United States escapes scrutiny at UN human rights forum

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040422/pl_afp/un_rights_cuba_us_040422140750

United States escapes scrutiny at UN human rights forum

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GENEVA (AFP) - The United States escaped unprecedented scrutiny at the UN's top human rights forum after Cuba decided against forcing a vote on alleged rights abuses at a US naval base in Guantanamo Bay.

But in a stinging attack, Cuban ambassador Jorge Ivan Mora Godoy accused Washington of blackmailing members of the United Nations (news - web sites)' Commission on Human Rights with citizens in the US detention camp on Cuba into rejecting the draft resolution.

The US delegation was due to hold a news conference at 4:30 pm (1430 GMT).

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Godoy accused the United States of "threatening and blackmailing" countries with nationals detained at the notorious naval base.

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Tens of thousands killed in an illegal war with a country that wasn't at war with ANYBODY.

And the USA just bully their way around the truth.

More from the Article:

Washington warned that "if they cast a vote in favour of the Cuban resolution ... they would prevent or hamper the contacts with, the release or transfer of those people," the Cuban ambassador claimed.

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Regardless of the motive for tabling the resolution, Joanna Weschler, a spokeswoman for Human Rights Watch, said she agreed with the points it raised.

"We are disappointed that this resolution was withdrawn," she told AFP.


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Cuba's ambassador said the inability at the Commission to query Washington's human rights record at Guantanamo confirmed that certain member states were more interested in vested political interests than protecting human rights.

"We can see the fear of western countries and some Latin American countries, a fear to confront the fascist practices of the United States administration because they fear reprisals," Godoy said.
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And the bully wins again

So "Who's terrorizing who?"

(sigh)