Amnesty Condemns U.S. for War on Terror Torture

[NNN0LHI]

http://olympics.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=6621237

<snip>Amnesty's report -- "Human dignity denied: Torture and accountability in the 'war on terror"' -- accused Washington of stepping onto a "well-trodden path of violating basic rights in the name of national security or 'military necessity'."

At best, Washington was guilty of setting conditions for torture and cruel treatment by lowering safeguards and failing to respond adequately to allegations of abuse, it said.

At worst, it had authorized interrogation techniques which flouted its international obligation to reject torture and ill-treatment under any circumstances.

A U.S. army general acknowledged for the first time in August that American troops had tortured prisoners at the Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq.

Pentagon leaders and Bush administration officials had previously steered clear of describing the physical abuse and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners as torture.

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[JSJ]

1. it's about fucking time that AI got some balls, instead...

...of spending their waking hours trading their dwindling reputation for cash donations.

[struggle4progress]

3. It's mostly a volunteer organization. Write at least one letter a month.

[gottaB]

2. links from AI website

• USA: Human dignity denied
  
  
• Guantánamo Bay: a human rights scandal
  
  
• Iraq: The crisis continues
  
  
• USA: Call to presidential candidates to commit to ending torture