The Bush Administration Was For Amnesty International Before It Was Against It
The Bush Administration Was For Amnesty International Before It Was Against It
Tonight, Vice President Cheney will appear on CNN’s Larry King Live and reportedly condemn a recent Amnesty International report that faults the U.S. for its treatment of detainees in the war on terror. Cheney has said:
For Amnesty International to suggest that somehow the United States is a violator of human rights, I frankly just don’t take them seriously.
Other Administration officials have similarly been quick to lash out against the Amnesty report. White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said the allegations were “ridiculous and unsupported by the facts.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Richard Myers called the Amnesty International report “absolutely irresponsible.”
But in the past, when it was convenient to the Administration, they did not hesitate to cite Amnesty to make its case. And nowhere did the Administration need more help than in selling the Iraq war. Secretary Rumsfeld repeatedly turned to Amnesty to highlight the repressive nature of Saddam’s regime. On March 27, 2003, Rumsfeld said:
We know that it’s a repressive regime…Anyone who has read Amnesty International or any of the human rights organizations about how the regime of Saddam Hussein treats his people…
The next day, Rumsfeld even cited his “careful reading” of Amnesty:
…[I]t seems to me a careful reading of Amnesty International or the record of Saddam Hussein, having used chemical weapons on his own people as well as his neighbors, and the viciousness of that regime, which is well known and documented by human rights organizations, ought not to be surprised.
And on April 1, 2003, Rumsfeld said once again:
[I]f you read the various human rights groups and Amnesty International’s description of what they know has gone on, it’s not a happy picture.
So the rule here appears to be: Amnesty is a legitimate source for human rights violations of other countries, but is an unreliable and irresponsible source for reporting on the U.S.
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Maybe you shouldn’t have used them as a source if you don’t take them seriously?
Article with other quotes Posted by: Scott on May 31, 05 | 9:48 pm | Profile [0 [...]
June 1st, 2005 at 4:51 am[...] the run up to the war. ������������- Rumsfeld quotes (compiled by thinkprogress.org) On March 27, 2003, Rumsfeld said: We know that it’s a repressive regime…Anyone wh [...]
June 3rd, 2005 at 4:33 pmCheney will undoubtedly make clear that Amnesty is an admirable organization that has made a crucial mistake and misjudgment in this instance. One cannot forget that Bush and Co. do not classify those in Gitmo as people they are holding as prisoners of war; they are insurgents, terrorists and enemy combatants….and essentially have been stripped clean of any humanity……perhaps some of those people are cold blooded killers….but, that does not grant us license to treat them the way they treat us….we are better than that. He is going to make it sound like Disneyworld……
May 31st, 2005 at 10:41 amGen. Myers is willing to lie abou the Red Cross, too.
May 31st, 2005 at 12:24 pmHAVNT YOU FIGUED IT OUT YET THIS ADM. IS ALWAYS RIGHT ANYWAY THE MEDIA GOES ALONG WITH WHATEVER LINE IS FED TO THEM LOOKS SOME REPORTER IN THE MAIN STREAM MEDIA WOULD AT LEAST LOOK AT THE FACTS
May 31st, 2005 at 12:25 pmA trip to any country in Europe and you quickly realize Amnesty International is a respected organization. Of course here in the good ‘ol U.S. they are clearly whack-jobs who just want to bash the Bush administration. I just don’t understand why people don’t see the Bushie’s for the lyars they are.
May 31st, 2005 at 2:18 pmDid Larry King show Cheney the pictures? How about all the other documentation? It’s not just AI making accusations Dick. I wonder why the sudden turn on AI. Did they refuse to donate to the GOP election fund this year? I don’t know which is worse, the administration who lies about and/or denies everything; or the press who fails to dive in ask meaningful questions.
May 31st, 2005 at 2:23 pmYet another addition to the Bush Top 10 Flip Flop List.
May 31st, 2005 at 3:01 pmThere can be only one solution. All of these liars in the press and in the government must lose their power. We don’t know how yet, but once we realize the necessity, we will find the solution. God bless the America of honest Americans, and liars be damned!
May 31st, 2005 at 4:11 pmBob,
I agree with you. This has been my position for decades. Yet we have a self-destructive opposition party who gets easily sidetracked onto a hundred trivial issues.
The sensible approach by the Dems is to ask…. drum roll please……
WHAT ISSUES DO AMERICANS CARE ABOUT?
Then proceed from there. When you ignore what mainstream America holds near and dear to their hearts, you LOSE elections.
Having tantrums and screaming obscenities at people who offer rational debate is not the answer. (although it seems to be the rule, rather than the exception – among Dems)
The dems need less Jerry – Springer – level hsyteria, and more Tim Russert type discussion.
I (and a few others) offer mature, rational dialogue and am continually cursed, called names, and vilified. Meanwhile, the dems are in a disarray and have no sense of direction.
Most of the statements made by participants on this blog are false, just simply due to lack of understanding of the process. An uneducated, emotional mass of liberals is a sure bet to fail.
May 31st, 2005 at 5:03 pmAhh that great liberal Tim Russert, yes indeed. Shall we perform a careful critical assessment of his last five years? No need to, it has been done, and done well. And what are we to make of these two statements taken together?
“I (and a few others) offer mature, rational dialogue…
Most of the statements made by participants on this blog are false…”
Offering such mature generalizations as most statements are false, is either failing to comprehend the definition of “mature” or accepts that castigating others is “rational discourse.”
May 31st, 2005 at 6:21 pmCheney however is absolutely correct. He, like the above poster, says: “I frankly just don’t take them seriously.” Why should they? It doesn’t provide increased revenue for Halliburton and long term enhancement of their portfolios.
we are being batamaxed. or out-marketed. everytime the truth about something gets out, the bush corporation sends their marketing(or propaganda) department to smear it. if you kill the messenger the message dies too. look at paul o’neil and richard clarke. weve tried for too long to just be honest and let the public figure it out. it DOES NOT work. sad but true, the truth is now becoming irrelevant.its all about perception. we need a marketing dept. we need a karl rove. or keanu reeves. the masses are obviously too stupid to take the truth and discern for themselves what the best path is. ~see 2004 election~ the republicans are playing hardball, and its time we do the same. we need to support harry reid, hes good, better than frist, but hes no rove. first, we need to fire and get rid of EVERY advisor and strategist the dems have.they are worthless. who’s idea was it to have john kerry have a photo op hunting in ohio? that was stupid.
May 31st, 2005 at 6:42 pmBut what did you Americans expect your administrators to tell you about the Amnesty International report ; “Yes, we agree”? Did any administration ever accused by this respectable organisation reply otherwise than your’s today?
May 31st, 2005 at 7:15 pmNO ! They reply as did Saddam, Kadafi, North Korea or Sudan ……. It’s just not true what they found ! You could say in fact that their answers are “normal” to the average standards of other mentionned administrations.
Ironic, isn’t it? George Bush and Dick Cheney sure do flip-flop about human rights problems. Bush calls an Amnesty International report about human rights abuses at Guantánamo “absurd.â€? Cheney says, “Frankly, I was offended by it. For Amnesty International to suggest that somehow the United States is a violator of human rights, I frankly just don’t take them seriously.â€?
But Cheney and Bush took Amnesty International so seriously in the run-up to the Iraq war that they repeatedly cited the organization’s reports about Iraqi human rights abuses as a justification for that war. On September 12, 2002, for example, Bush cited Amnesty International six times in a background paper for his speech before the U. N. General Assembly. See http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020912.html.
Now Bush and Cheney claim they don’t take Amnesty International’s reports seriously. It seems more likely thatâ€â€dare I say it?â€â€they don’t take human rights abuses seriously.
May 31st, 2005 at 7:36 pmFenaux wrote:
< <<>>>
While this may be true, neither Saddam, Khadafi nor any of the others you mentioned used Amnesty International’s findings to support their arguments as did the bush administration.
As an American, I am ashamed.
May 31st, 2005 at 7:37 pmtries to access the white house news release page http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020912.html.
May 31st, 2005 at 11:03 pmand got nothing – what’s up with that? I know Rumsfeld quoted Amnesty 3 times – so I know bush did to – I would love to have the bush quotes
It sounds like there are expectations out there for accountability, integrity and responsibility!
Gosh!
Now I wonder how we could achieve that!
June 1st, 2005 at 3:52 amAbsurd Indeed
June 1st, 2005 at 9:32 amDuring a press conference in the Rose Garden of the White House yesterday President Bush dismissed out of hand the recently released 2005 Amnesty International Human Rights Report as “absurd.” Now aside from the fact that I seriously doubt the Presid…
Please folks … wake up .. this is just more “risk-management” at its finest. The (3) D’s come to mind … deny… deflect… and defer. Later, in history, when all comes out … will anyone be punished … do you really think Saddam will get a fair trial or that Bush will face international courts for the Geneva and treaty violations of attacking a soverign country? If our country had been attacked would we not seeking international help to convict the perps? Just sit back and see how this plays out … do as I say but not as I do! I just hope that there is enough “humanity” left to see the crime and be outraged;however, I don’t hold my breath. As a matter of fact … I sometimes find it hard to hold my cookies.
June 1st, 2005 at 11:57 amMy prediction … time to recuit “queers” for the military … we can lie to them … use them… then change everything again after we’ve used them! They’ll believe anything … just like one day being equal.
these bastards should be tarred and feathered
the republic is dead
June 1st, 2005 at 12:55 pmTo bad we don’t have pictures proving that there were Human Rights violations maybe then the White House might believe Amnesty International. Oh that’s right we have some but it was only an isolated incident. ha ha , yeah right……..
June 1st, 2005 at 12:57 pmBuckshot decries the lack of civility in post #8.
Buckshot, you are con man, like your hero, Grover Norquist. It is difficult for me to contain my contempt for you and Norquist.
Just Say “No” to Grover’s Total War Politics
Anti-government activist Grover Norquist believes in serial tax cuts to (1) weaken the U.S. government, and (2) further his total war approach to Republican politics. In a front-page article in the Denver Post last Monday, he likened bipartisanship to “date rape.” He wished for more political “bitter nastiness” at the state and local level.
President Bush’s administration should just stop associating with this guy and his destructive, wrongheaded politics. The nation and the economy need bipartisan problem-solving, not total political war at home.
The article is worth quoting at length:
Denver Post
Rancor becomes top D.C. export
GOP leads charge in ideological war
By John Aloysius Farrell
Denver Post Washington Bureau Chief
Monday, May 26, 2003 – WASHINGTON – When President Bush gave his first formal campaign speech as a candidate for re-election last week, he cited his efforts to curtail partisan rancor and “change the tone in Washington.”
But the nasty redistricting fights in Texas and Colorado are an indication, analysts from both political parties say, that the partisan divide is as sharp as ever in America, and that acrimony exported from Washington is increasingly infecting state and local governance.
The al-Qaeda threat requires U.S. political leaders to assume a certain patriotic decorum in the nation’s capital. But opportunists of both parties seek any edge, and have come to view the nation’s statehouses, traditionally known as more pragmatic forums, as arenas for ideological combat.
“We are trying to change the tones in the state capitals – and turn them toward bitter nastiness and partisanship,” said Grover Norquist, a leading Republican strategist, who heads a group called Americans for Tax Reform.
“Bipartisanship is another name for date rape,” Norquist, a onetime adviser to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said, citing an axiom of House conservatives.
June 1st, 2005 at 3:54 pmBuckshot decries the lack of civility in his post #8. It is part of the strategy of the right. He has reaped what he has sown. His very own hero, his Furher, Grover Norquist:
“We are trying to change the tones in the state capitals – and turn them toward bitter nastiness and partisanship,” said Grover Norquist, a leading Republican strategist, who heads a group called Americans for Tax Reform.
“Bipartisanship is another name for date rape,” Norquist, a onetime adviser to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said, citing an axiom of House conservatives.
http://www.centristpolicynetwork.org/archives/000019.html
I don’t know if it would be difficult to hide my utter contempt for you and Norquist, Buckshot, because I don’t even try.
June 1st, 2005 at 3:59 pmRight-wingers wallow like a pig in slop in their current ability to simply roll right over the will of the people–kind of like the bully from the Charles Atlas comic book ads; kicking sand in the nerd’s face and whatnot. What did Dubya call the GLOBAL peace movement with tens of millions of members? A mere focus group?
Well, karma has a way of amassing a bigger audience than FOX News, a stronger appeal than Ann Coulter’s body and a heavier sway than Dubya’s down-home, Andy Griffith-esque charm. I really don’t think America will be the same by 2008. Spoiled vegans and vegetarians will still argue over the importance of animal life, but the value of Human life will be determined within the next couple of years. Don’t get ready; BE ready.
Dismiss Amnesty International (in the name of seeming macho to the ignorant) at your own peril …
June 1st, 2005 at 4:37 pmSo what’s the real point? Are you saying Bush flip flopped? That’s a little shallow. Hey, I agree with some peoples’ (or organizations) opinions one day and disagree with them on others the next day….That’s not flip flopping….That’s BAU for issues people have to actually think about. Instead of the loose associations, look at a bigger picture. Given the amount of military resources deployed around the globe, the number of conduct complaints is VERY low. Compared with society in whole, we need to be asking different questions….and not of our military. The problem with this is 1) military is visible and 2) politcal motivation….left or right. So if you want to make the misconduct agrument a politcal pointing stick, let’s ask why a country with a history of providing humanitarian aid and promoting human rights is now the most villified nation on earth? Why are so many people the world over grabbing onto this topic when it’s so proportionately small? Whether you’re for or against our being in Iraq one thing is undeniable….it’s been mismanaged. Our image in the world wasn’t tarnished because we went into Iraq. Our image is tarnished because we’re still there…with no end in sight. Don’t bash Rusmfeld because he thinks Amnesty got it right once and wrong on another….Bash him because he’s proven to be a poor planner. A track record like his would get most people fired in any industry outside of government. Then when you’re done, tell us how to get this over the right way. The Dems need to listen to people like Buckshot (commenter above). Instead of grabbing onto problems, grab onto solutions and visions. Listen to what issues people care about and think about answers. The Republicans will talk about ideas again in 08…if we’re still playing he said she said then, we’re in trouble. Sorry for the rant…I just can’t stand to see 21 comments on a what is really an irrelevent argument.
June 1st, 2005 at 4:59 pmI think that J.B is fool!Many people from russia thinks the same ^))If you meet him>say it from me to him ^))
June 1st, 2005 at 5:33 pmThe link to Bush’s backgrounder where he praises Amnesty International is here:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/09/20020912.html
The fact that he praises AI when he’s building a case for his “war against terror” and later condemns them when they criticize his human rights policies in that “war against terror” is NOT irrelevent. Hypocrisy–lying, essentially–is this administration’s modus operandi, and we have an obligation to point that out. Our obligation is to the truth. Truth is NEVER irrelevent.
June 1st, 2005 at 5:37 pmSearch the http://www.whitehouse.gov for amnesty international, and you get lots of quotes where these same guys praise amnesty.
June 1st, 2005 at 8:08 pmUntil now, most Americans have never heard of amnesty. Now, they hear the comment, they hear Cheney’s answer, and that’s it. How to get out correct information?
June 2nd, 2005 at 12:17 pmGet over it people. This is typical of EVERY Government world wide. They use, and quote, reports from bodies like Amnesty International, WTO, UN, etc when they agree with their policies and decry them as ‘uninformed’, ‘irrelevant’ etc. when they disagree with them.
June 2nd, 2005 at 1:28 pmMy God, you people are spoiled! If Orange County or Peoria, IL were to have suffered fates similar to those in Gitmo and Abu Gharib, we’d NEVER hear the end of it. How much is Human life worth? According to the FBI, 3,000 blacks die of hate crimes EVERY YEAR. In contrast, y’all have lost your collective, libertarian minds over the three thousand who died on 9-11, ONE YEAR. Think about it …
June 2nd, 2005 at 2:23 pmAnd what’s all this shit about “get over it”. It’s a good thing the civil rights movement didn’t just “get over” Emmitt Till and let the-powers-that-be off the hook by claiming that “hypocrisy in politics is inevitable”. Lazy video game addicts … cut that damn “reality TV” off and join reality!
saablofton.com
The Bush Administration Was For Amnesty International Before It Was Against It
COMMENT:
Here is the issue: who needs such reports to know that the US violates every law on earth (when it suits its needs and wants — which is most of the time)?
1. We know (or should know) that the Iran-Iraq war was instigated (if not exactly “commissioned”) by the US. Without American encouragement, Iraq would have never dared to attack a much larger Iran. Not only that but Rumsfeld personally visited Saddam to assure him of the US support. This support came in the form of weapons of all sorts (including the WMD) and the satellite photos to show where Iranian soldiers were.
It was in these operations that Iraq had determined that the WMD were unpredictable. If the wind direction changed, your own soldiers and population would end up being poisoned. From that point on, Saddam had no interest in the Chemical or Biological weapons. The US was fully aware of that.
2. When Saddam gassed the Kurds, the suspicion was that they had helped Iran against Iraq. The US was fully aware of that and Reagan even tried to shield Iraq by blaming Iran for the attack.
So we know or should know what kind of people Americans are. For those who do not may read Kissinger’s remark. He said, “It is a pity they both can’t lose”, meaning, it was a pity Iraq and Iran could not annihilate each other. To that end, the US also helped Iran with weaponry.
The culprit in the Middle East is always the US even when Saddam (or anyone else)carries out the atrocities and get blamed for them.
3. Not satisfied with the loss of life, the US then created conditions in which Iraq would have a bone to pick with Kuwait. When Saddam did finally realize he would HAVE to deal with Kuwait siphoning Oil from Iraqi territory, Bush41 Administration sent April Glaspie to give him the green light, emphatic green light.
Thus, even the invasion of Kuwait was engineered by the US.
Tragically, in all this, Amnesty International (AI) tended to blame Saddam rather than the real culprits: the US and the UK. Only the ill-informed would need AI to determine that the US is the true Evil Empire.
For those who need additional proof, the Bushman43 Administration declared form the very beginning that “terrorists” were not protected by any international law nor by the US Constitution. In fact, it was precisely to put these hapless people beyond the US courts that “Cuba” was designated as their home. There they could be held indefinitely without any charges. Presumably, American interrogators would practice their techniques on them not in the hope of getting any intelligence but to determine what techniques work and what do not. So the inmates at Guantanamo are really guinea pigs. American officials are fully aware that they are not terrorists. Often they were people the US had “purchased” at something like $5,000 per head.
Now, did AI say that? No, they did not. But we know (or should know) what the US is really up to.
June 3rd, 2005 at 7:49 pm********************************************
The problem seems to be; how to I state my opinion without sounding like an extremist, right or left? I am neither, but will probably do no better. Amnesty International is just a bit player in this drama.
We need a revival of the MOVEMENT.
I am an American family man in the reddest of states, an architect/city planner, with three sons in college, 1 Harvard, 2 GWU, all Navy ROTC, all progressive, intelligent, beautiful young men. I love my country, but I do not love my current leadership. I think this is okay for an American patriot, country does not = George Bush/Dick Cheney. We have an administration that lies as easily as it breathes. But, why are we so incredulous? Of course they are drunk on power. Of course they are elitist and smug in their righteousness. Is this something new? What is unacceptable, is the fact that Americans are not providing an effective counter-attack. That is what we do, as Americans, isn’t it? Power always wants to preseve itself, but our system was designed to keep that from happening, wasn’t it? This is an old war for our generation, remember? It is still the hippies vs. the ‘establishment’ (read Doonesbury). Sadly, the hippies have lost their courage. Their conviction, as they raised their families, bought their homes and their SUVs ( like me) has disappeared. We even believe that Capitalism/ Christianity, etc. is something that Republicans acutally believe in. Wow! Doesn’t anyone understand naked power grabs anymore?
Those in power, whatever party, are not evil people. They are like us, power hungry, but so much closer to their dream, simply giving in to naked human impulses.
But we, those currently out of power, need to revive the fervor of our youth, to create a counter-culture of the baby-boomer generation that believed they could change the world. But this time, we can enlist our children who are desperate for a cause. Ask them! Grow up, stop whining and take our country back. America can still be a beacon for the world. Let us boomers finally grow up and speak to power! Maybe our dream of a country that doesn’t torture, that stands for human rights, that believes in truth and true human freedom was naive but are we going to die without completing the quest for it? This is far beyond power crazed Republicans and weakass Democrats. This is about our the very soul of our country, and ours. Blogging isn’t enough. Put on those love beads! It is time to fight!
June 4th, 2005 at 10:57 pmquote …Our image in the world wasn’t tarnished because we went into Iraq. Our image is tarnished because we’re still there… unquote
Sorry to tell you but you are an american and missunderstanding the view of “world” (as you called people from other countries), as much as article is describing missunderstandings between your covernment and AI.
US value fell because of going there in first place, not being there.
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