The human rights group Amnesty International issued its annual report on human rights and reserved sharp criticism for the United States. Particular ire was raised over the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba which Amnesty International described as 'the gulag of our times.'
The report went as far as to say that American leaders may face prosecution in international courts for the mistreatment of prisoners. 'The apparent high-level architects of torture should think twice before planning their next vacation to places like Acapulco or the French Riviera because they may find themselves under arrest,' said Amnesty's U.S. director William Schultz.
The United States was singled out for its poor human rights record by Amnesty. 'When the most powerful country in the world thumbs its nose at the rule of law and human rights, it grants a license to others to commit abuse with impunity and audacity,' said Amnesty Secretary General Irene Khan in London at a news conference to announce the release of the 308-page annual report.
The report called for the closing of the prison at Guantanamo Bay and asked for an independent investigation into the alleged abuse and torture of prisoners in American custody in Iraq and Afghanistan.
White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan called the allegations of widespread abuse 'ridiculous' before adding 'We hold people accountable when there's abuse. We take steps to prevent it from happening again.'
The report was based on information obtained by Amnesty about the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and from interviews with former inmates in American custody at Guantanamo Bay and other facilities.
During the Cold War, the United States always emphasized that one of the important differences between the free world and the communist world was the way the West treated prisoners and protected their individual rights. Now that the finger of blame is pointed squarely at Washington, it will be interesting to see what, if any, action the Bush administration will take to rectify the issues raised by Amnesty International.
