Posted on 06/29/2005 8:46:43 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - U.N. human rights experts have begun an investigation into U.S. detention facilities for terrorist suspects and allegations that there are secret prisons, one of the project leaders said Wednesday.
Manfred Nowak, the U.N.'s special expert on torture, said some undeclared holding areas could include U.S. Navy ships in international waters. He said there were "serious" allegations to that effect from Amnesty International and other non-governmental human rights groups.
"I have heard these rumors and we have to follow them up," he told The Associated Press, urging Washington to cooperate with the investigation.
Officials at the U.S. mission to the United Nations in Vienna refused to comment.
Nowak, a Vienna law professor, is one of several independent human rights experts appointed by the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission, the United Nations' top rights watchdog.
Nowak, who also reports to the U.N. General Assembly, has great autonomy in deciding what to investigate and did not need to seek outside approval in launching the inquiry into U.S. detention practices and locations.
The United States has criticized the commission because its members include countries with poor human rights records. But the experts operate independently and sometimes reproach their own countries for violations.
Jose Diaz, spokesman for Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, - the U.N's rights chief - said Nowak had "great authority in investigating suspected abuses."
"Our long-standing position is that we encourage countries to cooperate with the special rapporteurs of the commission," said Diaz. "Their dialogue with the U.S. should continue so that they can be allowed to carry out their work."
Nowak said he and three fellow experts decided last week to launch the inquiry without waiting for assurances of U.S. cooperation after holding off for more than three years in hopes Washington would give members access to Guantanamo Bay and other facilities holding suspected terrorists.
Nowak expressed disappointment at a lack of U.S. response. Still, he said, he was assured after recent high-level meetings with U.S. officials that the request to visit Guantanamo Bay was "being given highest consideration at the top level of the State Department (and) the Pentagon."
He said that the four-member team also would like to visit Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and other U.S.-run sites known to hold terrorist suspects, as well as to track down the allegations of clandestine prisons - including reports of U.S. Navy ships in extraterritorial waters in the Indian Ocean and elsewhere.
Nowak said team members had begun interviewing former suspects held and subsequently released by U.S. authorities in efforts to establish conditions in the prisons and their exact locations.
Are they serious allegations or are they rumours? Anyway, while they are at it, why don't they launch an investigation of how prisoners are treated in North Korea or Iran?
These are the same people who've ignored human rights abuses for decades in Africa.
The UN can apply it's lips to our collective ass
They're the same people who have COMMITTED human rights abuses in Africa.
Seeing's how Amnesty's plan to demonize our detention facility at Gitmo folded up quicker than a cardboard suitecase left out in the rain, this must be their back-up campaign.
Tel the UN that after a large number of unanimous resolutions we will consider their request. Of course, we will not pay for it.
There are very few Navy ships that have a big enough brig or other secure space for the supposed prisoners. The additional load on the ship's company and and/or embarked guard teams would really be a stretch. The additional load on messing and bething would require UNREP every couple days. Oddly enough, the shipboard berthing rack would somehow be considered "cruel and unusual" for prisoners, but OK for the sailors. The math on this makes it less than feasible. Amusing......
UN investigators only go where they are allowed and where
tax payers lavish them with fat expense accounts, luxury automobiles, sex servants,caviar, champagne, and all the
comforts of home...at someone elses expense..
Naturally our leaders allow this because they too are grifters
Isn’t this something your founding fathers warned against? I dearly hope the US does not allow these invaders onto US military sites. It is none of their business. And yeah, how about spending a little time in the Sudan, or Zimbabwe. This almost amounts to a declaration of war in my opinion. How about we laser bomb the UN HQ?
Yeah, and comparing the US to Soviet Russia was a "serious" allegation from Amnesty International as well.
Lies, but "serious" allegations
They can WISH to visit Gitmo all they want, I'll be VERY pissed if they do though. VERYVERYVERY
The UN is the biggest anti-American organization in the world and it's supported with AMERICAN tax dollars! THAT'S DISGUSTING!!
DEATH TO THE UN!
"being given highest consideration at the top level of the State Department (and) the Pentagon."
Note from the Pentagon to Mr.Nowak.
Dear sir,
We have given our HIGHEST consideration to your request the visit the sites you have indicated.
And we finally have an answer for you.
NO!
Sincerely,
Donald Rumsfeld
"I have heard these rumors and we have to follow them up,"
Nowak, a Vienna law professor, is one of several independent human rights experts appointed by the 53-nation U.N. Human Rights Commission, the United Nations' top rights watchdog.
Nowak, who also reports to the U.N. General Assembly, has great autonomy in deciding what to investigate and did not need to seek outside approval in launching the inquiry into U.S. detention practices and locations.
Jose Diaz, spokesman for Louise Arbour, the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, - the U.N's rights chief - said Nowak had "great authority in investigating suspected abuses."
Nowak said he and three fellow experts decided last week to launch the inquiry
Why do we keep putting up with this shit. Is the UN serious. This guy has total lattitude to investiage anything he wants. So is he investigaing Iran, Sauda Arabia, Syria, North Korera...NO, he wants to go after the US. Even if these allegations are true is like the UN going after a jay walker and letting the rapists, murderers, and child molestors go free.
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