Physician, Turn Thyself In / A must read From New York Times

[elf]

June 10,2004

WASHINGTON

According to press reports, military doctors and nurses who examined prisoners at Abu Ghraib treated swollen genitals, prescribed painkillers, stitched wounds, and recorded evidence of the abuses going on around them. Under international law — as well as the standards of common decency — these medical professionals had a duty to tell those in power what they saw.

Instead, too often, they returned the victims of torture to the custody of their victimizers. Rather than putting a stop to torture, they tacitly abetted it, by patching up victims and staying silent.

The duty of doctors in such circumstances is clear. They must provide needed treatment, then do all they can to keep perpetrators from committing further abuse. This includes keeping detailed records of injuries and their likely causes, performing clinical tests to gather forensic evidence and reporting abuses to those with the will and power to act.

During the 1980's and 1990's, American human rights investigators traveled to many countries with oppressive governments, assembling evidence of medical complicity in torture. A pattern emerged in rogue regimes that claimed pride in their civility: doctors both contained and abetted torture — by treating its victims, returning them to perpetrators and then remaining silent.

more:


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/10/opinion/10BLOC.html?ex=1087531200&en=1a9e464dacc66d49&ei=5006&partner=ALTAVISTA1

[LittleApple81]

1. ...................

:cry:

[elf]

4. Aren't we living in very scary times?

Morals gone, even doctors do not remember their oath any more?

( Oath of Hypocrates, don't know the Engl. word)


:cry:

[Cheswick2.0]

2. I'll bet they are following orders

I'll bet anything.

[elf]

5. That didn't count

at the Nuremberg Process

[PoliticsSportsMusic]

3. Thats real easy to say but if anyone thinks they wouldn't torture....

American's and then kill them so the story didn't get out then you are very gullible....these people are like rabid animals....rational isn't part of their thought process.....obviously.