West wants end to torture, honour killings in Iraq

[sabra]

Source: Reuters

GENEVA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Western powers pressed Iraq on Tuesday to clean up its human rights record by investigating allegations of torture, halting honour killings of women and abolishing the death penalty.

The United States, Britain, Canada, France and Germany were among delegations to denounce continuing violations in Iraq during debate at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

"Allegations of torture are a cause for concern, and impunity should not be tolerated. We remain concerned that Iraq maintains the death penalty and that the number of executions has increased in the last two years," Peter Gooderham, Britain's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, told the forum that has 47 member states plus observers.

He urged Iraq to establish a moratorium on executions.

Some 79 people had been hanged in Iraq last year, France's ambassador Jean-Baptiste Mattei said.

"Nearly 900 people are waiting on death row. France urges Iraq to start on the road to abolishing the death penalty by adopting a moratorium as soon as possible and by commuting sentences already handed down," he said.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE61F250.htm

[Soylent Brice]

1. if Iraq abolishes the death penalty they'd be ahead of us.

the irony, it burns.

[winyanstaz]

2. K & R.....

So the world can see how much nerve a bunch of frickin hypocrites have.
WE put that regime in power. WE have states with the death penalty..America kills people for the state...WE have been torturing and raping and murdering over there and now we are pointing the finger of blame? Is there no shame left in the world?
Well yes, it all needs to end but ending torture starts at HOME dang it!

[Downwinder]

3. Do as I say, not as I do. n/t

[swilton]

4. Agreed

For the U.S. to demand for Iraqis not to torture and execute prisoners is like the pot calling the kettle black.

The EU has a ban on capital punishment for its member states. Rhetorical opposition to torture is at least practiced but whehter or not some of its members support CIA black sights and extraordinary rendition is not clear.

[yava]

14. Do like me

If you do and don't do like me, don't tell your children as they may tell my children to whom I teach that I don't do what is wrong.

[Solly Mack]

5. lolololol

to clean up its human rights record by investigating allegations of torture...abolishing the death penalty

America says what?


"impunity should not be tolerated" LMAO

[Chicago dyke]

6. "honor" killings didn't happen

when Saddam was in charge. just sayin.

[Rhiannon12866]

8. +1

Al-Qaeda wasn't in Iraq, either. Saddam wouldn't have stood for it...

[panzerfaust]

21. Actually, I doubt that we know if they did or did not

unless there is source?

[riderinthestorm]

23. I've heard differently. Do you have a link to back up your statement?

It's been a while since I've checked on the stats but it does us no good to make Saddam Hussein a good guy, especially regarding women's rights. It's bad revisionest history and dishonest even as it's tempting to fall into when one is/was against the US actions in Iraq

After the Gulf War--particularly after crushing the Shiite and Kurdish uprisings of 1991--Saddam reverted to tribal and "Islamic" traditions as a means to consolidate power. Iraqi women paid the heaviest price for his new-found piety. Many women were removed from government jobs and were not allowed to travel without the permission of a male relative. Men were exempted from punishment for "honor" killings. An estimated 4,000 women died from honor killings in the ensuing years. By 2000, Iraqi women, once considered the most highly educated in the Middle East, had literacy levels of only 25%. Women were routinely raped in order to "force confessions" from their male relatives who were forced to watch. Women who were accused of being "prostitutes" had their heads cut off and dumped on their family's doorsteps.

And this doesn't even bring up the crushing of the Shiites, the gassing of the Kurds, the environmental crime of torching the oil fields of Kuwait etc. etc.

Saddam Hussein's regime was evil. That doesn't justify our actions by any means but let's not somehow start propping him up as any kind of saint in regards to women.

[The Stranger]

7. How about the West ending torture and related killings in the West?

[Doctor_J]

9. We could help by placing Cheney in custody and hadning him to Iraq

If he were to be tried and executed, I think torture might ease up.

[western mass]

10. Silly Iranians, only *we're* allowed to torture people

[EFerrari]

11. I was hoping this was The Onion. n/t

[EFerrari]

12. Our State Deparment needs to be tented.

"Additionally, we recommend that Iraq continue to improve conditions in ministry-operated facilities and hold accountable any law enforcement official suspected of involvement in torture, abuse or coerced confessions," Douglas Griffiths, U.S. charge d'affaires in Geneva, said.

Washington also was concerned about the protection of religious and ethnic minorities, women, and gay people and urged Baghdad to protect these groups from "targeted attacks".

Iraq also must "end intimidation and abuse of journalists by government officials", Griffiths said.

__________

I'm sure Sami Al-Haj would like to comment on this story seeing that he was detained and tortured at Gitmo for being a PHOTOGRAPHER.

:puke:

[polly7]

13. lol.

Harper suspended parliament in large part to avoid discussion on the disgusting practice of handing Afghan prisoners over for torture. What a hypocrite.

[nosmokes]

15. at least the excuses for invading are getting a bit better...

[Spazito]

16. The epitome of empty rhetoric...

The utter and contemptible hypocrisy of Britain, Canada and the United States to denounce that which they either practice or enable is breathtaking.

"Allegations of torture are a cause for concern", uh-huh, sure, riiiiight. Bullshit.

[leftynyc]

17. We have no room to talk re: dealth penalty

But I wouldn't mind seeing a fatwa called on anyone involved in a "honor killing".

[The Stranger]

19. I think they issued a fatwa against the Neoconservatives' Pro-Torture Movement.

That way, the Neconservatives could foment more terrorism against the West, and create a vicious cycle: Torture brings Terrorism, brings more Torture, brings more Terrorism . . .

[leftynyc]

20. What does that have

to do with honor killings and the fact I've never heard one cleric issue a fatwa against that practice?

[The Stranger]

24. Only everything.

[No Elephants]

18. Honor killings is an oxymoron, and this whole thing is ironic, yet not at all funny.

[Winterblues]

22. It's not torture it's "enhanced interrogation"

Just ask the Republicans......They don't understand what the "West" is talking about...