraordinary gift to America and the world. Through compassion, intelligence, and hard work, he has overcome the enormous obstacles of race and lack of wealth. He is an inspiration to us all.
In just two years, he has built a movement unlike any in history. Unite in support of America and all Americans, keep the organization together, but hold all officials accountable to us, not to special or foreign interest.
No. 1 Issue in 2008 Elections: The Constitution, and seperation of Church & State.
Church: Where racism and prejudices are the largest & strongest,why?
United States Policy and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Engaging Elected Officials for an End to Military Aid and a Just Foreign Policy
Challenging Mainstream Discourse in Your Local Media
Faith-Based Organizing: Raising Voices of Conscience in Faith Communities
Coalition Building in Diverse Communities
A Civil Society Response to Apartheid: Campaigning for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions
WHERE DID OUR GOLD GO?
Soapbox Alert Enter Your Zip Code:
Media will not comment
No one does, why?
MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!!
Fort Knox is or near EMPTY!!
In the 1970's a very courageous gentleman named Edward Durrell claimed that substantially all of the US Gold Reserve being stored at Ft. Knox was gone.
No mainstream US newspaper dared to publish Mr. Durrell's allegations.
He claimed that a proper audit of the Gold reserve had not been made since the late 1950's during the Eisenhower administration. True to this date.
The reason? The US Treasury said it was unnecessary 'because everyone knew that the Gold was still in Ft. Knox'.Do you believe any of them.
Mr. James Turk to officials:
Why doesn't the Treasury complete an audit, thereby putting the rumors to rest? Is the Gold in Ft. Knox or not? We have a right to know.None done from 1950's, questioned in the 1970's, questioned in the 1990's,questioned now after another secret administration, no reply from any officials, we need a complete audit, with third party involvement.
We the American People now ask:
Candidates, what will your answer be to this question? We know the GOLD is missing, where is it, why, and what is being done to correct it??
Ask Allen Greenspan about it all while you still can!!
Is it true that Treasury Department policy states that a proper audit will not be undertaken because the cost of an audit is considered to be unnecessary? If so, please explain why this expenditure, even if it were to cost a few million dollars, is unnecessary in view of the fact that it would ensure the safety of an asset that not only is of key importance, but is also worth about $212 billion at current market prices.
Of course the media will not ask any questions, their bosses most likely know.
Fort Knox is or near EMPTY!!
Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:48pm
What have we become ? Let's take back
our Country ! http://www.wisecountyissues.com
Nov 18th, 2008 at 10:08pm
I hope the Obama administration will ask Congress to ratify US membership in the International Criminal Court at The Hague. President Clinton did not want to join the court, and signed an executive order only when he could expect President Bush to reverse it. I think it would be too politically charged for the USDOJ to investigate and possible prosecute Bush/Cheney administration officials for crimes against humanity, and that it would be better for the USA to cede jurisdiction on this matter to the International Court.
Nov 18th, 2008 at 11:46pm
To whom it may concern. We must not detain Mexicans in the Federal Eloy detention center without due process if this person has a green card. A new dangerous law was passed in January 2008. If a Mexican committed a crime and have paid the fines and completed probation and was given due process the first time. You must not make them pay again for the same crime. We are using torture on our own soil to force the Mexicans to sign deportation papers. Everyone makes a mistake once in America. Nobody is perfect. The laws are so harsh now days for everyone. Our prisons are over crowded. Please stop this abuse of power.
Nov 19th, 2008 at 10:50am
I still get shocked and amazed every time I think of the United States - the beacon of democracy - and her involvement in torture.
http://www.ryanhartman.wordpress.com
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