---

CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Human Rights Reports

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

---

1. World

A year after the Madrid bombings, the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security was held. The meeting of more than 200 international researchers and security experts explored four major themes: causes of terrorism, confronting terrorism, democratic responses, and civil society. Next week's Feature Article will explore the substance of the meeting.
http://safe-democracy.org

The Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) sponsored a meeting of experts to plan a tsunami early warning system for the Indian Ocean, the scene of last December's extraordinary disaster. Affected countries have been called on to establish emergency contact centers by the end of the month. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the Japan Meteorological Agency will provide tsunami advisories to authorized contacts in these countries. These interim measures will stay in place pending the full system planned for June 2006.
http://ioc.unesco.org/iocweb/index.php

---

2. Africa

The Commission for Africa, established and led by British Prime Minister Blair, has issued their report with recommendations to end the poverty, conflict and disease that plague the continent. Its key findings include:

In Burundi, around 600 Batwa (pygmies) fled to Rwanda to escape Hutu intimidation following allegations that the small minority group had voted against the new constitution. A parliamentary delegation plans to travel there to persuade them to return.

Central African Republic has begun general elections meant to end two years of military rule following a 2003 coup that ousted Ange-Felix Patasse.

Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh is now the only candidate for presidential elections next month following the withdrawal of the sole opposition candidate, Mohamed Daoud Chehem, who had not raised enough money.

In Nigeria, cult clashes between rival gangs at the Ambrose Ali University in Ekpoma left ten students dead.

Rwandans have begun trying cases of those involved in the 1994 genocide in traditional community courts called gacaca to help clear a backlog of tens of thousands of cases that have overwhelmed conventional courts. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda will continue to handle the trials of people accused of the worst crimes of orchestration and genocide.

As Somali's President and Prime Minister returned to Kenya at the end of their 9-day country tour during which the President arranged a truce, clashes between rival militias at the port town of Hobyo killed 16.

South Africa will rename the capital, Pretoria, after an ancient tribal leader, Tshwane. Pretoria, established in 1855, was named after Dutch Boer leader Andries Pretorius. The change is subject to approval by the South African Geographic Names Council. Renaming colonial symbols is common after national liberation.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) has rescinded all oil exploration rights within its southern territory. Under the January peace agreement, SPLM was allocated a share of profits and it was agreed that no oil deal signed before the peace agreement would be renegotiated. SPLM says they reached their own agreements and have reassigned the areas. International support for sanctions is increasing as the appalling situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate. It now appears that the death toll is far higher than the 70,000 deaths previously estimated.

---

3. Americas

Bolivia's Congress rejected the resignation submitted by President Carlos Mesa in response to weeks of mass protest. Following this, labor unions and indigenous groups have scaled up their protests. They have begun by putting up roadblocks to disrupt traffic and demand that foreign energy companies pay taxes of 50 percent on their sales. The government has proposed a 15 percent tax. The October 2003 plan to export national gas sparked the continuing, often violent, protests.

Brazil's organized kidnapping gangs have been taking hostage the mothers of football (soccer) players, targeting stars who can pay high ransoms. Last week's kidnapping of Luis Fabiano's mother was the third incident in four months, and the second in two weeks. Football is a high profile and important industry in Brazil, where there are now fears that these attacks could lead to an exodus of the best players.

US counterintelligence officials speaking at a Texas A and M University conference have warned that terrorist sympathizers or operatives may be attempting to infiltrate intelligence services. They have detected several dozen applicants who were turned away for possible terrorist ties.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-na-intel8mar08,1,3013770.story

A review from the US Government Accountability Office finds that terrorists have been able to obtain firearms and recommends improved background screening. http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-127

The latest US defense review of detention operations found "no policy that considered or condoned torture" but "As with previous investigations, we found there was a lack of guidance for the interrogators dealing with other government activities, specifically the (CIA)". The Department of Defense also says it has improved the doctrine and training, policy and force structure in areas that deal with processing, confining and interrogating detainees. The Pentagon plans to transfer Guantanamo Bay detainees to other countries, including Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Yemen, where more than 300 of the detainees are nationals.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/20050310_148.html
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Mar2005/20050310_143.html
http://www.defenselink.mil/home/features/gitmo/

In further violence against the US judiciary, a gunman in Atlanta, Georgia, overpowered a police escort and seized her gun to then shoot dead a judge and two others in court before hijacking a car. After a statewide manhunt, the suspect was arrested. A suspect in the killing of federal judge Joan Lefkow's mother and husband killed himself, leaving behind evidence demonstrating his guilt. White supremacists had been suspected previously.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Iranian President Mohammad Khatami are meeting in Caracas to discuss economic cooperation. Both countries are leading oil producers.

---

4. Asia Pacific

China announced details of the draft anti-secession law that would allow China to use force if efforts to reunify with Taiwan fail. The law will be voted on March 14. China's National People's Congress has approved President Hu Jintao as head of the military, giving him all the top positions and completing the transfer of power from his predecessor, Jiang Zemin.

Taiwanese officials called the legislation a pretext to attack their sovereignty and change the status quo. Taiwan also claim they identified Chen Yi-hsiung, who committed suicide, as the man who shot and injured President Chen Shui-bian shortly before last year's presidential election.

Hong Kong's leader, Tung Chee-hwa stepped down and has been appointed to be the vice-chairman of the People's Political Consultative Conference. He cited ill health as the reason for resigning, but pressure from the Chinese government was likely the decisive factor. Tung's second in command, Donald Tsang, will be acting chief executive until elections are held on July 10.

Following a naval confrontation, Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to use peaceful means to address a disputed maritime border in oil-rich areas of the Sulawesi Sea.

Japan commemorated the 60th anniversary of the incendiary raids on Tokyo that killed 100,000 people

Thailand has dismissed three generals blamed for mismanaging a protest in the south, in which 78 people died in custody.

The Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, one of the plaintiffs in legal action against Dow Chemical Company, manufacturers of the deadly chemical, has condemned strongly a US court's decision to dismiss the case.
http://www.nyed.uscourts.gov/Decisions_of_Interest/decisions_of_interest.html

---

5. Europe

European Union counterterrorism measures are flawed, according to a new report from the British House of Lords European Union Committee. "After Madrid: the EU's response to terrorism" voiced particular concerns over passports. They cited gaps in sharing information on lost or stolen passports, that Britain cannot record or check passports against a database of incoming passenger numbers, and that a false passport was used in every serious terrorist incident.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200405/ldselect/ldeucom/53/53.pdf

Bosnia Herzegovina launched its own War Crimes Chamber. The new court will help the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia complete the 2008 deadline for trying cases stemming from the Balkan conflict in the late 1990s.

In Corsica a bomb exploded outside a government building, injuring five people including two babies. The bombing took place as the trial of Charles Pieri, leader of the banned separatist National Front for the Liberation of Corsica-Union of Fighters (FLNC-UC) group, opened.

Croatia was warned to hand over most wanted fugitive war crimes suspect General Ante Gotovina to the war crimes tribunal or put at risk discussions on joining the EU.

The German parliament has made it easier for local authorities to ban neo-Nazi marches from sensitive locations. The ban awaits approval from the upper house.

Kosovo's Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj, has resigned and flown to The Hague after being indicted on war crimes charges. (See Law, below)

Moldova's recent parliamentary elections resulted in a reduced majority for the governing Communist party, the last in Europe. Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) observers said the elections generally complied with international standards but fell short in campaign conditions and media access.
http://www.osce.org/news/show_news.php?ut=2&id=4759

Russian special forces killed former Chechen President and rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov in a raid. A moderate leader, his death is likely to lead to further instability and violence. Abdul-Khalim Saydullayev, head of the rebel's Sharia court, will serve as interim president pending elections.

Spain marked the first anniversary of the Madrid train bombings in which 191 people were killed and some 1,600 injured, with a number of low-key events. Investigations into the attack continue. During the past year more than 70 arrests were made, 22 remain detained on provisional charges, and one person has been convicted of involvement.

The UK's Prevention of Terrorism Bill was passed following a marathon debate of more than 30 hours. Agreement was reached when Prime Minister Blair agreed that Members of Parliament would be able to review the bill within a year. The bill was signed just three days before the current Anti-Terrorism, Crime & Security Act 2001 expires and as the last eight foreign terror suspects detained in Britain without charge or trial were granted bail.

Britain's parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee published its report on handling of detainees by UK intelligence personnel in Afghanistan, Guantanamo Bay and Iraq. They found no more than 15 cases of abuse and said that a lack of training contributed to these.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/publications/reports/intelligence/treatdetainees.pdf

Northern Ireland's Orange Order has formally cut ties with the Ulster Unionist Party after a 100-year relationship.

A recent poll found that six of ten nationalists believe the Irish Republican Army (IRA) should disband now. Opposition to the IRA has grown recently following the death of Robert McCartney and action by his family to unmask the perpetrators. Last week the IRA gave McCartney's family an offer to shoot the men directly involved in his death. The offer was refused and has been widely condemned, serving only to further isolate the IRA and reduce its community influence.

Northern Ireland Secretary Murphy announced that a team of 100 investigators will be assigned to review more than 1,800 cases of unsolved killings during the 30 years of the Troubles. They expect the effort to be completed in six years.
http://www.nio.gov.uk/media-detail.htm?newsID=10980

---

6. Middle East

The River Jordan may disappear under pressure of water diversion programs. Friends of the Earth Middle East report that more than 90 percent of the water is being diverted by Israel, Jordan and Syria and that 20 percent contains untreated sewage, heavily polluting this critical resource, that is likely to be central to future regional conflicts.
http://www.foeme.org/publications/crossing_the_jordan.pdf

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said that Israel is expected to withdraw from the Egyptian border and all other parts of the Gaza Strip. Egypt will secure this border after the Israeli withdrawal.

Iran continues to affirm its right to nuclear power. The US has joined the UK, France and Germany in a common policy to offer incentives for Iran to limit its nuclear programs. Iran suggests that the US should make more concessions to help resolve the dispute.

Iraq will hold the first session of the newly elected assembly on March 16, even if the government has still not been formed. As these measures progress, violence continues unabated throughout the country. Among these include a suicide car bombing in Balad that killed 15; five soldiers and five civilians killed in a series of bomb attacks in Baquba; a suicide bombing that killed the planning minister, and a number of shooting incidents. Two mass graves revealed 41 victims. A US military investigation into the shooting death of Italian intelligence agent Nicola Calipari has begun. Abu Ghraib prison will he handed over from US control to Iraqi authorities.

Israel has been guilty of secretly supporting unauthorized settlements in the occupied territories, in direct violation of international law. This is the finding of an official report written by Talia Sasson, a former state prosecutor. Sasson called for drastic steps to stop clandestine funding and enforce the law, including investigating possible criminal proceedings. The cabinet approved the report and formed a special ministerial committee to bar future illegal outposts, and will dismantle 24 unauthorized West Bank settlements.
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/551394.html

Lebanese President Emile Lahoud, re-appointed Omar Karami as Prime Minister and asked him to form a new government, ten days after he was forced to resign following massive anti-Syrian protests. Those protests were dwarfed by pro-Syrian protests led by Hezbollah in the past week.

Syrian troops have begun to pull back to eastern parts of Lebanon in the first stage of its planned gradual withdrawal. A timetable for this withdrawal will be submitted to the UN next week, but may be completed by the end of March.

In the West Bank, Israeli forces bulldozed a house, killing Mohammed Abu Hazneh, who is the member of Islamic Jihad believed responsible for planning the February attack on a Tel Aviv nightclub.

---

7. South Asia

In Afghanistan, the number of attacks by Taliban and other militants has reportedly fallen. The lull in attacks against foreigners was interrupted with the shooting death of a British man working for Afghanistan's ministry of rural rehabilitation and development.

In Bangladesh, national strikes (hartals) cost 3-4 percent of its Gross Domestic Product. The UN Development Program's report "Beyond Hartals: Towards Democratic Dialogue in Bangladesh" says that this means of protest are causing devastating losses. Instead, other measures to support debate and transparency are needed.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=13598&Cr=Bangladesh&Cr1=

In the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh police report a clash with Maoist guerillas that killed ten. The rebels deny fighting and say the police poisoned them. They called for a strike to protest the killings.

In Bihar state, where assembly elections led to a deeply fragmented government, the Indian cabinet has imposed direct rule as the best way to form a stable government.

India has increased security at the Nepali border. They believe that unrest in Nepal following King Gyanendra's seizure of power in February will spill across. In Nepal, the state of emergency continues with further arrests, though the former Prime Minister and eight other political detainees have been released. Nepal's army reports it killed at least 30 Maoist rebels

Pakistan's parliamentary opposition walked out to protest the admission that Pakistan had provided nuclear centrifuges to Iran.

Sri Lanka has asked for an extension of debt relief offered for tsunami recovery. They have also accused the Tamil Tiger rebels of violating the ceasefire in order to acquire air power. The Tigers say the airstrip in question was there prior to the ceasefire.

---

8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Last week data broker LexisNexis joined ChoicePoint and Bank of America in reporting unauthorized access to personal information that could be used for identity theft. LexisNexis reported that personal information on more than 30,000 people may be in the possession of criminals. In another incident, credit card and purchasing habits of customers in more than 100 DSW Shoe Warehouse stores was stolen from a central database and revealed by suspicious credit card activity. The US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs began hearings on "Identity Theft: Recent Developments Involving the Security of Sensitive Consumer Information" that will continue next week. A number of legislative proposals to protect the use of personal information have been introduced in Congress.
http://banking.senate.gov/index.cfm?Fuseaction=Hearings.Detail&HearingID=142

More than a third of businesses with wireless networks are open to abuse from hackers and criminals in the street or a neighboring building. Researchers commissioned by RSA Security studied New York City, San Francisco, London and Frankfurt. In all cities, more than one third of wireless business networks were found to be unsecured - 38 percent of businesses in New York, 35 percent in San Francisco, 36 percent in London and 34 percent in Frankfurt. The survey also revealed that many businesses had failed to take basic security precautions. In London 26 percent still had not reconfigured default network settings; 30 percent in Frankfurt; 31 percent in New York and 28 percent in San Francisco. Researchers also found an explosion in public access wireless hotspots: 12 percent of all wireless network access points in London fell into this category, compared with 24 percent in Frankfurt, 21 percent in New York and 12 percent in San Francisco.
http://www.rsasecurity.com/press_release.asp?doc_id=5601

The Association of Payment Clearing Services (APACS) reports that fraud involving credit and debit cards rose by a fifth to GBP 504.8 million last year, much involving cards lost or stolen in the post. Existing cards in the UK are being replaced with new chip and pin cards, but some of these were falling into criminal hands. APACS also reported that internet fraud cost UK consumers GBP 12 million in 2004.
http://www.apacs.org.uk/about_apacs/htm_files/newsroom.htm

Hackers in Indonesia launched attacks against primarily government sites in Malaysia in connection with a dispute over cross-border oil concessions.

The US interagency Committee on Foreign Investment approved IBM's sale of its personal computing division to Lenovo, China's biggest computer supplier, following an agreement to make security changes that limited perceived national security concerns.

---

9. Finance

Israel's largest bank, Bank Hapoalim, is under investigation for money laundering. Police have frozen more than $3275 million in bank accounts while they investigate some 80 incidents involving 200 customers. Several countries are involved in the investigation and a number of arrests have been made.
http://www.bankhapoalim.com/wps/portal/!ut/p/_.cmd/cs/ce/7_0_A/s./7_0_CR/_s.7_0_A/7_0_CR

"Lundas: Stones of Death" documents the political violence and human rights abuses connected with artisanal diamond prospectors in Angola. Human rights campaigners backing the report call for a boycott of Angolan diamonds. Angola is a member of the Kimberley process that is meant to curb the conflict diamond trade but the country has not made itself available for inspection or monitoring.
http://www.africafiles.org/article.asp?ID=8167&ThisURL=./angola.asp&URLName=Angola

Police in Northern Ireland have undertaken a major security operation to support the exchange of Northern Bank money like that stolen in last year's massive robbery with new notes that have different colors, logos and serial numbers. The theft has been connected to the Irish Republican Army (IRA).

The German Administrative Court has awarded $17 million to the Jewish heirs of the Wertheim department store chain that had been seized by the Nazis in the 1930s and then nationalized by the East German government. The decision is being appealed by KarstadtQuelle, which bought the former Wertheim businesses in 1994.

---

10. Human Rights

The US has withdrawn from the Optional Protocol to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations that gives the International Court of Justice (ICJ) the right to intervene in cases of individuals held in foreign prisons. Originally proposed by the US in 1963 to protect US citizens abroad, the US Department of State now says that an international court should not reverse decisions of a country's criminal justice system. The Convention has been used recently by people opposed to the US death penalty. The ICJ recently ruled that 51 Mexicans sentenced to death in Texas should be granted new hearings because they had been denied access to a Mexican diplomat. These will be the last such hearings.

The International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights (IHF) reports that European Muslims have faced increased discrimination since the September 11 attacks. "Intolerance and Discrimination against Muslims in the EU" is based on statements from Muslim and anti-racist groups, human rights organizations material, media reports and official publications in 11 EU countries.
http://www.ihf-hr.org/documents/doc_summary.php?sec_id=3&d_id=4029

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Taco Bell's parent company, Yum! Brands, reached an historic settlement intended to improve the wages and conditions of the Florida tomato pickers, some of whose conditions have led to prosecutions under slavery laws. The settlement follows a 3-year boycott.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1436022,00.html

International Women's Day was marked on March 8. Women participated in local activities and an international march to promote equality and raise awareness of discrimination, including acid attacks, honor killings, and tsunami survivor problems. The march began IN Brazil and will cross 50 countries before ending in October, in Burkino Faso.
http://www.un.org/events/women/iwd/2005/index.html
http://www.marchemondiale.org/

Also note this week's Feature Article on Human Rights, below.

---

11. Law and Legal Issues

Jaouad el Bouzrouti was arrested by Spanish police in connection with the March 11 Madrid train bombings.

Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu, former members of Sierra Leone's military junta, have gone on trial for crimes against humanity during the civil war, including murder, rape, sexual slavery, and recruiting child soldiers.

Omaira Rojas Cabrera ("Sonia") of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has been extradited from Colombia to the US, where she will face drugs trafficking charges.

Ramush Haradinaj, former Prime Minister of Kosovo, has been charged in the UN tribunal in the Hague with 37 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He surrendered to the court the day after resigning as Prime Minister. Haradinaj was a commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and is expected to plead his innocence. His fellow KLA commanders Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj each face 35 counts in the "joint criminal enterprise".
http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2005/p946-e.htm

Frzana Khan was charged in British court with providing money and equipment to Kashmiri separatists of Laskhar-e-Taiba. Her colleague Mohammed Ajmal Khan was charged with directing terrorism and conspiracy to provide money and weapons while Palvinder Singh was also indicted on the two conspiracy charges.

Mustaq Ali Patel, Ridouane Khalid and Khaled Ben Mustafa have been repatriated from the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to France, where they will be investigated for terrorist links. Some 500 detainees remain uncharged in Guantanamo Bay, but these are the last French citizens.

Momcilo Perisic, former head of the Yugoslav army, \surrendered to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Charges have not yet been made public.

Rigoberta Menchu, Guatemalan indigenous rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, has filed race discrimination charges against former dictator General Jose Efrain Rios Montt, his grandson, and four other politicians and activists. In October 2003 she had appeared at a hearing to oppose Rios Montt's standing for president and says she was subjected to racial epithets from the men.

Sheik Mohammed Ali Hassan al-Moayed, a Yemeni cleric, and his assistant, Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed, have been convicted of conspiracy to finance terrorism and other charges. He was found guilty of providing material support to Hamas and of attempting to do so for al Qaeda. The case will be appealed.

Adolfo Scilingo, a former Argentine naval officer, is standing trial on 30 counts of genocide, 30 of murder, 93 of physical injury and 255 of terrorism connected with Argentina's "dirty war" under 1970s and 1980s military rule. The trial opened in January and Spanish prosecutors have now requested a sentence of 9,138 years in prison. This is the first Spanish trial involving human rights abuses committed abroad.

---

12. Transportation

A BearingPoint survey commissioned by the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) gave high marks for securing air travel. Surveying 30 airports they found between 80 and 95 percent of passengers gave positive responses when asked about seven aspects of federal security screening.
http://www.tsa.gov/public/display?theme=44&content=0900051980106012

The Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding Secretariat has asked the International Maritime Organization to prepare a definitive list of organizations that are authorized to issue shipboard certificates.
http://www.tokyo-mou.org/

The tugboat crew kidnapped in the first piracy attack in the Malacca straits since the tsunami has been released.

March 11 marked one year since the Madrid train bombings. The coordinated attacks involved ten bombs on four trains in three stations and left 191 people dead. Although raising awareness of vulnerabilities in rail security, it served more to increase awareness across Europe of the need to coordinate counter-terrorism efforts.

---

13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Landmine Action published its first global survey of more than 90 countries and disputed territories that are affected by the explosive remnants of war and anti-vehicle mines contaminate 56. They highlight the problem of cluster bombs. For example, in Iraq more than 2,200 cluster bombs have been found along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and also contaminate some 800 rubbish dumps. Other areas of concern include Kosovo, where 80 percent of casualties are closed by explosive remnants (such as those in 75 cluster bomb sites) rather than mines and anti-vehicle mines that prevent humanitarian aid and free movement in all of Angola's 18 provinces.
http://www.landmineaction.org/

The World Health Organization has gathered further data on avian influenza cases. Particular scrutiny is being given to cases in Vietnam after the 14th death this year and indications that original tests missed several cases, including person-to-person transmission. A report in Canada warns that avian influenza could be used in a bioterrorism attack.

New analysis reveals that the deadliest form of malaria is twice as prevalent as previously thought, infecting 500 million worldwide.

---

14. Recently Published

Jessica Blank and Erik Jensen, "Living Justice: Freedom, Love, and the Making of The Exonerated" Atria

Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, "The Smallpox Vaccination Program: Public Health in an Age of Terrorism" National Academies Press
http://www.nap.edu/books/0309095921/html/

Victor Cherkashin with Gregory Feifer, "Spy Handler: Memoir of a KGB Officer" Basic

John Nichols, editor, "Against the Beast", Nation Books

David Rieff, "At the Point of a Gun: Democratic Dreams and Armed Intervention" Simon and Schuster

Sina Temple-Raston, "Justice on the Grass: Three Rwandan Journalists, Their Trial for War Crimes, and a Nation's Quest for Redemption" Free Press

---

FEATURE ARTICLE: Human Rights Reports

There is a high correlation between human rights abuses and countries associated with political violence and terrorism. Non-governmental organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch issue regular reports that assess performance against international human rights conventions and norms. Governments may also assess human rights conditions. For example, the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office reports on government activities and policies to address human rights challenges around the world. In the US, the State Department produces annual reports required by Congress that are used as the basis for many policy decisions regarding international relations, including humanitarian aid. weapons trading, and so on.

On February 28 "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004" was released. Introducing the publication, Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, emphasized Bush administration policies to promote "a forward strategy of freedom" and "put dictators and corrupt officials on notice that they are being watched by the civilized world, and that there are consequences for their actions". She continued her introduction by focusing on the themes of promoting democracy and freedom as advocated in Bush's second inaugural address and State of the Union message. She said, "In much of the broader Middle East, people are increasingly conscious of the freedom deficit in the region and eager to taste the freedom and liberties that are being enjoyed elsewhere. If freedom and democracy work in Muslim nations like Indonesia, Turkey, Afghanistan and Iraq, why should they not be the norm in Iran, Libya, Syria and Saudi Arabia?".

The report covers 196 countries. Of these, 114 countries are described as "generally respecting" human rights/

Over half of African countries were described as having poor human rights records. Sudan came in for strong criticism, that government forces and government-backed militias "routinely killed, injured, and displaced civilians, and destroyed clinics and dwellings intentionally during offensive operations.... There were confirmed reports that government--supported militia also intentionally attacked civilians, looted their possessions, and destroyed their villages".

Robert Mugabe's government in Zimbabwe was criticized for "A systematic, government-sanctioned campaign of violence targeting supporters and perceived supporters of the opposition...". Furthermore, "Security forces, government-sanctioned youth militias, and ruling party supporters tortured, raped and otherwise abused persons perceived to be associated with the opposition; some persons died from their injuries". The government also "promoted widespread resentment against the white minority".

The Great Lakes countries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda are closing years of ethnic violence and civil war but abuse of human rights are "almost routine" and include widespread use of child soldiers as well as rape as a weapon of war. Ivory Coast was accused of government death squads responsible for "extrajudicial killings and disappearances" while rebels were accused of similar atrocities and mass graves in the northern areas under their control.

Reviewing Central and South American countries, only Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and the Dominican Republic were cited for "poor" human rights records. Dobriansky called Cuba "a blight on the stunning advancement of freedom worldwide".

Most ASEAN countries were charged with rights abuses. Indonesian security forces were connected with murder, torture, rape and arbitrary detention, especially in separatist Aceh and West Papua provinces. Burma's military junta was accused of killing political opponents and detaining thousands without trial. North Korea's "repressive regime" was also taken to task for extrajudicial killings, disappearances, and as many as 200,000 people held in political detention camps.

China came in for the most criticism, dominating 153 pages of the report. Dobriansky said "China's human rights conduct remains one of the top concerns of the U.S. Government. Throughout China and notably in Tibet, affronts to the dignity of human life abound".

In Europe, about a fifth of countries were graded with poor human rights records. It was most critical of Russia, where "government pressure continued to weaken freedom of expression in the media, that the killing of civilians in Chechnya continued unabated, and that there are credible reports that law enforcement personnel engaged in torture, violence, and other brutal or humiliating treatment, often with impunity". It also cited concerns that "Greater restrictions on the media, a compliant Duma, shortcomings in recent national elections, law enforcement corruption and political pressure on the judiciary also raised concerns about the erosion of government accountability".

Changes in the Middle East were held up as examples of successful US policy, but even US allies came in for significant criticism. Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria were among those criticized for torture and abuse of prisoners, although the US policy of rendition sends suspected terrorists to these countries for interrogation. In Iran the report says human rights had deteriorated, citing summary executions, disappearances, torture, amputation, flogging, and restrictions of speech, religion and the press. Israel came in for limited criticism focused on prisoner abuse, detention conditions, discrimination and human trafficking.

During 2004 Iraq was under US occupation until the US-supported interim government came into place in June. Iraq was one of the countries that "generally respected" human rights but cited "serious problems" including extrajudicial killings, torture, rape, and illegal detention.

Most South Asian countries were also criticized. Afghanistan's record was rated as poor though improving. India was cited for extrajudicial killings by security forces. There were improvements in Pakistan although "serious problems" remained. These include honor killings and child trafficking as well as "killings linked to sectarian, religious extremist, and terrorist groups". Bangladesh received strong criticism for killings and other abuses undertaken by security forces and their allies, as well as for attacks against journalists. Nepal was singled out for the lack of parliamentary elections and use of "arbitrary and unlawful lethal force" by security forces. (King Gyanendra's seizure of power occurred after the period the report covers.)

Human rights organizations responded with comments on human rights abuses in the US, use of double standards, particularly relating to torture, detention, and detainee abuse.

Governments criticized in the report had similar responses. Some, like Ethiopia, denied the charges. Venezuela and Mexico said that the US was not qualified and did not possess the moral authority to pass judgment on others.

China expressed great dissatisfaction with the report and accused the US of double standards, then backed its own position with a report on human rights in the US. China's report opens with "the atrocity of US troops abusing Iraqi POWs exposed the dark side of human rights performance of the United States. The scandal shocked humanity and was condemned by the international community. It is quite ironic that on Feb. 28 of this year, the State Department of the United States once again posed as 'the world human rights police' and released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2004. As in previous years, the reports pointed fingers at human rights situations in more than 190 countries and regions (including China) but kept silent on US misdeeds in this field ".

This report cites violations of life, liberty and security of a person such as rampant violent crime including high homicide rates; abuse by law enforcement and in prisons and large prison populations including mothers. It points to an electoral system that is "in fact a contest of money" and in which fabricated information and a hypocritical press are common. Looking at economic, social and cultural rights it criticizes the US refusal to ratify the international convention and that "Poverty, hunger and homelessness have haunted the world's richest country", where average family incomes are declining. The report cites deeply rooted racism that permeates society. It cites high rates of abuse of women and children, even in the military and at schools, and points to the infringement of rights of foreign nationals.

The report affirms that "It is the common goal and obligation for all countries in the world to promote and safeguard human rights. No country in the world can claim itself as perfect and has no room for improvement in the human rights area. And no country should exclude itself from the international human rights development process, or view itself as the incarnation of human rights which can reign over other countries and give orders to the others". Then concludes that the US should focus on fixing its own problems rather than censuring other countries and begetting opposition from the international community.

The complete reports and additional resources are available here:

---

HOW TO CONTACT US:

Please contact us with your questions or comments by sending email to .

We look forward to hearing from you.
Editorial Team
TerrorismCentral
All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2005 by TerrorismCentral.