Netherlands Criticises US On Guantanamo Bay

[struggle4progress]

THE HAGUE, 16/03/07 - Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen is visiting the US next month. He will among other things express the Netherlands' dissatisfaction with the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

Verhagen will address the US "in the strongest terms" about the situation in Guantanamo Bay, which is according to the minister in violation of human rights. The good friendship between the Netherlands and the US provides scope for such criticism, he said in a debate with the Lower House. "Because we share values with the US, we can address them about this."

The minister will not in any way threaten the US and "I can hardly go to Cuba myself to close down the place." But "I will make it clear that our fight against international terrorism can only be successful with respect for human rights. Because we support their fight a full 100 percent, we can tackle them about this."

According to Verhagen, "my tone will be as probing with my American colleague as with my colleague from Iran." The Lower House expressed satisfaction about Verhagen's position ...

http://www.nisnews.nl/public/160307_1.htm

[unkachuck]

1. if Verhagen....

....is truly upset about Guantanamo he should stay away in protest....else it's a,"I'm against what you're doing but let's do business anyway." situation....

[carla]

2. I emigrated to NL

in protest over the rise of fascism in the USA.

[K8-EEE]

3. wow, really??

That's fascinating....I'm a fan of the group "Venice" here in L.A., they're always touring NL, for some reason they're really popular there. I sometimes watch video clips of them on the NL shows, I started thinking how cool it seemed there but that LANGUAGE! I speak OK Spanish and passable French but Dutch would stump me big time...the words seem a mile long!

[rman]

4. ...now that everybody else has spoken out against it, and

now that the Dutch Left-Wing parties are gaining at expense of the RW parties, and now that the coalition 'governing agreement' prohibits investigation of the legality of the war in Iraq...

Well, it's better than nothing i guess.

[saigon68]

5. our fight against international terrorism can only be successful with respect for human rights

Chimp can't do that, he revels in thoughts of torture