'Bankrupt' war on terror - Amnesty

27 May 2004
In its annual report released on 27 May, Amnesty International accused the US administration and President George Bush in particular of pursuing policies 'bankrupt of vision and bereft of principles'.

Human rights organisation Amnesty told how human rights and international laws had come under the most sustained attack in 50 years from the 'war on terror' led by the US and the UK.

The US administration is accused of 'sacrificing human rights in the name of security at home and abroad, using pre-emptive military force when it chooses'. This approach has 'damaged justice and freedom, and made the world a more dangerous place'.

The report criticised the killing of hundreds of civilians killed by the US in Iraq. It also stated that while international focus has been on the Iraq war, attention has been diverted from other conflicts and human rights abuses in Chechnya, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan and Nepal, which 'remain a breeding ground for some of the worst atrocities'.

President Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair proclaim they have liberated the people of Iraq from Saddam Hussein's brutal regime. White House spokesman Scott McClellan criticised the report. 'The war on terrorism has protected the human rights of some 25 million people in Afghanistan, and 25 million in Iraq,' he said.

But the report paints a picture of governments across the globe using 'security' as an excuse to authorise excessive force and repressive laws, under the cloak of America's own global campaign.

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