Accuser becomes the Accused

The US is forever asserting that this or that country is engaged in some sort of infringement of citizens's rights and liberties. But when it comes to claims that the USA is violating the rights of others America not only refutes the allegations but becomes quite defensive.

That said it isn't that easy to brush off a UN investigator, who for example is reported in seattlepi.com as saying

"The United Nations' special investigator on torture said Thursday he was certain that there are secret U.S. prisons in Europe and he wants access to them.

Manfred Nowak said he had proof that secret U.S. prisons continue to operate in Europe.

"I am 100 percent sure. I have evidence," Nowak said in an interview with The Associated Press."

Nowak has also severely criticised Guantanamo and the conditions there and in response to US assertions that Nowak hasn't been there, he says the conditions imposed on any visit were such that he would be unable to make an independent assessment of what is going on. He says that meeting guards and medicos and no detainees or detainees in the presence of guards was entirely unsatisfactory.

Read the full seattlepi.com article here.

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