SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

UNCLAS ABU DHABI 000396 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ARP; NEA/PPD; NEA/RA; INR/R/MR; PA; INR/NESA; INR/B; RRU-NEA IIP/G/NEA-SA WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE; NSC SECDEF FOR OASD/PA USCINCCENT FOR POLAD LONDON FOR ERELI E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: IIP KMDR TC SUBJECT: SPECIAL MEDIA REACTION: U.S. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 1.Summary: Under the headline "America and Human Rights" UAE's largest Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" strongly criticized America's violations in Guantanamo, Abu Gharib, the flying prisons, the State Department's HRR and Washington's intention not to join the Human Right Council simply to defend Israel. The editorial described the act as covering obscenity with chastity, noting that the international community can no longer stand these violations. End Summary. ¶2. Under the headline "America and Human Rights", Sharjah-based Arabic daily "Al-Khaleej" (circulation 90,000) editorialized: "In its annual Human Rights Report, the U.S. condemned Iraq and Afghanistan for human rights violations in those nations, and at the same time declared its decision not to attend the UN Human Rights Council. According to Washington this organization has lost its credibility through its repetitive attacks against Israel. It is odd. The U.S. has the guts to issue a report on human rights violations after all it did in Guantanamo, the flying prisons, Abu Gharib and other areas. It also wants to rid itself of the responsibility of human rights in Iraq and Afghanistan. It seeks to erase human rights violations simply because it violated all principle of human rights beginning with the sanctions imposed on the Iraqi people, its occupation of that nation and the practices it pursues there. All of these are major violations and those responsible must be accountable and put on international trial." "Washington cannot deny its responsibility in Iraq, even though this was not carried out by its troop, because America is an occupation force and is obliged by the international law for everything that happens there. It covered obscenity with chastity when it comes to human rights by concealing Israelis crimes in Palestine. It is not Israel that must be condemned, but the council of human rights that reveals its crimes. The American position stems from the low moral standards and the weak political position that is isolating it from the world community. This explains the U.S. rejection to join the council for it does not have the power to influence any decisions issued. The world community does not enjoy seeing America and Israel's violations of international laws and human rights." SISON