Condemn Rights Abuses Worldwide
THE revelations of torture and the brutalising of Iraqi prisoners by United States forces deserve worldwide condemnation as do all acts of inhumane and degrading treatment of people - wherever they occur, and regardless of who is responsible.
The current debate on whether these were isolated incidents or
policy should not be allowed to detract from the seriousness of the
matter and the impact it has had, not only on the Arab communities,
but on the world at large.
According to the director of operations for the International
Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland, which had warned of US
mistreatment of prisoners over the past year: "We are dealing here
with a broad pattern, not individual acts.
There was a pattern and a system."
This view has been echoed by another reputed human rights
organisation, Amnesty International, which added: "Our extensive
research in Iraq suggests that this is not an isolated incident....
(We have) received frequent reports of torture or other
ill-treatment by coalition forces during the past year.
Detainees have reported being routinely subjected to cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment during arrest or detention...
Virtually none of the allegations of torture or ill-treatment has
been adequately investigated by the authorities."
Whatever the full truth of the matter, the photographs have
shocked the world: in particular, the fact that the US, a country
which is often perceived by itself and many in the rest of the
world at times, as the guardian of global morals, stands accused of
the kind of atrocities they are usually quick to identify in others
as a raison d'etre for interference in domestic affairs.
We must reiterate that such rights abuses should be condemned
wherever they occur; we should not seek refuse in the selective
morality that many countries, including our own, seem to employ
when pointing accusatory fingers at those who violate them.
There should be no taking of sides when human rights are in
jeopardy.
Even with the socalled 'war on terror' that the US decided to
embark upon, there can be no justification for these kinds of acts,
nor for the beheading of a US civilian in Iraq, brutal images of
which have also sent shockwaves round the world.
The reasons for the invasion of Iraq, as we have consistently
maintained since the start of the war, were in any case
spurious.
If the cause was the draconian rule of Saddam Hussein (rather
than the patently fake goal of the removal of weapons of mass
destruction), then justifiably the world could have banded together
through the United Nations, and used other ways and means to end
injustices against the Iraqi people committed by a tyrannical
ruler.
But now, following the revelations of ill-treatment, the
American 'cause' in Iraq is more tenuous than ever.
The world is undoubtedly worse off since the start of the 'war
on terror' and the US has to shoulder a great deal of the blame for
this.
The annual human rights reporting by the US State Department
will not be taken seriously by countries which themselves
systematically abuse human rights, primarily because the US can no
longer claim the moral high ground.
We call upon our Government, and indeed governments the world
over, to abandon selective morality and join hands to condemn
rights abuses wherever they occur.
BEST WISHES TO OUR HEAD OF STATE
THE NAMIBIAN would like to join all other wellwishers in
congratulating President Sam Nujoma on his 75th birthday.
Indeed a milestone in a life of absolute dedication to the cause
of Namibia, both pre and post independence.
According to the director of operations for the International
Committee of the Red Cross in Switzerland, which had warned of US
mistreatment of prisoners over the past year: "We are dealing here
with a broad pattern, not individual acts.There was a pattern and a
system."This view has been echoed by another reputed human rights
organisation, Amnesty International, which added: "Our extensive
research in Iraq suggests that this is not an isolated incident....
(We have) received frequent reports of torture or other
ill-treatment by coalition forces during the past year.Detainees
have reported being routinely subjected to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment during arrest or detention... Virtually none of
the allegations of torture or ill-treatment has been adequately
investigated by the authorities."Whatever the full truth of the
matter, the photographs have shocked the world: in particular, the
fact that the US, a country which is often perceived by itself and
many in the rest of the world at times, as the guardian of global
morals, stands accused of the kind of atrocities they are usually
quick to identify in others as a raison d'etre for interference in
domestic affairs.We must reiterate that such rights abuses should
be condemned wherever they occur; we should not seek refuse in the
selective morality that many countries, including our own, seem to
employ when pointing accusatory fingers at those who violate
them.There should be no taking of sides when human rights are in
jeopardy.Even with the socalled 'war on terror' that the US decided
to embark upon, there can be no justification for these kinds of
acts, nor for the beheading of a US civilian in Iraq, brutal images
of which have also sent shockwaves round the world.The reasons for
the invasion of Iraq, as we have consistently maintained since the
start of the war, were in any case spurious.If the cause was the
draconian rule of Saddam Hussein (rather than the patently fake
goal of the removal of weapons of mass destruction), then
justifiably the world could have banded together through the United
Nations, and used other ways and means to end injustices against
the Iraqi people committed by a tyrannical ruler.But now, following
the revelations of ill-treatment, the American 'cause' in Iraq is
more tenuous than ever.The world is undoubtedly worse off since the
start of the 'war on terror' and the US has to shoulder a great
deal of the blame for this.The annual human rights reporting by the
US State Department will not be taken seriously by countries which
themselves systematically abuse human rights, primarily because the
US can no longer claim the moral high ground.We call upon our
Government, and indeed governments the world over, to abandon
selective morality and join hands to condemn rights abuses wherever
they occur.BEST WISHES TO OUR HEAD OF STATETHE NAMIBIAN would like
to join all other wellwishers in congratulating President Sam
Nujoma on his 75th birthday.Indeed a milestone in a life of
absolute dedication to the cause of Namibia, both pre and post
independence.