US slams Amnesty criticism

[cal04]

THE White House has slammed as "ridiculous and unsupported" claims by Amnesty International in its annual report that the US has undermined respect for human rights across the world by striving to weaken absolute opposition to torture.

"I think the allegations are ridiculous and unsupported by the facts," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said. "The United States is leading the way when it comes to protecting human rights and promoting human dignity.

"We have liberated 50 million people in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have worked to advance freedom and democracy in the world so that people are governed under a rule of law and that there are ... protections in place for minority rights, that women's rights are advanced so that women can fully participate in societies where now they cannot," Mr McClellan said.

Amnesty Secretary General Irene Khan said at the London launch of the report: "When the most powerful country in the world thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants a licence to others to commit abuse with impunity and audacity." The rhetoric of freedom and justice was being used to "redefine and sanitise torture", Ms Khan said, citing US military terms used to hide mistreatment of prisoners such as "stress positions" and "sensory manipulation".


http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,15410913%255E1702,00.html
:puke:

[Pacifist Patriot]

1. Translating Scotty McCLIElan...

"I think the allegations are not ridiculous and are supported by the facts," White House spokesman Scott McCLIElan said. "The United States is leading the way when it comes to abusing human rights and shredding human dignity."

Considering the man cannot open his mouth without stating the exact opposite, I believe this is what he really intended to say.

[renaissanceguy]

39. What he meant was

"We liberated the Iraqis by killing them." :SARCASM:


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.21272885

[MaineDem]

2. Well I expected this

I don't believe the White House but I expected this response.

[Solly Mack]

3. he's a liar and he doesn't care that he is a liar

so he'll keep lying... and if he ever gets held criminally accountable for his lies, he'll still lie.

They don't care. They can't be shamed. They have no conscience.

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ConcernedCanuk]

22. OMG - death penalty for lying politicians ??

.
.
.
ya realize how many dead bodies would be laying around??

but a damm good idea . .

but y'all would lose that warmongering pResident y'all got

aww gee . . .

:nopity:

[mojavekid]

28. "Betrayal of the Public Trust"

A room mate of mine, many moons ago used to go about making it a capital offense, for politicians.......

I was all for it.

[shadowknows69]

37. Betrayal of the public trust=treason n/t

[thecai]

4. Amnesty International Needs To Investigate The Gulag Prisons in America

Starting with Texas, one of the WORST states for inmate abuse/neglect/murder. As if Bush doesn't know about that.
Next investigate the Privatized Prisons (slave-labor) in the U.S., where they "do not have to meet the requirements of Dept. of Corrections prisons". They don't even serve fruit to their inmates.
Bush Family owns stock in those prisons.

Next step; IMPEACH BUSH NOW

[Fire Walk With Me]

5. TheOnion had a bit on Bush's War Against Criticism

It becomes more and more literal every day.

[samsingh]

6. isn't this the same Scott who retracted his newsweek stance ?

[warrior1]

7. Then they

beat up the report and shoved a light stick up it's ....

[slamthecrank]

26. LOL....

thank you, I needed that laugh.

:yourock:

[jobycom]

8. Hitler

Anyone still not see it?

[thecai]

24. EVERYTHING Bush Says and Does Is "Hitler Modus Operandi"

I'm appalled EVERYONE doesn't see it.

[Miss Chybil]

9. Wait, everything McClellan and Bush say is ridiculous and unsupported

by the facts. God, I long for the days when I could half believe my government...

[sweetheart]

10. McClellan sweetie... that itching feeling...

at the back of your neck, is the hand up your ass. You are such a tool
you devious little shit.

Well, a denial by the house of filth, is pretty much an admission of
guilt these days. Gosh, remember the days when you did not need the
doublespeak filter to listen to the government?

[rodeodance]

11. the WH is tad bit sensitive wouldn't yah say!!

[rodeodance]

12. says the US thumbs it nose at the rule of law. yup take that

BushCO

[sweetheart]

13. cognitive dissonance...

its the republican way of life.

[rodeodance]

14. scott has a few more things to say in this briefing

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050525-3.html#f

Q On various reports of abuse, whether it's at Guantanamo Bay or Afghanistan, you've often said that those are isolated incidents. Are there any U.S. policies, though, in place currently that have lead to those isolated incidences that should be reevaluated?

MR. McCLELLAN: We are a society based on laws and values -- it's not just laws, but also values that we hold dearly. And certainly, what you bring up has been a stain on the image of the United States abroad. But if you look at how we address these matters, it shows our commitment to human rights and human dignity. We hold people accountable when there is abuse. We take steps to prevent it from happening again, and we do so in a very public way for the world to see that we lead by example, and that we do have values that we hold very dearly and believe in.

Q So the current policies aren't contributing to the problem?

MR. McCLELLAN: No. No.

[sweetheart]

15. that was the part about Bolton

Did you hear it in the double speak. "We hold people accountable
when there is abuse." means: "We promote abusers, because we believe
in what they stand for."

"This is why we take steps to make sure it happens again, and why
we lead by example as the most abusive administration ever to be
selected, as these values we hold dearly and believe in."

That itching must really hurt... i'm tempted to send that poor sod
a plexiglass bellybutton so he can see out.

[slamthecrank]

29. Really now

:rofl:

I mean, it couldn't be the current policies - which are that interrogators may act outside of the Geneva Conventions based on the assertion that these prisoners are not "prisoners of war", they are "terra-ists".

WITNESS THE DOUBLE-SPEAK:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/05/20030507-18.html
"the Geneva Convention will apply to the Taliban detainees, but not to the ..international terrorists." (which generally haven't even been 'accused' of anything, as yet..much less had a trial)

:wtf: :crazy:

[IChing]

16. The rhetoric of freedom and justice

was being used to "redefine and sanitise torture"

"Arbeit macht frei"

you know and remember where you saw that rhetoric.

[IChing]

18. Helen Thomas at today's briefing with mcclellan

MR. McCLELLAN: That's all I have to update at this moment. And with that, I'll be glad to go to your questions.

Q The other day -- in fact, this week, you said that we, the United States, is in Afghanistan and Iraq by invitation. Would you like to correct that incredible distortion of American history --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, we are -- that's where we currently --

Q -- in view of your credibility is already mired? How can you say that?

MR. McCLELLAN: Helen, I think everyone in this room knows that you're taking that comment out of context. There are two democratically-elected governments in Iraq and --

Q Were we invited into Iraq?

MR. McCLELLAN: There are two democratically-elected governments now in Iraq and Afghanistan, and we are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments, and we are there today --

Q You mean if they had asked us out, that we would have left?

MR. McCLELLAN: No, Helen, I'm talking about today. We are there at their invitation. They are sovereign governments --

Q I'm talking about today, too.

MR. McCLELLAN: -- and we are doing all we can to train and equip their security forces so that they can provide for their own security as they move forward on a free and democratic future.

Q Did we invade those countries?

MR. McCLELLAN: Go ahead, Steve.

[drduffy]

19. nice post,

very telling. McClellan really is a piece of sh*t. He's reached the end of what he can bullshit about. And ends up looking really ridiculous..... and if there is evil in this world, he certainly is a party to it.

[lumpy]

20. I really didn't know that Saddam invited

the US to invade that sovereign country.

[Iowa]

21. Good job Helen!

[DrDebug]

25. Hmm must have missed a story then

I never read that Saddam send out an invite.

[slamthecrank]

31. Link here...

from the WhiteHouse.gov press briefing... top of the page:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/05/20050525-3.html

[bling bling]

23. We "Liberated" 50 million people? Oh really??

The people in Iraq have been liberated from Saddam but almost half still don't have access to clean water and consistent electricity. And they don't have Saddam to be afraid of but they can't go outside and enjoy their liberation because they're too afraid of being killed by the fighting in the streets between U.S. soldiers and the resistance.

That's liberated?

[oxbow]

27. Lumpy must resign!

I'm with Keith on this one. He's lied for political gain again and again. The media should hold his feet to the fire for this.

[tuvor]

30. Amnesty International responded:

Oops. Silly us. Sorry 'bout that, don't know what we were thinking. Of course you're right, Mr. McLellan.

[Check12]

32. Very Interesting Pentagon Statement

From Think Progress

QUESTION: ave there been or are there current investigations of possible similar desecrations elsewhere - (inaudible)?

MR. DI RITA: Those types of allegations have not previously been - there's - we've not previously included that in any kind of previous investigations into detainee operations, because there haven't been credible allegations to that effect.

If they didn't investigate, how do they know the allegations are not credible?

A very good question indeed!

[DrDebug]

34. Welcome to the DU, Check12

:toast:

[Occulus]

33. Oh, sure, THAT makes us look good.

Slam reports from a well-established international aid agency.

Cool.

:banghead:

[bunny planet]

35. It's opposite day at little Scottie McClellan's house again.

Gawd, how I hate Puffy McMoon face.

[shadowknows69]

36. rmember when we used to look to A.I.

to tell us where in the world the human rights abusers were? I guess our love for organizations like this only last until we're on the list.

[muriel_volestrangler]

38. Have McClellan and the old Iraqi Information Minister been seen together?

Or did, in fact, Baghdad Bob just emigrate to the USA to continue lying on behalf of the new owners of Abu Ghraib prison, using the cunning disguise of Scottie?

[Bridget Burke]

40. Just on the subject of "women's rights".....

For all the problems occurring under Saddam, women in Iraq were more free than in many Muslim countries.

Of course, women's rights were non-existent in Afghanistan. But outside parts of Kabul, they haven't approved much.

[november3rd]

41. calling John Bolton

The timing of this report's release coincides with the motion to confirm John Bolton as United States UN ambassador.

Does anyone have any more doubts about the position Bolton is going to bring from this Administration to the United Nations? The fact that Scotty can get up there and make these ridiculous assertions about Bushco's human rights records, in the face of international evidence to the contrary, sets the stage for the rise of the Evil Empire: Bushco, Inc.

Bolton is going in to sabotage any unity and credibility and sanctity the UN has.

[MisterP]

42. Fecalissimo McClellan!

Sudan and Myanmar slam AI too, Georgie (but you're friends with them)

[thecai]

43. KICK and Request A.I Investigate American Gulag Jails and Prisons.

Bush thumbs his nose at ALL Human Rights (and Civil Liberties) in the U.S., as well.