Amnesty defends 'gulag,' urges Guantanamo access

[Judi Lynn]

Amnesty defends 'gulag,' urges Guantanamo access
Reuters

Jun 2, 2005 — TOKYO (Reuters) - Human rights group Amnesty defended its description of Guantanamo prison as a "gulag" Thursday and urged the United States to allow independent investigations of allegations of torture at its detention centers for terrorism suspects.

A verbal feud between Amnesty International and Washington has escalated since Amnesty last week compared the prison at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the brutal Soviet system of forced labor camps where millions of prisoners died.

President Bush dismissed as "absurd" the Amnesty report, which also said the United States was responsible for an upsurge in global human rights violations, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld called the description "reprehensible."

"The administration's response has been that our report is absurd, that our allegations have no basis, and our answer is very simple: if that is so, open up these detention centers, allow us and others to visit them," Amnesty International Secretary General Irene Zubaida Khan told a news conference.
(snip/...)

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=812184

[truthisfreedom]

1. apparently rove and company no longer have any time to examine these

allegations without having knee-jerk reactions...

too bad for bush. 8^)

[teryang]

2. Shouldn't headline be Amnesty attacks gulag?

Why does headline indicate exact opposite of article's content?

[Demit]

3. It means Amnesty is defending use of the word "gulag" to describe Gitmo

It's headline shorthand. But it does give you pause. Not well-written.

[Cooley Hurd]

4. "'...'cause they hate Murica!"

Commander Cuckoobananas actually trotted out that old canard a few days ago upon the release of AI's report.:eyes:

[Just Me]

5. BushCO & the neoCONs have NO respect for human rights.

We all know that.

[David__77]

6. US versus human rights.

At least now the US cannot as easily hypocrticially flaunt the banner of "human rights" while running roughshod over the third world--it's clear that this is naked, brutal imperialism.

[wallwriter]

7. Holding prisoners without charges, trials or access to counsel.

Oh yeah. We love freedom.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Kick.....

[illumn8d]

9. Political Cover

It's very frustrating that AI used the term 'Gulag' in their speech. It's given the administration political cover -- instead of actually forced them to address the contents of the report (which doesn't mention Gulag anywhere) the absurdity of the analogy is the main thrust of the debate.

[0007]

10. I bet the full court press is on at Guantanamo

"Transparency is the best antidote to misinformation and incorrect facts," said Khan, who is here to meet with Japanese officials.

The United States holds about 520 men at Guantanamo, where they are denied rights accorded under international law to prisoners of war.

Many have been held without charge for more than three years."

[thecai]

11. What Was "ABSURD" Was Bush Stating...

..."We didn't know about it" and "that's not the American way!" when reports of the abuse were publicized. Bush has ignored reports of injustice and inmate abuse/neglect/murder in the U.S. "Gulag" jails and prisons for YEARS, including while he was Governor of Texas, one of the worst states for abuse. The Privatized Prisons (slave factories) are no better, yet our politicians own stock in them.
IMPEACH BUSH NOW
REDRESS The U.S. Government!

[cap]

12. 3 cheers for Amnesty having the backbone to answer

bush back in kind... instead of being spineless like Newsweek.