US urged to end Guantanamo torture

[cal04]

Europe's top human rights body has called on the US to stop torture and mistreatment of Guantanamo detainees, asking it to either give the prisoners a fair trial or release them. The parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe on Tuesday asked the US government "to cease torturing and mistreating detainees" at its facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

"The US government has betrayed its own highest principles in the zeal with which it has attempted to purse the war on terror," it said.

"These errors have perhaps been most manifest in relation to Guantanamo Bay," said the resolution passed by parliamentarians of the pan-European body at a session in Strasbourg. Based on reports by legal and human rights organisations, many if not all detainees have been subjected to inhuman treatment in some cases amounting to torture, the resolution said.

The US conduct in Guantanamo has been "an insult to the values of all civilised countries. We must respond firmly to threats but not in an unjust manner," said British parliamentarian Kevin McNamara at the session. The assembly plans to pursue the issue through talks with the US Congress. The United States has observer status at the 46-member Council of Europe.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/C7B23C7C-FAA4-4CAB-A07A-0A594422DC4F.htm

[TahitiNut]

1. Well, that'll sure cause 'em to mend their ways.

Not. I recall the same attitude of discussion and civility was extended to Hitler by Chamberlain. The U.S. is an outlaw nation run by war criminals.

[struggle4progress]

2. Concur in part, dissent in part. You're right that it won't change ...

... Bushista behavior. But this small step may signal the glacial beginning of an important series of diplomatic moves ...