Recently, in a Washington Post op-ed, Mark Danner wrote: "However much we would like the [torture] scandal to be confined to the story of what was done in those isolated rooms on the other side of the world where interrogators plied their arts, and in the air-conditioned government offices where officials devised ‘legal’ rationales, the …
Continue reading “Kiss the Era of Human Rights Goodbye”
While human rights and open-government groups are generally pleased with President Barack Obama’s rhetoric during his first 100 days, some are skeptical that he will deliver on his promises. Caroline Fredrickson, head of the Washington Legislative Office for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), told IPS that Obama’s first 100 days "are something of a …
Continue reading “Rights Groups Still Waiting for Obama to Deliver”
A coalition of 19 human rights, faith-based and justice organizations is calling on President Barack Obama to investigate torture they charge was sanctioned by the administration of former President George W. Bush. The group, led by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT), is proposing both a special prosecutor and an "independent, non-partisan commission to …
Continue reading “Calls for Torture Inquiry Aren’t Going Away”
Andy Worthington on a worthless tactic
Heed Machiavelli and Eisenhower, says Jeff Huber
At least three dozen detainees who were held in the CIA’s secret prisons overseas appear to be missing – and efforts by human rights organizations to track their whereabouts have been unsuccessful. The story of these "ghost prisoners" was comprehensively documented last week by Pro Publica, an online investigative journalism group. In September 2007, Michael …
Continue reading “Dozens of CIA ‘Ghost Prisoners’ Missing”
As the debate heats up over what to do about recent disclosures of widespread abuse of war-on-terror prisoners, the “third branch” of the U.S. government — the judiciary — continues to assert its independence from the other two branches — the executive and the legislative. In one recent decision, a federal court has refused the …
Continue reading “Courts Overrule Govt in Abuse and Detention Cases”
Tom Engelhardt on killing civilians
William Pfaff says terror in Europe is home grown
And, wonders Andy Worthington, will Obama obey the law?
