Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither, and lose both.
-- Benjamin Franklin

The pot calling the kettle black

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The state department has released its report on human rights abuses around the world.

From CNN:

The second annual report was to have been released earlier this month, but it was delayed in part because State Department officials believed it would not be taken seriously amid stories of abuse of detainees by U.S. soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The report, which covers U.S. efforts in 101 countries to promote press and religious freedoms, advance democratic institutions, and stop torture and other abuses, is a companion to a country-by-country study of conditions issued in February. Both reports are made to Congress as required by law.

Charges in the report against countries who abuse prisoners bear striking similarities to those being leveled against the United States around the world.

For example, the report summarized Saudi Arabia’s “poor” human rights record with these words: “Security forces continued to torture and abuse detainees and prisoners, arbitrarily arrest and detain persons and detain them incommunicado.”

Many countries and human rights groups likewise have criticized the United States for holding detainees at the naval station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, without access to counsel.

Don’t those Saudi’s know it’s not right to torture and humiliate Arabs? But then, it can’t be a governmental issue. They’re not responsible. It must be just a few ill-behaved guards and such.

posted by folsom on 05.18.04 @ 9:11 am | 0 Comments

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