NationStates Jolt Archive

U.N. Experts Reject U.S. Guantanamo Invite
Friday, November 18, 2005 GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) --

U.N. rights experts said Friday they rejected a U.S. invitation to visit the military prison for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay because U.S. restrictions make a fair assessment of detainee conditions impossible.

The experts, invited by the United States to visit Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, said they had to turn down the offer because U.S. officials refused to grant them the right to talk to the detainees in private.

"We deeply regret that the United States government did not accept the standard terms of reference for a credible, objective and fair assessment of the situation of the detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility," said the experts, who independently check on rights around the world.

"These terms include the ability to conduct private interviews with detainees," said a statement by five experts, whose mandates cover torture, freedom of religion, health, independent judiciary and arbitrary detention.

They said they found it "particularly disappointing that the United States government, which has consistently declared its commitment to the principles of independence and objectivity of the fact-finding mechanisms, was not in a position to accept these terms."

"Under the circumstances, we will not be traveling to Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, as doing so would undermine the principles" under which they seek to provide neutral, independent assessments of respect for human rights.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/11/18/international/i014715S13.DTL

For some reason, I don't think talking privately to prisoners in any prison in the entire world is going to give you a fair view of the situation. After all, they don't want to be in prison...

For some reason, I don't think talking privately to prisoners in any prison in the entire world is going to give you a fair view of the situation. After all, they don't want to be in prison...
Agreed; however, you cannot make a fair assesment of the situation without talking to them.

And rightly so, I would say.

Come, visit us.
Uhm, no, you can't go there. There neither. Nor there.
Aah, nope, we can't let you talk to anybody around here.

But we made cookies. Want one? Glass of milk?

Just how stupid do those guys think the U.N. is?

If you can't see everything you can't assess the whole situation, or can you?

If you've got nothing to hide then you'd have nothing to worry about, right?
Well, apparently things are different on Cuba from what the world is supposed to believe...
Strangely enough, I'm not the least bit surprised.

Agreed; however, you cannot make a fair assesment of the situation without talking to them.

True as well. Unfortunately, it doesn't say why they aren't allowed to speak privately with the prisoners.

I don't blame them. To be honest, the images of people sat in cages with pile of their own excrement nereby would have put me off booking a package tour too.

I don't blame them. To be honest, the images of people sat in cages with pile of their own excrement nereby would have put me off booking a package tour too.
That's perhaps the reason they would want to go. And since they don't get to see the people crap-swimming, they don't see the point in it now.

For some reason, I don't think talking privately to prisoners in any prison in the entire world is going to.....-snip-The way i see it..

Too much time has passed...better get private access to the POWs in the first months...or else its useless.

If I was the evil CIA...I would stage mock private interviews with fake Red-cross workers...
and beat the shit of the POWs that whined about the Torture...

the next month I would stage fake interviews with "Amnesty observers"...the POWs that whine again would be beaten tho to near death...repeat treatement needed...once every month...or random.

After some repeated fake interviews... they would stop whining to the fake observers...they would be scared to death to even talk about suffered torture.

Then you can Invite the Observers..tell them they cant be alone with them first and setting other conditions...but eventually accepting private interviews...knowing that the POWs are now too scared to talk.

That's perhaps the reason they would want to go. And since they don't get to see the people crap-swimming, they don't see the point in it now.Yeah, like going to Egypt and not seeing the pyramids. What's the point?

"In front of prison guards they would never tell you the truth because of being afraid of reprisal.

"There are certain conditions which we feel are non-negotiable and unannounced visit to places of detention and private interviews with detainees is one of those totally non-negotiable pre-conditions."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4448420.stm

"In front of prison guards they would never tell you the truth because of being afraid of reprisal.

"There are certain conditions which we feel are non-negotiable and unannounced visit to places of detention and private interviews with detainees is one of those totally non-negotiable pre-conditions."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4448420.stm

So who protects the UN idiots from being held hostage and or just killed outright if there are no guards present ? These are terrorist right ?
Are they going to interveiw them while they are trussed up in chains like mummys ?

The ICRC is already there, and has been since day one. What would the UN do that the ICRC is not doing? Make it a political circus, that's what.

So who protects the UN idiots from being held hostage and or just killed outright if there are no guards present ? These are terrorist right ?

Yes, because that's what you do when you're being held indefinitely on suspicion of extremist activity in a well-secured concentration camp. Kill someone.

You realise most of the detainees won't be that stupid?

Yes, because that's what you do when you're being held indefinitely on suspicion of extremist activity in a well-secured concentration camp. Kill someone.

You realise most of the detainees won't be that stupid?
they may not be that stupid, but after being stuck in that hellhole for several years, they may no longer care if they get to kill someone

These are terrorist right ?No they are not.

they are POW under US responsibility...

US law or international Law = Innocent until proven guilty.

The Guantamo POWs have not seen their day in Court of Law.
So No.. they are guilty of nothing.

So who protects the UN idiots from being held hostage and or just killed outright if there are no guards present ? These are terrorist right ?
Are they going to interveiw them while they are trussed up in chains like mummys ?


Yeah. I mean.... how could anyone possibly come up with an interview room that had something really high-tech like, ohhhhh, a DIVIDER!

Wow! That sounds like a great idea!

Do you think that this might be usable in prisons? you know, like for client-lawyer meetings?



Wow! What a GREAT idea!!! I'm gonna run out and patent it before anyone else thinks of it......

Yeah. I mean.... how could anyone possibly come up with an interview room that had something really high-tech like, ohhhhh, a DIVIDER!

Wow! That sounds like a great idea!

Do you think that this might be usable in prisons? you know, like for client-lawyer meetings?



Wow! What a GREAT idea!!! I'm gonna run out and patent it before anyone else thinks of it......

Did you look at the conditions for interveiwing detainees yet ? Should they wait until they build secure rooms so that the UN can interveiw prisoners or do they even exist ? Do you just read shit and jump to conclusions or do you ask questions ...you know to try to get the whole story . Like what possible reason could the US have for keeping the UN from interveiwing without a guard around....besides the insidiouse ones that everyone would like to jump to accept .

Isn't this the same thing our gov't got so peeved at Saddam for back in the day? UN wants to perform inspections, but the country in question puts so many restrictions on the visits that they become useless.

Oh, the bitter irony...

Isn't this the same thing our gov't got so peeved at Saddam for back in the day? UN wants to perform inspections, but the country in question puts so many restrictions on the visits that they become useless.
That's what I thought...

Protecting inspectors from dangerous situations is hardly an excuse for controls, is it?

People still care about the UN?

Isn't this the same thing our gov't got so peeved at Saddam for back in the day? UN wants to perform inspections, but the country in question puts so many restrictions on the visits that they become useless.

Oh, the bitter irony...

Want to give the US an ultimatum?

Sorry, bad joke.

The ICRC is already there, and has been since day one. What would the UN do that the ICRC is not doing? Make it a political circus, that's what.

Or perhaps make a report that would be public and that the international community could see, perhaps even denying allegations of abuse? I mean, since the ICRC only reports to the american government, those who are in charge of Guantanamo.

...what possible reason could the US have for keeping the UN from interveiwing without a guard around....Good question :D

Good question :D
I want the answer .

...what possible reason could the US have for keeping the UN from interveiwing without a guard around....Good question :DI want the answer .
...
I hope you are just faking stupidity...