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UN Investigator Urges Probe of Alleged US Torture
UN says "torture practices" under Bush not continuing * But Obama administration has failed to investigate
UNITED NATIONS - A U.N. torture investigator said President Barack Obama has ended harsh interrogations that were commonplace during the Bush era but an independent probe is needed of U.S. practices since 2001.
The UN investigator reiterated calls by other U.N. officials for the Obama administration to investigate reports from reams of leaked military documents showing U.S. troops killed Iraqi civilians or ignored prisoner abuse by Iraqis.(CBS/AFP/Getty Images) "There is a major difference between the Bush and the Obama
administration," Manfred Nowak told reporters on Tuesday. "To
my knowledge, the torture practices under the Bush
administration are not anymore continuing."
Nowak, an Austrian human rights lawyer who has been U.N. special rapporteur on torture for six years, called for an investigation of all allegations of U.S. torture and collusion with states that use torture since the fight against militants began in earnest after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.
Nowak was an outspoken critic of the Bush administration, above all for what he described as the "illegal" military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay and secret transfers of suspected militants to third countries where prisoners were routinely tortured -- a practice known as "extraordinary rendition."
"I'm not receiving allegations -- and I received them during the Bush administration on a more or less daily basis -- of torture, ill treatment (and) rendition flights to countries that are torturing," he said.
Nowak said Obama, who took office in January 2009, appeared to be sincere in his desire to shut down the widely criticized Guantanamo Bay prison but had been impeded by Congress, governors of states who refused to let detainees be transferred and a lack of help from European nations.
Officials from President George W. Bush's administration have denied practicing torture but acknowledged using "enhanced interrogation" techniques on suspected militants such as waterboarding, in which water is forced down the noses and throats of prisoners to make them fear they are drowning.
Many human rights experts say waterboarding amounts to torture. Bush's rendition program was also heavily criticized.
"NOT MUCH HAS BEEN DONE"
Nowak criticized the Obama administration for not pursuing the allegations of torture under Bush.
There was "an obligation under the Convention Against Torture to independently investigate every allegation of torture or suspicion of torture, and there are plenty of allegations," he said. "Not much has been done."
The obligation, Nowak said, extended to the courts, which are required to prosecute those suspected of committing or supporting torture and to order the payment of compensation.
Nowak complained that the Obama administration, like Bush's before, has invoked state secrecy laws to block all civil litigation by victims of alleged rendition and torture.
Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Iraq and Afghanistan were among the countries to which the United States consistently sent suspected militants, he said.
Nowak also reiterated calls by him and other U.N. officials for the Obama administration to investigate reports from reams of leaked military documents showing U.S. troops killed Iraqi civilians or ignored prisoner abuse by Iraqis.
But he made clear a proper investigation should not be limited to Iraq and that congressional inquiries would not suffice because they are not in the public domain.
"What we need is a full investigation into torture practices by U.S. officials -- whether it's military officials, CIA officials or private security companies," he said, adding it should include those "who willingly and knowingly handed over detainees to other states" that torture.
An ideal probe, Nowak said, would be conducted by a special
prosecutor or panel of international experts.
(Editing by John O'Callaghan)
- Posted in
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42 Comments so far
Show AllTo my knowledge, this bigwig at the United Nations has it wrong and torture a US Government policy has continued under the current US president in giving the USA W;'s third term and that needs to be investigated.
It's also interesting that this UN bigwig provides no proof for his statement that this president has ended torture as a policy.
Also presidentially approved lynchings of US citizens abroad which is to say death sentences carried out with presidential sanction but lacking in any due process should likewise be investigated.
AD
What might be true, or I wish were true, is that Obama does some things quietly for obvious reasons--he doesn't get credit but he doesn't get blame from the flame-throwers.
He wasn't silent!
He said it was, "unfortunate".
Like Obama's private deals with Big Pharma to guarantee them that
there would be no Medicare negotiation on drug?
Or maybe Obama's private backroom deals with Health Care Industry
that he would PRESERVE PRIVATIZED HEALTH CARE?
.
"According to all myth, the female - not the male -- gives life"
The first writer is correct. The UN has it wrong. Obama issued an executive order during his first week in office, announcing that the military would not torture, but there were some big loopholes in that order.
It specifically did not apply to "counterterror" operations and persons captured in the so-called "war on terror."
And while the CIA was told not to turture, lots of other agencies were conspicuously left out, including the FBI, DIA, DEA, ATF, NSA, etc.
Furthermore, there is hard evidence that torture is continuing at sites like Bagram Prison, and as I wrote yesterday at www.thiscantbehappening.net, is fighting (successfully thanks to shameless judges on the federal court) to keep what it is doing secret.
Dave Lindorff
Visit Dave Lindorff's website at www.thiscantbehappening.net
Thanks, Dave, for setting the record straight!
And. I always appreciate your writings.
Peace,
rita
"Obama issued an executive order during his first week in office, announcing that the MILITARY would not torture."
Oh, then who is he getting to do the torture these days?
One correction Louis: you say
"in which water is forced down the noses and throats of prisoners to make them fear they are drowning." Not correct - waterboarding IS controlled drowning.
Also, in regards to this administration verses the last = blocking investigations and prosecutions is obstruction of justice. And the recent leaked pentagon documents call into question the assumption in this article that things have changed. We need to know.
Let the truth continue to out!
It is hard to prove a negative, i.e., to prove that this administration is NOT using torture. But I read that the Obama administration specifically did NOT end torture; rather, it chose to "study" the matter for a time. But sure, torture should be investigated. Nine eleven should also be investigated. The widespread electoral fraud of 2004 and 2001 should be investigated. The corporate criminality that led to the sub-prime mortgage crisis and the market collapses of 2007 and 2008 should be investigated. Anything else? I'm sure we could come up with a long list of things that SHOULD be investigated....and won't be, because the criminals are in charge.
In my opinion, Obama should close Gitmo. If the thugs will not allow this to proceed, then he should give each detainee a full pardon one at a time each week until the thugs allow this shamefull place to close completely and forever. Most of the people in this prison are innocent anyway! Give this base back to it's rightfull owner "Cuba".
"...our nation will destroy itself and the rest of the world..."
Perhaps, the rest of the world will destroy the u.s.
I don't think Oblahma ended torture, just renamed it.
With that one statement, the UN has openly proved it is now utterly, completely irrelevant.
As of right now I am overjoyed that Canada was denied a seat on the UN Security Council.
Obama ended torture. Wow. Bullshit just tastes SO GOOD...
Jill October 27th, 2010 10:49 am, dlindorff October 27th, 2010 10:06 am, and AD October 27th, 2010 9:53 am – Your comments underscore my sense of frustration reading this article. Manfred Nowak says to his knowledge, the Bush torture practices aren’t continuing. “To my knowledge” is equivalent to saying you’re not sure because you don’t have as much information as you might want to have. This subject is of vital importance to not only the victims of torture and their families, but to all of us – I speak of U.S. families – who risk retaliation for past and continuing torture conducted by and with the approval and acquiescence of the U.S. Someone purporting to speak for the U.N. should know what he’s talking about. To speak as Nowak did grossly downplays the seriousness of this matter.
Nowak says he’s no longer receiving reports like those he received while Bush was in power. How can this be? Do those of you with solid information know how to reach Nowak so that he can receive reports?
Louis Charbonneau’s article also euphemistically discusses the issue of whether waterboarding is torture. We’re long past that. International and U.S. federal law forbid waterboarding, because it’s torture. I would like to know if Nowak shares Charbonneau’s view on this.
According to Charbonneau, Nowak thinks we need a “full investigation into torture practices by U.S. officials.” We need prosecutors to get going on prosecutions. If a murderer tortures someone, there’s no hesitation to investigate immediately for the direct purpose of prosecuting. Even a modest respect for human decency requires nothing less with respect to official U.S. torture.
Here is a photograph of a guard at Abu Ghraib that Wikileaks never published and is why there will be no torture investigation. Note that the photo only shows evidence of who else was/is involved and not anything gruesome or distasteful.
http://whatreallyhappened.com/IMAGES/blackscorpion.jpg
So few incidents of torture have actually been investigated. Take the myriad examples contained in the book, along with the various reasons why investigations have faltered...
http://noneofuswerelikethisbefore.com/
Well, we can certainly add Afghanistan and Iraq as full time torture sites...U.S. prison states. Another reason for the 'wars'.
Giving Oilbomber the pass, relative to the ongoing torture policy of the US, renders the UN's opinion toothless to the nth degree.
BS. The UN is about as credible as the Nobel Foundation. Trying to polish-up your "peace prize" winner, eh guys?
Please everyone, why so doubtful of this story? It seems to me there is a deep misunderstanding here with the commentators.
We at NewSpeak wish to gain your full attention and full confidence so listen closely once again. This is the short version:
First, there is no torture going on in Iraq or anywhere. Our re-branding manual speaks clearly on this point- it is "enhanced and intense tickling of baddies" and is used only as a last resort and only if the first resort is a proven failure or if an unnamed official requests an intense "tickle session."
Secondly, these practices are obviously not happening, as we have told you they have not been looked into. No one has looked into the matter therefore it has not, is not and never will be happening. Why is that so hard to understand?
Lastly, we here at Mini-Truth are trustworthy and it's true we have lied in the past but no one will or has looked into that either, so in fact we haven't lied before no matter who tells you so.
So we hope you have now had a chance to unlearn what you may have heard elsewhere and re-learn what we will tell you in the future. Thanks for your consideration.
Are there any courses offered in NewSpeak? It seems I have not been properly educated.
Check out "The New York Times Torture Euphemism Generator!"; it's the equivalent of a Newspeak 101 correspondence course.
http://www.boingboing.net/2010/10/22/torture.html
(hearty round of belly laughter) Now I know the proper terminology and lingo, Cheers for that OS. "custom body reconfiguration admeasurements" this might be the affordable answer to very expensive cosmetic surgery.
"A U.N. torture investigator said President Barack Obama has ended harsh interrogations that were commonplace during the Bush era but an independent probe is needed of U.S. practices since 2001..."
You gotta be kidding me. Is anyone supposed to take this crap seriously?
Number one: "harsh interrogations". If those evil other countries do it is torture and crime against humanity, if the US Empire does it, it is called "harsh interrogation"
Why not call just call it "creative coercive techniques"
Two: if there needs to be an independant probe, how can anyone say that there is no torture going on right now?
It is difficult not to view this as merely public relations fluff (aka propaganda)
Manfred Nowak contradicts himself according to a WSJ article.
“Mr. Nowak said the leaked documents that outline U.S. prisoner handovers "confirm what we knew and heard" about the "brutality and torture systematically practiced by Iraqi security forces and irregular militias." He added: "It shows very clearly that the Bush and OBAMA administrations knew, and know, that when they are handing over detainees under U.S. custody to Iraqi security forces that there is a serious risk of them being subjected to torture."
…
Mr. Nowak also said a "full" U.S. investigation should also look into torture practiced directly by officials of the U.S. military, the Central Intelligence Agency and private security companies in Iraq, Afghanistan or the U.S.-run prison at Cuba's Guantanamo Bay. "The Senate intelligence committee has done certain investigations, but they are not in the public domain and they are not sufficient whatsoever," Mr. Nowak told a U.N. press conference.
He said the Bush and OBAMA administrations had not allowed him to visit U.S.-run detention centers in Afghanistan or Iraq, or to privately interview detainees in Guantanamo. “
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303341904575576490552104562.html?mod=rss_US_News
Love the headline: UN Investigator Urges Probe of Alleged US Torture
What next? IMF investigator urges probe of alleged Wall Street financial fraud and mismanagement?
Obama passed what he could in less than 2 yrs Health care-Wall St reform- saved
G M & Its jobs he has taken on global crash- long wars- has been up against
an Entire T V Network + Palen - Bachman- Angle- Beck- Newt -Boehner -
700 toxic talk radio shows day after day - without let up.
GOP/DeMint- has vowed to cause Obama's Waterloo - Crush him-take him out.
They advocate using guns- violence to get their way. Want rape victims to be
forced to give birth !! GOP & pals have called him most vile names- demonized him- used phony fear tactics - The GOP's best weapon. GOP Compared him to a chimp ! How can any sane person vote for that toxic crap ? How ?
Was reading an article about the UN involvement in the Kymer Rouge war crimes trials. they are accused of killing up to 1.7 million Cambodians
I found it telling that no one ever calls for a war crimes trial for the US secret bombing of Cambodia, which propbably killed far more than 1.7 million, and predated and set the stage for the Kymer Rouge.
It would just be unthinkable to question the American Empire's self-appointed right to murder anyone, at anytime, in any place.
I don't know if I believe that we sent people to be tortured in Syria. They are an enemy of the US. If I were them, I wouldn't torture for the US, because we are GUARANTEED to use it against them when it becomes expedient. Most people that we go after for human rights violations have done it with our weapons, under our direction, and have gotten paid to do it.
WHY ARE BUSH CHENEY EXEMPT FOR OBEYING OUR LAWS ?
are we saying THEY ABOVE THE LAW ?
ITS A DISGRACE. Tell Obama now Enforce our laws NOW.
www.whitehouse.gov click contact upper right Its E Z
A group of activists led by Cindy Sheehan once visited Conyers' Capitol Hill office to remind him of that seeming determination.
When Conyers hemmed and hawed and demurred, Cindy stopped his tapdancing cold by reading aloud passages from his own writing.
Finally, Conyers called the Capitol Police. Cindy and the group were forcibly removed and arrested.
Obama has kept and expanded some of the worst of Bush's policies.