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Americas hypocrisy that knows no bounds

 
 
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 08:40 am
The unqualified support for Israeli massacres and describing the War criminal Ariel Sharon as a man of peace,
The illeagal 'crusade' and invasion of Iraq,
The support and instructions to american soliders to torture, in Afghanistan, In cuba and Abu gharib, and now the support for a dictatorship that literally boils its opponents alive.
Is the American administration's policies hypocritical beyond belief or just misunderstood?


Quote:

Anger as US backs brutal regime

Human rights concerns as troops put down uprising in Uzbekistan

Nick Paton Walsh in Moscow and Paul Harris in New York
Sunday May 15, 2005
The Observer

Heated criticism was growing last night over 'double standards' by Washington over human rights, democracy and 'freedom' as fresh evidence emerged of just how brutally Uzbekistan, a US ally in the 'war on terror', put down Friday's unrest in the east of the country.
Outrage among human rights groups followed claims by the White House on Friday that appeared designed to justify the violence of the regime of President Islam Karimov, claiming - as Karimov has - that 'terrorist groups' may have been involved in the uprising.

Critics said the US was prepared to support pro-democracy unrest in some states, but condemn it in others where such policies were inconvenient.

Witnesses and analysts familiar with the region said most protesters were complaining about government corruption and poverty, not espousing Islamic extremism.

The US comments were seized on by Karimov, who said yesterday that the protests were organised by Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic group often accused by Tashkent of seditious extremism. Yet Washington, which has expressed concern over the group's often hardline message, has yet to designate it a terrorist group.

Scott McClellan, the White House spokesman, tried to deflect accusations of the contradictory stance when he said it was clear the 'people of Uzbekistan want to see a more representative and democratic government. But that should come through peaceful means, not through violence.'

Washington has often been accused of being involved in a conspiracy of silence over Uzbekistan's human rights record since that country was declared an ally in the 'war on terror' in 2001.

Uzbekistan is believed to be one of the destination countries for the highly secretive 'renditions programme', whereby the CIA ships terrorist suspects to third-party countries where torture is used that cannot be employed in the US. Newspaper reports in America say dozens of suspects have been transferred to Uzbek jails.

The CIA has never officially commented on the programme. But flight logs obtained by the New York Times earlier this month show CIA-linked planes landing in Tashkent with the same serial numbers as jets used to transfer prisoners around the world. The logs show at least seven flights from 2002 to late 2003, originating from destinations in the Middle East and Europe.

Other countries used in the programme include Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Morocco. A handful of prisoners' accounts - including that of Canadian Maher Arar - that emerged after release show they were tortured and abused in custody.

Critics say the US double standards are evident on the State Department website, which accuses Uzbek police and security services of using 'torture as a routine investigation technique' while giving the same law enforcement services $79 million in aid in 2002. The department says officers who receive training are vetted to ensure they have not tortured anyone.

The aid paradox was highlighted by the former British Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Craig Murray, who criticised coalition support for Uzbekistan when they were planning invading Iraq, using similar abuses as justification.

Murray said yesterday: 'The US will claim that they are teaching the Uzbeks less repressive interrogation techniques, but that is basically not true. They help fund the budget of the Uzbek security services and give tens of millions of dollars in military support. It is a sweetener in the agreement over which they get their air base.'

Murray said that during a series of suicide bombings in Tashkent in March 2004, before he was sacked as UK ambassador, he was shown transcripts of telephone intercepts in which known al-Qaeda representatives were asking each other 'what the hell was going on. But then Colin Powell came out and said that al-Qaeda were behind the blasts. I don't think the US even believe their own propaganda.'

The support continues, seen by many as a 'pay-off' for the Khanabad base. The US Embassy website says Uzbekistan got $10m for 'security and law enforcement support' in 2004.

Last year Human Rights Watch released a 319-page report detailing the use of torture by Uzbekistan's security services. It said the government was carrying out a campaign of torture and intimidation against Muslims that had seen 7,000 people imprisoned, and documented at least 10 deaths, including Muzafar Avozov, who was boiled to death in 2002.

'Torture is rampant,' the reported concluded. Human Rights Watch called for the US and its allies to condemn Uzbekistan's tactics.
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Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 771 • Replies: 14
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dlowan
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 09:11 am
Not enough options.
0 Replies
 
ebrown p
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 09:23 am
With the options given, I would vote for "All of the above".
0 Replies
 
ebrown p
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 09:27 am
Question, was anyone else confused by stevie's avatar?

I took one look and said "MysteryMan". It doesn't seem I even pay attention to screen names any more. It was only after the article didn't match Mystery's normal rhetoric that I went back to check.

I am not making a comment on this specific avatar. I just found my reliance on them interesting. 'sall.
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 09:28 am
I would simply observe that anyone who is surprised by American hypocricy has not been paying attention for the last 222 years.
0 Replies
 
dlowan
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 09:54 am
It's endemic.....
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 10:01 am
Yes, in all nations at all times in history . . .
0 Replies
 
Brandon9000
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 10:43 am
stevewonder wrote:
The unqualified support for Israeli massacres
and describing the War criminal Ariel Sharon as a man of
peace


On August 19, 2003, a suicide bomber from Hebron, exploded himself
on a bus of Jewish worshippers returning from the Western Wall,
killing at least 18 people, including five children. Hamas and Islamic Jihad both claimed responsiblity.


stevewonder wrote:
The illeagal 'crusade' and invasion of
Iraq


Jun 1997 - Iraqi escorts on board an UNSCOM helicopter try to physically prevent the UNSCOM pilot from flying the helicopter in the direction of its intended destination. The Security Council issues a presidential statement, deploring the incident and demanding that Iraq permit UNSCOM to carry out its air operations anywhere in Iraq without interference of any kind. Source

stevewonder wrote:
The support and instructions to american
soliders to torture, in Afghanistan, In cuba and Abu gharib, and
now the support for a dictatorship that literally boils its
opponents alive


Would you mind, please, posting some evidence that American
soldiers have been instructed by the American government to torture
prisoners, as opposed to the acts of misguided soldiers. Our
opponents, remember, take civilian hostages and saw their heads
off. They disregard even the most minimal standards for the
treatment of prisoners usually recognized in war, e.g. shooting
people who would normally be taken prisoner. On 4/21/2005, a
civilian helicopter was shot down north of Baghdad. US and
Bulgarian officials said the Bulgarian-owned chopper was brought
down by a rocket-propelled grenade. There were no survivors among
the 11 people aboard, including six American security contractors.
A group called the Islamic Army in Iraq claimed responsibility for
the attack in a statement on its Web site. The group posted a video
that it claimed was taken at the crash. In it, a man in blue
overalls in a grassy area reaches out for help. He is ordered to
walk away and is shot.

stevewonder wrote:
Is the American administration's policies
hypocritical beyond belief or just misunderstood?

Misunderstood by you anyway.
0 Replies
 
stevewonder
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 01:59 pm
in the land of the lind the one eyed man is king.
Its extraordinary that you should be oblivious to Americas policy of torture, well i suppose people see what they want to see.

The other thing that seems abit strange is your desire to shift the discussion to Miltant Palestinian groups i dont remember bringing that up and yeah i suppose it was the fault of the Iraqis they deserve 13 years of sanctions and the an invasion, makes sense really if you think about.

Lets face it people, American foreign policy is morally bankrupt, the only friend they have in world is the right-wing Israelis, (brrr....shiver)

the example that you gave of the guy getting shot is nearly as repulsive as the injured guys getting shot dead in Falajuah, could you see the difference, i couldnt?

Oh! I see the point your making....its wrong to kill some people but ok to kill others...i see your logic there.


This is the thing that the whole world understands except the american administration,

If you erode the parameters of morality it will come back and bite.

Everyone knows the frankenstein of 'terrorism' is the maternal child of american foreign policy.
you will harvest what you sow.

There was no Al Qaeda in Afghanistan until the americans gave birth to them in th 1980's,
There was no Al Qaeda in Iraq until the americans Invaded.

Yeehaa! As they say.

Hey and whats wrong with my avtar?

As you request, you appear to be living in isolation:

Quote:
U.S.: Abu Ghraib Only the "Tip of the Iceberg"

Source: Human Rights Watch

04/27/05 "Reuters" - - The crimes at Abu Ghraib are part of a larger pattern of abuses against Muslim detainees around the world, Human Rights Watch said on the eve of the April 28 anniversary of the first pictures of U.S. soldiers brutalizing prisoners at the Iraqi jail. Human Rights Watch released a summary (below) of evidence of U.S. abuse of detainees in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as well as of the programs of secret CIA detention, "extraordinary renditions," and "reverse renditions."

"Abu Ghraib was only the tip of the iceberg," said Reed Brody, special counsel for Human Rights Watch. "It's now clear that abuse of detainees has happened all over-from Afghanistan to Guantánamo Bay to a lot of third-country dungeons where the United States has sent prisoners. And probably quite a few other places we don't even know about."

Human Rights Watch called this week for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate the culpability of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and ex-CIA Director George Tenet, as well as Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, formerly the top U.S. commander in Iraq, and Gen. Geoffrey Miller, the former commander of the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba in cases of crimes against detainees. It rejected last week's report by the Army Inspector General which was said to absolve Gen. Sanchez of responsibility.

"General Sanchez gave the troops at Abu Ghraib the green light to use dogs to terrorize detainees, and they did, and we know what happened, said Brody. "And while mayhem went on under his nose for three months, Sanchez didn't step in to halt it."

Human Rights Watch also expressed concern that, despite all the damage that had been done by the detainee abuse scandal, the United States had not stopped the use of illegal coercive interrogation. In January 2005, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed in a written response during his confirmation hearings that the prohibition on cruel, inhuman, or degrading (CID) treatment does not apply to U.S. personnel in the treatment of non-citizens abroad, indicating that no law would prohibit the CIA from engaging in CID treatment when it interrogates non-Americans outside the United States.

Human Rights Watch said that the U.S. government was still withholding key information about the treatment of detainees, including directives reportedly signed by President George W. Bush authorizing the CIA to establish secret detention facilities and to "render" suspects to countries where torture is used.

"If the United States is to wipe away the stain of Abu Ghraib, it needs to investigate those at the top who ordered or condoned abuse and come clean on what the president has authorized," said Brody. "Washington must repudiate, once and for all, the mistreatment of detainees in the name of the war on terror."

U.S. Abuse of Detainees around the World

Afghanistan:

Nine detainees are now known to have died in U.S. custody in Afghanistan-including four cases already determined by Army investigators to be murder or manslaughter. Former detainees have made scores of other claims of torture and other mistreatment. In a March 2004 report, Human Rights Watch documented cases of U.S. personnel arbitrarily detaining Afghan civilians, using excessive force during arrests of non-combatants, and mistreating detainees. Detainees held at military bases in 2002 and 2003 described to Human Rights Watch being beaten severely by both guards and interrogators, deprived of sleep for extended periods, and intentionally exposed to extreme cold, as well as other inhumane and degrading treatment. In December 2004, Human Rights Watch raised additional concerns about detainee deaths, including one alleged to have occurred as late as September 2004. In March 2005, The Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.e Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.e Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.e Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.e Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.e Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.e Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.e Washington Post uncovered another death in CIA custody, noting that the case was under investigation but that the CIA officer implicated had been promoted.

Guantánamo Bay, Cuba:

There is growing evidence that detainees at Guantánamo have suffered torture and other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Reports by FBI agents who witnessed detainee abuse-including chained detainees forced to sit in their own excrement-have recently emerged, adding to the statements of former detainees describing the use of painful stress positions, use of military dogs to threaten detainees, threats of torture and death, and prolonged exposure to extremes of heat, cold and noise. Ex-detainees also said they had been subjected to weeks and even months in solitary confinement-at times either suffocatingly hot or cold from excessive air conditioning-as punishment for failure to cooperate. Videotapes of riot squads subduing suspects reportedly show the guards punching some detainees, tying one to a gurney for questioning and forcing a dozen to strip from the waist down. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture." International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has told the U.S. government in confidential reports that its treatment of detainees has involved psychological and physical coercion that is "tantamount to torture."

Iraq:

Harsh and coercive interrogation techniques such as subjecting detainees to painful stress positions and extended sleep deprivation have been routinely used in detention centers throughout Iraq. The Schlesinger panel appointed by Secretary Rumsfeld noted 55 substantiated cases of detainee abuse in Iraq, plus 20 instances of detainee deaths still under investigation. The earlier report of Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba found "numerous incidents of sadistic, blatant, and wanton criminal abuses" constituting "systematic and illegal abuse of detainees" at Abu Ghraib. Another Pentagon report documented 44 allegations of such war crimes at Abu Ghraib. An ICRC report concluded that in military intelligence sections of Abu Ghraib, "methods of physical and psychological coercion used by the interrogators appeared to be part of the standard operating procedures by military intelligence personnel to obtain confessions and extract information." and extract information." and extract information." and extract information." and extract information." and extract information." and extract information." and extract information."

CIA "Disappearances" and Torture:

At least 11 al-Qaeda suspects, and most likely many more, have "disappeared" in U.S. custody. The Central Intelligence Agency is holding the detainees in undisclosed locations, with no notification to their families, no access to the International Committee of the Red Cross or oversight of any sort of their treatment, and in some cases, no acknowledgement that they are even being held, effectively placing them beyond the protection of the law. One detainee, Khalid Shaikh Muhammed, was reportedly subjected to "water boarding" in which a person is strapped down, forcibly pushed under water, and made to believe he might drown. It was also reported that U.S. officials initially withheld painkillers from Abu Zubayda, who was shot during his capture, as an interrogation device.

"Extraordinary Renditions":

The CIA has transferred some 100 to 150 detainees to countries in the Middle East known to practice torture routinely. In one case, Maher Arar, a Canadian in transit in New York, was detained by U.S. authorities and sent to Syria. He was released without charge from Syrian custody ten months later and has described repeated torture, often with cables and electrical cords. In another case, a U.S. government-leased airplane transported two Egyptian suspects who were blindfolded, hooded, drugged, and diapered by hooded operatives, from Sweden to Egypt. There the two men were held incommunicado for five weeks and have given detailed accounts torture, including electric shocks. In a third case, Mamdouh Habib, an Australian in American custody, was transported from Pakistan to Afghanistan to Egypt to Guantánamo Bay. Now back home in Australia, Habib alleges that he was tortured in Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks. Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks. Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks. Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks. Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks. Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks. Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks. Egypt with beatings and electric shocks, and hung from the walls by hooks.

"Reverse Renditions":

Detainees arrested by foreign authorities in non-combat and non-battlefield situations have been transferred to the United States without basic protections afforded to criminal suspects. 'Abd al-Salam 'Ali al-Hila, a Yemeni businessman captured in Egypt, for instance, was handed over to U.S. authorities and "disappeared" for more than a year and a half before being sent to Guantánamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba. Six Algerians held in Bosnia were transferred to U.S. officials in January 2002 (despite a Bosnian high court order to release them) and were sent to Guantánamo.

HRW news

© 1998-2001 Reuters Limited.
0 Replies
 
dyslexia
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 02:25 pm
ebrown_p wrote:
Question, was anyone else confused by stevie's avatar?

I took one look and said "MysteryMan". It doesn't seem I even pay attention to screen names any more. It was only after the article didn't match Mystery's normal rhetoric that I went back to check.

I am not making a comment on this specific avatar. I just found my reliance on them interesting. 'sall.

Yeah, it's kinda ironic to see two different peeps using an image of Ira Hayes on an internet forum. Pima Amerinds don't usually get so much attention.
0 Replies
 
ebrown p
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 02:32 pm
Any chance they are the same person?..

The rhetoric is a bit different, but their styles seem the same.
0 Replies
 
LionTamerX
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 02:40 pm
Whenever I have been overseas, the one constant that I have been confronted with is "America is a young country."

Some of us "Murkins" forget this from time to time.
0 Replies
 
Intrepid
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 03:40 pm
ebrown_p wrote:
Any chance they are the same person?..

The rhetoric is a bit different, but their styles seem the same.


Make ya kinda go hhhhmmmmmm
0 Replies
 
stevewonder
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 04:45 pm
Curious, but untrue
I would like to reassure those concerned i have only one username, this one, it provides consistency for those wishing to observe a chain of thought.


Whose the other person with the same avtar?

So any comments, disagreements or put downs concerning the orignal post?
0 Replies
 
Setanta
 
  1  
Reply Sun 15 May, 2005 05:13 pm
The other person using that avatar is a deeply-dyed conservative, and the contents of your opening post would be anathema to him. He uses the screen name MysteryMan.
0 Replies
 
 

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