US omits human rights violations in rights report: paper

[UpInArms]

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-05/19/content_1478120.htm

LOS ANGELES, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- The US State Department, issuing its annual human rights report, praised the US government's efforts to rebuild economy in Iraq, but did not mention human rights violations by US forces or their allies, the Los Angeles Times noted on Tuesday.

In reporting the human rights report, the paper pointed out that the document included a two-and-a- half-page summary of US efforts to rebuild Iraq, "praising the US government for efforts to stimulate the economy and implant democracy," but it "mentions no human rights violations by US forces or their allies."

"It's awkward.... (US) credibility has taken a huge blow," the Times quoted Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director for Human Rights Watch, as saying. He said the predicament was "a perfect example of how it's not enough to have moral clarity if you don't have moral authority."

<snip>

"At the time, the State Department said 'technical reasons' delayed the report. But (US Assistant Secretary of State Overseeing Human Rights) Lorne Craner said Monday that officials were concerned that the Abu Ghraib scandal was a cloud that was obscuring what we were trying to do," the Times reported.

...more...

I don't think China will take kindly to being criticized by the US for human rights abuses after all of this.

[Erika]

1. No at all

Bush's hostile war-mongering war cry of "Bring it on" led the tone of the troops that these "evil-doers" were less than human and need not be treated humanely. His little Christian cry of being a do-gooder is as tarnsihed as my grandmother's silver.

[daleo]

2. This doesn't even make sense

"He said the predicament was "a perfect example of how it's not enough to have moral clarity if you don't have moral authority.""

A government that tortures people has neither moral clarity nor moral authority.

[UpInArms]

3. oh, but we have a schizophrenic(?) who claims to hear

gawd's voice telling him what to do. :shrug:

[Moderator]

4. duplicate post

Please continue discussion hear:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x564900