Questions posed on US torture policy
US officials are testifying before a UN committee regarding the US interpretation of the Convention Against Torture. There are a list of 59 questions and they are good questions imo, with fairly little wiggle room. Pdf clicky
Quote:
The committee has 59 questions for the US, 53 of which relate to the war on terror.
Officials will be asked to provide a list of all secret detention centres, nationalities and numbers of those being held and the reasons for their detention. The committee will also ask for details of detainees taken abroad to third countries, in a process known as extraordinary rendition.
It wants to know what measures the US has taken in the wake of the Abu Ghraib scandal to ensure that such abuse does not happen again.
They may also want to know if there has been an independent inquiry into the possibility that high-ranking government officials authorised torture.
Human rights campaigners say the hearings have huge significance.
"What makes this so remarkable is that this is the first time the United States is accountable for its record on torture with regard to some of the practices implemented after 9/11," said Jennifer Daskal of Human Rights Watch.
Ten legal experts will cross-examine the US team until Monday and the committee will publish its recommendations at a later date.
The US is obliged by the UN convention to implement the recommendations, although there is no enforcement mechanism.
Re: Questions posed on US torture policy
Here's a very specific part.
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According to information before the Committee, the State party has adopted a policy to send, or to assist in the sending of persons to third countries, either from the State party’s territory or from areas under its jurisdiction, for purposes of detention and interrogation. How many persons have been affected by this policy, to which countries were they sent, and what measures have been adopted to ensure that they will not be subjected to torture? Please comment on allegations that persons are detained without charges in certain countries at the request of the State party’s authorities.
Bit difficult to answer that, when the people were removed precisely so that they could be tortured, without offending the constitution.
