Experts at Case symposium urge U.S. to ban torture

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/112877256362310.xml&coll=2

Saturday, October 08, 2005
Emily Hamlin
Plain Dealer Reporter

..."We're looking at a legal and moral problem that may ultimately define the Bush administration - fundamental principles are being violated here," said Michael Scharf, director of the Frederick K. Cox International Law Center at Case and co-author of the document.

The Cleveland Principles, also written by Elisa Massimino, director of Human Rights First in Washington, are designed to strengthen anti- torture legislation that's moving through Congress. That measure would ban the use of inhumane or degrading treatment of any prisoner in U.S. custody...

Without a definite policy against torture, the abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq will happen again, said Adm. John Hutson, former judge advocate general of the U.S. Navy.
nothing to fix the problem."

Scharf said that after Hutson and the other experts who spoke at the symposium endorse the principles, he will circulate them on the Internet for others to sign. He expects the principles to reach Washington and the United Nations in a few weeks.

[daleo]

1. Who would have thought the day would come

When people were asking the U.S. government to please officially ban torture?