Amnesty International says world worse since War on Terror

[Ted]

AI report

No short cut to genuine security:
Suffering beyond the spotlight


Published


People around the world are more insecure today than at any time since the end of the Cold War, Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International said today at the launch of the organization's annual report.

"The war on Iraq dominated the international agenda for the past year, but away from the eyes of the world a myriad of "forgotten" conflicts have taken a heavy toll on human rights and human lives, in places as diverse as Côte d'Ivoire, Colombia, Burundi, Chechnya and Nepal."

"Iraq and Israel and the Occupied Territories are in the news, Ituri in the Democratic Republic of Congo is not, despite the imminent threat of genocide," said Irene Khan. "Drawing attention to "hidden" crises, protecting the rights of the "forgotten victims" is the biggest challenge we face today."

Governments around the world have spent billions in an effort to beef up national security and the "war on terror", but for millions of people the real sources of insecurity were corrupt and inept systems of policing and justice; brutal repression of political dissent; severe discrimination and social inequities; extreme poverty and the spread of preventable diseases.

"A war was fought in Iraq because of the suspected presence of weapons of mass destruction. But nothing was done to stop the well-documented flow of arms that fuel conflicts and cause massive human rights abuse in many parts of the world."

More than eighteen months after the war in Afghanistan ended, millions of Afghans, including returning refugees, face an uncertain and insecure future.

"There is a very real risk that Iraq will go the way of Afghanistan if no genuine effort is made to heed the call of the Iraqi people for law and order and full respect of human rights."

At a time of heightened insecurity governments chose to ignore and undermine the collective system of security which the rule of international law represents. While claiming to bring justice to victims in Iraq, the United States has actively sought to undermine the International Criminal Court, the mechanism for universal justice.

The "war on terror", far from making the world a safer place, has made it more dangerous by curtailing human rights, undermining the rule of international law and shielding governments from scrutiny. It has deepened divisions among people of different faiths and origins, sowing the seeds for more conflict. The overwhelming impact of all this is genuine fear -- among the affluent as well as the poor.

"It is vital that we resist the manipulation of fear and challenge the narrow focus of the security agenda. The definition of security must be broadened to encompass the security of people, as well as states. That means a commitment to human rights. That means recognising that insecurity and violence are best tackled by effective, accountable states which uphold, not violate human rights," Ms Khan concluded.

Campaigns that ran throughout 2002 resulted in a number of successes. The organization succeeded in the release of individuals like former Russian prisoner of conscience Grigory Pasko, in obtaining justice for Sierra Leoneans with the establishment of a Special Court for that country and for global accountability with the entry into force of the International Criminal Court.

Beyond the spotlight: "Hidden Crises"

Away from the glare of publicity, conflict, insecurity and violence continue to affect millions of people in Africa.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the human rights situation remains bleak, with continuing fighting and attacks on civilians, particularly in the east. In the Great Lakes region too, those perpetuating human rights abuses continue to enjoy impunity.

In Burundi, government forces carried out extrajudicial killings, "disappearances", torture and other serious violations, while armed groups unlawfully killed, maimed, abducted and tortured civilians in pursuit of their political aims. Armed belligerents in Burundi continued to recruit, at times forcefully, child combatants.

Although the human rights crisis in Israel and the Occupied Territories is among the issues most discussed -- it is the least acted upon by the international community.

In Colombia, the security measures enacted by the new government exacerbated the spiralling cycle of political violence . The breakdown of peace talks in February between the government and the main armed opposition group, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), deepened the human rights crisis.

The report is available online at:
http://www.amnesty.org/report2003

Public Document

[Axis Kast]

Are you impying that Burundi, Colombia, or the Congo would have gotten any help had Iraq been a non-issue?

I seriously hope I misinterpreted this post and only assumed that its point was to criticize the War on Terror as having anything to do with more violence in Africa.

[Ted]

Are you impying that Burundi, Colombia, or the Congo would have gotten any help had Iraq been a non-issue?

I seriously hope I misinterpreted this post and only assumed that its point was to criticize the War on Terror as having anything to do with more violence in Africa.

Does Africa have anything to do with people in the US and GB getting held without trial? No.

The report mentions both the African crises AND the war on terror, which has caused more terror in the world than it tried to get rid of. After all, war IS terror, so Shrubbies little project should be War OF Terror.

[Axis Kast]

Does Africa have anything to do with people in the US and GB getting held without trial? No.

Unfortunately, but a side-show to what's going on elsewhere. The War on Terror has nothing to do with Burundi or the Congo. If we weren't occupied with Iraq, we'd still be sitting back drinking limonade as those people kill themselves and eat the leftovers.

The report mentions both the African crises AND the war on terror, which has caused more terror in the world than it tried to get rid of. After all, war IS terror, so Shrubbies little project should be War OF Terror.

In the long run, removing Saddam Hussein will only have helped the Iraqis.

[The Albino Raven]

Unfortunately, but a side-show to what's going on elsewhere. The War on Terror has nothing to do with Burundi or the Congo. If we weren't occupied with Iraq, we'd still be sitting back drinking limonade as those people kill themselves and eat the leftovers.

It's true. America wouldn't have given a shit about those people anyways.

In the long run, removing Saddam Hussein will only have helped the Iraqis.

So the ends justify the means...Maybe the Iraqi's will be better, but that doesnt make war any less of a truly fucked up experience for everyone involved. "The dead soldier doesn't care who wins the war"

[Thirdfain]

So the ends justify the means...Maybe the Iraqi's will be better, but that doesnt make war any less of a truly fucked up experience for everyone involved. "The dead soldier doesn't care who wins the war"

Whats a month of hard violence compared to TWENTY YEARS of oppression?

"The gassed Kurd doesn't care who wins the war."
"The tortured Shi'a doesn't care who wins the war."
"The executed political dissident doesn't care who wins the war."
"The American businessman killed in a terrorist attack doesn't care who wins the war."

[Hamel]

So the ends justify the means...Maybe the Iraqi's will be better, but that doesnt make war any less of a truly fucked up experience for everyone involved. "The dead soldier doesn't care who wins the war"

Whats a month of hard violence compared to TWENTY YEARS of oppression?

"The gassed Kurd doesn't care who wins the war."
"The tortured Shi'a doesn't care who wins the war."
"The executed political dissident doesn't care who wins the war."
"The American businessman killed in a terrorist attack doesn't care who wins the war."

There is no sign of the situation getting any better for the Iraqis.

[The Albino Raven]

Hey, all I'm saying is that war is not some game, some pile of statistics, it is a motherfuckin shitty place to ever find yourself or anyone you know. War is truly fucked up. Besides, if the ends justify the means, genocide is justified. If there is only one group of citizens, there is more stability, so the genocide of the other groups is ok. I'm not saying that what happened in Iraq is completely wrong/evil, but I am saying that its not something to be taken lightly

[Hamel]

I am saying that its not something to be taken lightly

I think you're preaching to the choir here -.-

The pro war people don't take it lightly or think it's a jolly good thing, they just feel that it was the best thing to do compared to anything else, which I don't agree with

But whatever

[SpacedTeddyBear]

Personally, I think that if the US were to step in and help Congo, we'd be accused of invading the country for it's gold and diamond mines.

[KrauserKrauser]

I say we invade Lichtenstein for a parking lot in Europe!

[weemadando]

Personally, I think that if the US were to step in and help Congo, we'd be accused of invading the country for it's gold and diamond mines.

Yeah, except those are heavily protected by mercenaries employed by various European concerns. Feel free to go in under the UN (I doubt the Security Council would vote against it) just don't go near the trigger happy men walking the wires there.

[Vympel]

Personally, I think that if the US were to step in and help Congo, we'd be accused of invading the country for it's gold and diamond mines.

Yeah, except those are heavily protected by mercenaries employed by various European concerns. Feel free to go in under the UN (I doubt the Security Council would vote against it) just don't go near the trigger happy men walking the wires there.

Well, the UK stepped in for peackeeping duty in Sierra Leone, and noone faulted them for it.

[Sea Skimmer]

Personally, I think that if the US were to step in and help Congo, we'd be accused of invading the country for it's gold and diamond mines.

The US did help, back in 1960...

The Congo has been getting UN peacekeeping forces from time to time for decades but the problems are not going away. Hell the battalion currently in the country wasn’t allowed to fire its weapons, resulting in much of it being trapped inside its compounds.

But right now it is not a place for US forces. Many nations can spare a battalion or infantry or two and charter a couple planes to fly them in. Let them handle this rather then the US further straining its own aircraft and troops.

[Sea Skimmer]

I say we invade Lichtenstein for a parking lot in Europe!

Two thirds of the country is mountains and the other third is five narrow valleys. Not real great for parking.