U.N. Expert Says U.S. Stalling on Request to Visit Guantanamo

[cal04]

U.N. Expert Says U.S. Stalling on Request to Visit Guantanamo Detainees

U.N. experts believe the United States is stalling on their request to visit accused terror detainees at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, one of the experts said Thursday. Manfred Nowak, the U.N. special investigator on torture, said that he and three other experts would use a news conference later Thursday to voice their complaints that Washington has not responded to their mid-April request to check on the conditions of the detainees. Nowak declined to comment further before the news conference.

A U.S. spokeswoman denied there was any stall and said the delay was attributable to the United States' review process, which is "thorough and independent," and involves the Bush administration, Congress and the U.S. judicial system. "It is true there is no answer yet to their request, but the main point is that their request is being addressed and discussed and reviewed in the United States," Brooks Robinson, spokeswoman for the U.S. mission to U.N. offices in Geneva, told The Associated Press.

U.S. officials so far have allowed only the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit detainees at Guantanamo, where the U.S. holds alleged terror suspects. The ICRC keeps its findings confidential, reporting them solely to the detaining power, although some of the reports have been leaked by what the ICRC says were third parties. The U.N. experts would be expected to make a public report. U.N. human rights investigators have been trying to visit Guantanamo since 2002.

Nowak renewed the request in April but said U.S. officials refused to guarantee him the right to speak to detainees in private - an "absolute precondition" for such a visit. Nowak, an Austrian lawyer, said his team would need full access to the facilities and the prison population.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB0IPKTAAE.html

[HeeBGBz]

1. Give them permission or face war crimes

Give them permission AND face war crimes.

Between Iraq and a hard place...

[Solly Mack]

2. IOW. The US is giving Gitmo the Theresienstadt treatment

going to pass it off as the new Paradise Ghetto.

[Oversea Visitor]

3. See what happen

when you piss of people like ICRC and Human right Organisation
See that gravel you took when you walk out make them come back with BIG BIG HAMMER
Now bend over and be nice and truly spank

[LynnTheDem]

4. You mean like what bush blamed Saddam Hussein for??? I'm SHOCKED!

Gee, it's the first item on bush's "Iraq; A Decade of Deception"

Refusal to Admit Human Rights Monitors

Saddam Hussein has repeatedly refused visits by human rights monitors and the establishment of independent human rights organizations. From 1992 until 2002, Saddam prevented the UN Special Rapporteur from visiting Iraq.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/decade/sect4.html

REGIME CHANGE AMERICA!

[ClintonTyree]

5. They haven't buried all the bodies yet...

and "sanitized" the entire area. Then there's the logistical problem of flying in all of that Lemon Chicken and other scrumptious delights to have on hand for the inspectors to see. Do you know hard it is to find a good pastry chef this time of year?
This administration has done everything it can to stall or completely deny access to anyone who questions their tactics in ANY part of their government. We're STILL waiting for the reports on Bolton that could help expedite his confirmation.
The bush White House is loathe to supply anyone, anything they think will let the truth come to light. They're above the law and all oversight. To question them is downright treasonous in their opinion.

[Gman]

6. Pol Pot wouldn't let the UN visit Cambodia's prisons either

The UN must prosecute war crimes. Or else, why even have a UN?

[Bob3]

7. Got to have time to let the bruises heal and wash the s**t

off the prisoners bring in clean bedding you know the drill. Like Stalag 17 in that movie with William Holden when the red cross came to town.