Blair Joins Calls to Close Guantanamo
"Tony Blair joined the growing calls for the US detention camp at Guantanamo Bay to be closed after he was questioned about the claims of torture by two British residents held there." PM finally calls for Guantanamo to close [Independent]
Judge agrees with the trio...
Ok, not really, but close enough...
Bought to my attention by a side note in the
Gold Coast Bulletin, some comments from former Australian Federal Court judge Marcus Einfeld, in relation to the Australian Governments
Anti-Terror Bill 2005.
Further searching allowed me to find some more information courtest of
The Age. Speaking at a symposium at the University of Western Sydney, Justice Einfeld QC questioned how many fundamental human rights Australians were expected to give up in the interests of protection."Despite protests from groups as diverse as extreme left activists to members of the Liberal Party itself, and critical debate at the highest academic levels, the government has seen fit to expand on legislation that many have decried as archaic," he told the gathering."They are a Pandora's Box of possible abuses if used incorrectly. How far do we allow ourselves to be led away from fundamental liberal and democratic tenets in the name of fighting terrorism?"Einfeld went a little further in his criticisms of the Howard Regime...
"Many of these (terrorist) countries have been backed and financed by the US and other western powers, including Australia whose own very personal contribution to the terrorist regimes via the Australian Wheat Board is now believed by every taxi driver in the country"I'm not to sure about the taxi driver comment, although they do read the papers which is a whole lot more that a number of other people I know...
In closing I'm going to allow Justice Einfeld one last parting shot...
"Apparently political transparency is a democratic ideal to which we only pay lips service these days."
Australia Donates to UN....or do they
I was just consuming a bit of coffee when I seriously burned my tongue (thanks Starbucks) after hearing that the United Nations had at long last opened its Central Emergency Response Fund.
The burn was not a reaction to the UN opening the fund, but rather Australia donating $10 million dollars to it. Why did that shock me? I wasn't sure until the figure of $10 million hung around for a while....
Earlier this year a small article was written in
The Australian that showed that the Australian Wheat Board (AWB), currently being investigated for giving some $300 million dollars in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein, had ripped off, through inflated pricing the United Nations World Food Program...
So how much did the AWB "steal" from the UNWFP..... $10 million
[edit - I have been informed by my crack legal team that the word Alleged should appear at least once in this post, it now does...]
(US) A.G. Alberto R. Gonzales Vs United Nations
The following quote was made by United States Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales at the International Institute for Strategic Studies on March the 7th 2006. (Full Transcript available
here )
'Some say that in pursuing the war on terror America has failed to respect human rights and the rule of law. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dealing with captured terrorists is a difficult challenge in this very different kind of war and we are constantly working to improve our detainee policies and procedures. But the United States, together with our European allies, has always been, and remains, a great defender of human rights; and the rule of law is an essential element of all of our democracies.'
You've seen enough pictures on this blog in relation to torture, I don't think anymore need to be posted.
The following remarks are taken from the United Nations Economic and Social Council's report 'Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Civil and Political Rights: Situation of detainees at Guantanamo Bay'.
Conclusions and Recommendations
84. The persons held at Guantanamo Bay are entitled to challenge the legality of their detention before a judicial body in accordance with article 9 of ICCPR, and to obtain release if detention is found to lack a proper legal basis. This right is currently being violated...
85. The executive branch of the United States Government operates as judge, prosecutor and defence counsel of the Guantanamo Bay detainees: this constitutes serious violations of various guarantees of the right to a fair trial before an independent tribunal...
87. The interrogation techniques authorised by the Department of Defense, particularly if used simultaneously, amount to degrading treatment in violation of article 7 of ICCPR and article 16 of the Convention against Torture...
88. The excessive violence used in many cases during transportation, in operations by the Initial Reaction Forces and force-feeding of detainees on hunger strike must be assessed as amounting to torture as defined in article 1 of the Convention against Torture.
There are plenty more allegations against the United States of torture, I mean all you need to do is open up a newspaper and your sure to find something.
Gonzales went a step further during questions after his little speech as reported on Radio National Australia and
here...
[Gonzales] questions the relevance of the [Geneva] Convention in today's world.
"I think it's always appropriate to look to see whether or not in this new kind of war against ... this new kind of enemy, are the conventions, are all the provisions of the conventions [relevant]."
Shrub vs Little Johnny
As Bonyo has already alluded to, Australia enjoys following the USA as often as possible. However, this time it appears Dubya has opted to follow Little Johnny and try his hand at some cricket.
I'm not the worlds greatest sportsman, but I mean come on, as this picture clearly alludes to, gentleman I implore you, just stop it...
USA saves the day
So.... Bush is in India for the first time. Is this trip really about cooperation, or control? You be the judge.
March 2 (Bloomberg) -- Almost a tenth of India's economy was being murdered in the dark, strangled by power shortages. And then George W. Bush said, ``Let there be light.''
That, in a nutshell, is the thrust of a much-debated nuclear-energy agreement the U.S. president will be pursuing with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh when the two leaders meet in New Delhi today.
After India allied itself with the Soviet Union and tested a ``peaceful'' nuclear device in 1974, the supply of technical assistance, reactors and heavy water it had received in the previous two decades from the U.S., the U.K., Canada and other countries, turned into a trickle.
While India has continued to develop warheads with indigenous raw materials and technology, the civilian nuclear program has suffered greatly because of the sanctions, which were tightened after India conducted underground fissile-material tests again in 1998.
An acute power crisis is all too visible in India.
Computer software companies in Bangalore keep enough generator fuel to last them a week, or longer, in case the overburdened power distribution network breaks down.
Domestic output of coal, which contributes to two-thirds of India's total power production, isn't keeping pace with demand. Gas is in short supply.
For India to break free from the restrictions placed on it by dismantling its nuclear-weapons program is not feasible.
There's considerable political and public support for maintaining a deterrent power against China and Pakistan, the two neighbors that possess nuclear bombs.
And ending the Indian nuclear-weapons program wouldn't help the U.S.'s aim of using India as a counterweight to the rising military might of China. (Andy Mukherjee is a columnist for Bloomberg News)
Anyhow...blah blah blah...the gist of it all is USA to the rescue. Here they come to save the day (notice my mighty mouse reference). As part of the movement to engage India, it will have to make several concessions such as submitting to inspections of its nuclear facilities by IAEA. Bottom line = USA getting its way! Question 1. Is this a good or bad thing? Or perhaps a bit of both! Question 2. How long will it be before Australia follows the U.S. lead and courts India a bit more? My guess ....not very long
