An amphibious assault vehicle leaves the USS Peleliu, which was used to detain prisoners, according to the human rights group Reprieve. Photograph: Zack Baddor/AP
Human Rights lawyers claim the USA is using floating prison ships to detain those arrested in the so-called war on terror. How convenient for an administration that cherishes secrets and lies. According to human rights organisation Reprieve, the USA has as many as 17 of these floating prisons. Detainees are interrogated at sea, and then sent to undisclosed locations.
Clive Stafford Smith, Reprieve's legal director, said: "They choose ships to try to keep their misconduct as far as possible from the prying eyes of the media and lawyers. We will eventually reunite these ghost prisoners with their legal rights.This practice is an obscenity on more levels I can begin to list. The Human Rights violations this administration condones is contrary to everything our nation was founded upon and it must stop. The whole world is watching, in these final days of the Bush Administration, most likely wondering what prevented Congress from actually impeaching him. How have we been so unable to police our own?
By its own admission, the US government is currently detaining at least 26,000 people without trial in secret prisons, and information suggests up to 80,000 have been 'through the system' since 2001. The US government must show a commitment to rights and basic humanity by immediately revealing who these people are, where they are, and what has been done to them.
In fact, it has been our nation's collective paralysis, brought on by the mind-numbing horrors of 9/11, that has allowed this Administration to operate without regard to what is right, decent, or even legal. And now, what frightens me the most is watching the supporters of Obama and Clinton eat each other alive - effectively doing the work of Republicans to ensure that McCain will be elected. More of the same, as we sink to the levels of the worst violators of human rights.
I am ashamed of my country. I love my country, and I am deeply ashamed and humiliated. We must demand an accounting - nothing short of a complete list of names of these prisoners, and locations they are being held. We must demand they be charged, or released. We must demand fairness, and decency. And we must completely clean house in November.
8 comments:
I read about this over the week-end. Pathetic. If the next administration doesn't do something about the legalities of this crap, I have to hope that some foreign nations charge Bush and his minions with war crimes.
You know we have been lied to from beginning to end and much of it we will never know about. You know this goes on all the time but I have never seen it so flagrant and in your face, It will all soon get much worse. Anyway I just gave your link to Dusty at Sirens as she too is following this but yours is worth her and anyone else's read!
I just threw up in my own mouth.
Think I'll spit it out and mail it to the White House.
No words.
Just PUKE!
sigh...this bullshittery should be expected from these fuckwits..after all, BushCo hasn't been straight with the AMerican Public on anything.
ALso...google Bagram...they have a Gitmo-style prison there that would curl your hair.
Oh my god, what have we become. This is the absolute worst.
Robert, it is going to have to come from other nations, because Congress is not going to Impeach.
Jim, I should have posted it at Sirens myself, but I've been juggling a lot while in Chicago.
Liquid, that would be an interesting bit of White House mail.
Dusty, my hair doesn't need more curling. I'm just so ashamed of what we've become as a nation.
Utah, no kidding. I am so grateful my parents are not alive to see this. On the other hand, my granddaughter has to grow up with this. It's sickening to know we've become what we always were against.
"I am ashamed of my country. I love my country, and I am deeply ashamed and humiliated."
There's two of us that feel that way. My wife went off to a business conference in Toronto, Canada today. As I kissed her goodbye, I mentioned "it might not be a good idea to say you're an American if you don't have to." She agreed. I'm still depressed over that.
TUA, it's sad that it came to this. However, I do have hope.
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