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> > >Press Release >To: All News Editors >Embargo: For Immediate Release > > >War Crimes in Afghanistan > > > >The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948 after >several years of discussions and negotiations. As far as >implementation is concerned the declaration has largely remained >merely a declaration and does not appear to be a binding legal >document. In fact it has become a political instrument for the US to >demonise weaker countries by showing up areas of so called "human >rights abuses" with a view to then intervening militarily to further >its own political and economic interests in a region. > >Let us review the current war in Afghanistan and go back in time to >the events of the 11th September 2001. Within an hour of the WTC >attacks, CNN had already named Osama Bin Laden as the prime suspect. >This was even before an investigation could have been started. When >I switched to eTV the headline was "The Usual Suspect" The attack on >the WTC was a horrendous crime from several perspectives: > >Firstly it caused the deaths of 5000 innocent civilians and has been >condemned worldwide for that. Secondly and as important it would >provide motivation for the US to launch an attack on several >thousand other innocent civilians who had nothing to do with the >attack. Thirdly it would lead to further attacks by the US against >other countries which it believed were guilty of "terror" to carry >out its economic and strategic interests in the middle east region >and to maintain a military presence there. > >� If one investigates a crime the first question one asks is >who has benefited from the crime. Have the Muslim peoples of the >world benefited from this crime? The answer is no. In fact this >crime has caused more harm to Muslims and especially the cause of >the Palestinian people than any other single event in recent world >history. If we then see who has benefited most from this crime we >find that Israel and the United States were at a low ebb in >international world opinion at the end of the World Conference on >Racism when the US and Israel decided to walk out of the conference >when Zionism was declared equal to racism. After the Sept 11 attacks >we find that Israel is able to intensify its attacks against the >people of Palestine calling it an attack against terror. The US >president is more popular now than at any time since his marginal >election several months ago. > >The US has allocated 7000 full time FBI and CIA agents to determine >who was responsible for these attacks and despite the fact that they >have arrested 1100 people without laying formal charges against them >and there are indications that many have been denied their basic >civil rights they still have not been able to prove their case >against Osama Bin Laden. In fact it is interesting that one >journalist declared that there is stronger evidence against the US >for having committed war crimes in Afghanistan when we look at the >massacre of 400 - 500 Taliban prisoners of war than the case which >the US has against Osama Bin Laden. > >It is clear from opinions which we have seen from experts on >International Criminal Law that the war on Afghanistan is illegal. >The United States has not been authorized to use force by the UN >Security Council and its claim to be acting in self defense simply >does not apply here. The claim of acting in self defence only >applies if the danger is imminent. In this case there is no imminent >danger. > >The correct response of course to the current atrocities is for the >US to have followed due process and the rule of law. In terms of the >Universal Declaration of Human Rights of which the US is a >signatory, a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a >court of law. > >US Human Rights Violations in the War on Afghanistan. > >Let us tabulate the US Human Rights Violations in its war on Afghanistan > >Firstly it needs to prove its case in an International Court of Law >such as the International Court of Justice or even in the Belgium >Courts which also have universal jurisdiction. It is interesting >that the Taliban did agree to hand over Osma Bin Laden if they were >provided proof. The US contemptuously rejected this offer of the >Taliban. The Taliban have never been guilty of terrorist attacks and >have always called for peace. > >The Taliban made a second offer 10 days into the bombing offering to >hand over Osma Bin Laden to an International Court which was neutral >( which was a fair request in terms of international norms and in >terms of ensuring justice ). This offer too was rejected out of hand >and Bush declared that he would not negotiate with the Taliban. Bush >in fact changed the goal posts when the Taliban offered to hand over >Osma Bin Laden. Bush said that he wanted the surrender of the entire >Al Quada Network together with all their supporters. This statement >was so vague but all encompassing that it could mean virtually >anything that George Bush wanted it to mean making it impossible for >the Taliban to comply. > >Secondly we note that the war on Afghanistan has not been authorized >by the UN Security Council and is a clear violation of International >Law which is being conducted without any regard for the norms which >would apply in a conventional war which was justified. Remember this >war is unjustified and is also not conventional. It is an act of >aggression which is totally contrary to the founding principles of >the UN Charter and the principles of the United Nations. The >question which then has to be asked is if the UN Security Council >has not specifically authorized the use of force in Afghanistan why >is the United Nations ( of which South Africa is a member State ) >silent on this flagrant violation of International Law? Aside from >various Human Rights Organisations and informed intellectuals and >some progressive journalists the mainstream media seems to be >largely silent about the massacres and daily mass murder rape and >slaughter taking place in Afghanistan as a result of US aggression >in the region. > >Thirdly the Geneva Convention specifies that starvation of civilian >populations may not be used during times of war. The continuous >aerial bombardment in Afghanistan has seriously disrupted the supply >of food aid to Afghanistan. It is widely accepted that 7.5 million >Afgans are in danger of starvation as a direct result of the >interruption of food supplies which have to be stock piled before >the onset of winter. The Urgent Appeal and Ultimatum to the US and >its allies by the Human Rights Foundation three weeks ago to call a >ceasefire to the bombing has been ignored proving that the US and >UK's statement that they had no intention to cause harm to civilians >is a blatant lie. The US even went to the ludicrous extent of >dropping yellow food parcels which had the same color as the yellow >cluster bombs causing confusion in the minds of children who were >hungry for food. Was that yellow object a food parcel or a cluster >bomb waiting to explode.? It seemed like a macabre game of American >"trick or treat" . In any event the number of food parcels were so >small compared to the disruption caused by the aerial bombing that >it was clear that this was a primitive PR exercise on the part of >the US and its allies. > >Fourthly the Geneva Convention does not allow the harming of >civilians in times of war. The fact that the US has used cluster >bombs which are composite bombs which on explosion release a further >200 bomblets over a wide area demonstrates that the US has no >respect for civilian lives. Various Human Rights Organisations have >called for an Immediate International Moratorium on the use of >cluster bombs which kill indiscriminately. However we hear senior US >officials proclaim that "Our intention is to kill" The use of Daisy >Cutters as a weapon of mass destruction is further conclusive >evidence that the US is in clear violation of the Geneva Convention >about the prohibition of attacks on civilians. The Daisy Cutter is >the most powerful bomb just short of a nuclear weapon. It destroys >every living thing in a 3 km radius and destroys everything in its >path. It can be used to create a instant helicopter landing pad in >densely populated jungle. It was used with great psychological >impact by the US military upon Iraqi soldiers who were told by loud >hailers "Either you give up or we will kill you with the most >powerful bomb in the world" Those soldiers who did not give up had >no second chance when the bomb was dropped causing instant >devastation and destruction and it caused a massive plume in the sky >very similar to that caused by a nuclear weapon. Why is the media >silent about this usage of a weapon of mass destruction? Surely they >are aware of these or do their journalists not know of the usage of >cluster bombs and daisy cutters? Why are other Human Rights >organizations and NGOs in South Africa silent on the atrocities >committed in Afghanistan? Why is the South African government which >is a member of the United Nations which has not authorized these >attacks also silent? History will judge those who remained silent >while shameful atrocities were committed as tacit acceptance of the >atrocities. > > >Fifthly the Geneva Convention does not allow prisoners of war to be >summarily executed. But this is precisely what has happened in >Afghanistan and under the enthusiastic prodding by none other than >Donald Rumsfeld who is quoted as saying that no quarter should be >given to troops who wished to surrender and that they should rather >be killed. He has been severely criticized for this statement which >has probably directly resulted in the summary execution of 160 >Taliban prisoners in one area and also the slaughter of 500 Taliban >prisoners of war at the Qala-i-Janghi prison fortress many of whom >had their hands tied behind their backs. This gruesome atrocity has >been regarded as a defining moment in this so called war on terror >which is nothing more than crimes of war on people of Afghanistan in >total violations of the Geneva Convention as well as International >Human Rights Law. Jerry White stated "the bloodbath in >Mazar-i-Sharif was a massacre, directed and chiefly carried out by >the US-a war crime recalling such atrocities as the Nazi slaughters >of World War II and the My Lai Massacre." He goes on further to >state "There is little doubt that similar massacres are taking place >in the south of Afghanistan, where US Marines have begun a search >and destroy mission in Kandahar, the Taliban's last stronghold. Gul >Agha, a senior commander with ethnic Pashtun forces in southern >Afghanistan, said Wednesday that 160 captured Taliban fighters who >refused to surrender were executed with machine guns before the eyes >of US military personnel, according to a Reuters news dispatch." > >The International Committee of the Red Cross declared that the US >had a moral obligation to abide by the full terms of the Geneva >Convention, which mandates the humane treatment of prisoners of war. >Amnesty International called for a full investigation into the >incident with a view investigating the role of Northern Alliance, >British and US forces in the incident. > >The US and its allies have been shown in their actions not to be the >defenders of human rights and peace but the ones responsible for the >most gruesome violations of human rights in recent history. The sad >thing is that the mainstream media does not even protest when these >gross violations of human rights takes place. The media does not >even protest when the Geneva Convention is violated. It does not >even protest when the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is >violated. Does the lack of media protest have anything to do with >the fact that they are Afghan lives and not American lives? Is this >not another form of racism? The media does not even protest when >the bombing disrupts the food supply to 7.5 million Afghans who will >die of starvation if the bombs do not kill them first. It does not >even protest when the US destroys a country and creates total chaos >when the entire population is in a state of panic where innocent >millions of people have nowhere to go because the borders are >sealed. Where they have no food to eat and are slowly starving to >death. When the bombs which will destroy their homes and families >will be the only relief from the misery and when the bombs may in >fact be preferable to the slow painful deaths caused by starvation >or the slow humiliating painful existence caused to women who are >captured as slaves for the Northern Alliance gangsters who have >already started their campaign of summary executions of men and the >rape of the women of Afghanistan. At least when the Taliban ruled >they ensured that the rule of law was protected and although their >rule was strict to prevent the chaos which now reigns in Afghanistan >they ruled with integrity and honor and did not allow rape of women >and summary executions. They also banned the production of the >poppy. The US has now replaced the Taliban with a gang of murderers >and drug lords who rape innocent women and who have no hesitation in >summarily executing their opponents. Why is the media silent on the >rapes which are taking place against the women since the Northern >Alliance has taken control in the recent past. Why is the >international media silent about the fact that the Northern Alliance >have already permitted the growing of the poppy ( with full >knowledge of the US ) which was previously banned by the Taliban? >The US and its allies are politically directly accountable for the >actions of the Northern Alliance. Bush and Blair have the blood of >thousands of innocent civilians who die from either the bombing >campaign, the starvation due to disruption of food supply or summary >executions and rape committed by their new allies "The Northern >Alliance" who have a history of being responsible for the deaths of >up to 50 000 people the last time they had control of parts of >Afghanistan. > >Can the US and its allies claim to have won this war? In my mind the >US and its allies have lost the war since they has acted >dishonorably and clearly against the spirit and intention of the >Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They have acted against the >Geneva Convention and if an investigation is held it may well find >that the US and its allies are guilty of horrendous war crimes. In >the meanwhile the "crime" which is being committed locally is that >the mainstream media are silent on these atrocities. We are daily >being fed the US propaganda about what the "war against terror" is >supposed to achieve. > >Contact person Dr. M. Adam >Chairman: Human Rights Foundation Contact Details >Cell 082 896 3171 Office (012) 336-6000 ext 6425 Fax >(012) 374-1406 or (012) 322-0186 ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9WB2D Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
