UN investigator fears abuse with U.S. law

[brettdale]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-09-29T122348Z_01_L29815700_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-GUANTANAMO-RIGHTS.xml


UN investigator fears abuse with U.S. law

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. torture investigator charged on Friday that a new U.S. law for tough interrogation of terrorism suspects would deprive people of the right to a fair trial before independent courts and could lead to mistreatment.

Manfred Nowak, United Nations special rapporteur on torture, regretted that the bill ignored U.N. rights bodies which have said U.S. interrogation methods and prolonged detentions violate international law.

The Senate gave final approval on Thursday to the bill, a day after its passage by the House of Representatives. President George W. Bush is expected to sign it into law very soon.


"I am afraid that with the new law, the interrogation methods will not really change. Bush has said that harsh interrogation methods will continue and that is my concern," the Austrian law professor said in a telephone interview.

[Jack Rabbit]

1. I fear it, too

What pragmatic steps, Mr. Nowak, are you prepared to take should our fears be realized?

[Kagemusha]

2. What would she do? It's the most powerful country on earth,

and it's not her country. What can she do?