[Nettime-bold] Re: HRW: U.S. Should Oppose Allies' Misuse of "Anti-Terror"

["Ivo Skoric" <ivo@reporters.net>]

Amusing as ever, the HRW does not mention Israel, of course. But 
it is true that the U.S. anti-terrorism campaign was welcomed 
warmly around the world by practically any opressive regime 
except for Taliban, who happen to be the target.
ivo

Date sent:      	Wed, 26 Sep 2001 11:14:11 -0400
Send reply to:  	International Justice Watch Discussion List
             	<JUSTWATCH-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU>
From:           	Andras Riedlmayer <riedlmay@FAS.HARVARD.EDU>
Subject:        	HRW: U.S. Should Oppose Allies' Misuse of "Anti-Terror"
To:             	JUSTWATCH-L@LISTSERV.ACSU.BUFFALO.EDU

U.S. Should Oppose Allies' Misuse of "Anti-Terror"

(New York, September 25, 2001) -- The Bush Administration should signal
its allies not to use the fight against terrorism as cover for their own
domestic campaigns against political opponents, Human Rights Watch urged
today in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.

In recent days, a number of governments around the world have taken
advantage of the attacks of September 11 to justify internal crackdowns
against those they deem to be terrorists and "separatists."

Russia has compared the U.S. war on terrorism to its own brutal campaign
against Chechen rebels. China has requested support for its repressive
policies in Tibet and the Muslim region of Xinjiang. Egypt has lashed out
against outside criticism of its human rights record, saying that the
world should now adopt its fight against terrorism as a model.

"If an American-led counter-terrorism effort becomes associated with
attacks on peaceful dissent and religious expression, it will undermine
everything the United States is trying to achieve," said Kenneth Roth,
Executive Director of Human Rights Watch. "Many countries are sensing
that the United States will condone actions committed in the name of
anti-terrorism that it would have condemned a short time ago."

The danger of this kind of opportunism is particularly acute in Central
Asia, Human Rights Watch said. Uzbekistan, which U.S. military forces
will be using as a staging ground for operations in Afghanistan, has in
recent years imprisoned thousands of non-violent Muslims for worshiping
outside state controls or joining unregistered religious organizations.

"President Bush has rightly said this can't become a war on Islam," Roth
said. "Uzbekistan's indiscriminate persecution of non-violent Muslims
is directly undermining his message."

Human Rights Watch called on the U.S. administration to continue denying
U.S. security assistance to those who might use it to commit human rights
abuses, to avoid cooperative activities that will be read by abusive
governments as condoning their practices, and to publicly condemn efforts
by repressive governments to take advantage of the recent attack.

A copy of the letter sent to Secretary Powell can be found at
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/09/uspowell0924.htm.

For more information on human rights and the September 11 attacks,
please see Aftermath of the September 11 Attacks: Human Rights
Implications (HRW focus page) at
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/september11/.

=


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