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Dear Bert
Thanks for message. The subject of AI deserves a separate message.
On the outset let me state that :
- I Have never read any of their reports ( I heard of them on the radio and
were quoted in papers). I hope you didn’t expect me to have read them.
- I am in no way defending the other side or agreeing with his methods.
- Over the many many years living in Baghdad and talking to people from
inside and outside the country I think some cases were deliberately distorted
to suite the objective.
- The news media may have contributed to the bad image of AI by selectively
reporting abuse of human rights in one country while neglecting the reports of
other countries. AI may (?) have reports on the human rights abuses of the
Palestinians by the Israeli authorities but such reports are very seldom
broadcasted. We see every day on our televisions the killings and the
destruction of house in Gaza and other Palestinian cities and do not read or
hear AI reports condemning such actions. The next day we are bombarded by AI
reports criticizing KSA because the punishment for some crimes did not meet
the standards of the west . AI might not be at fault but it might be the
media.
- AI reports are always available to be used selectively. In my previous
posting I pointed out that the UK ignored AI reports for 20+ years, to further
their interest, then decided to open the files, added the figures and came up
with 30000+. In fact AI reports are becoming ready made inditement document to
be used as and when needed.
- When ever there is a westerner involved in a crime in a third wold
country, e.g. drinking alcohol in KSA, every one quotes AI reports as if the
westerners should to be judged by a different standards.
- AI concentrates on the political rights and tend to ignore other rights.
Sanctions that effect civilian population is really a collective punishment (
saying it mildly ) of innocent people. The effects of this punishment are more
devastating and more important ( to the people being punished) than the
ability to say that the leader is good or bad. One has to feed his family,
work at a decent work ( no more than 40-50 hours a week) , send his children
to schools, see to it that kids are treated adequately at hospital, …the list
is long.. In a posting to CASI last year some one said that AI is considering
taking a stand against sanctions. The question DID THEY? IF so why did it take
them so long?
- I think the “acid test” for AI is now. Can AI stand firm and demand that
US should respect the human rights of the prisoners from Afghanistan ( the
Arabs, the Moslems and the westerners ). Are we going to see a deference in
their treatment. Are they going to appear in front of the same courts Are they
going to enjoy equal legal protection. I hope so . If AI can not defend ,
protect and stop the human right abuses of the leader of the free world
(America) then why do you expect that dictators to respect it. With the
current climate I think we are going to see the “double standard judicial
system” to compliment the “double standard political system”.
Best regards
Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar
Baghdad, Iraq
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