U.S. war on terror viewed as excuse to violate rights, Amnesty International says

According to a recently-issued Amnesty International report, the U.S. war on terror has led to a worldwide erosion of rights, The Associated Press reported today.

Amnesty International Secretary-General Irene Khan noted that the behavior of the United States and its allies has allowed other countries to violate human rights in the spirit of fighting terrorism.

“One of the biggest blows to human rights has been the attempt of Western democratic states to roll back some fundamental principles of human rights - like the prohibition of torture,” Khan told AP before the release of her organization’s global human rights report.

The report suggests that the U.S. response to international terrorism has done more to create distrust between Muslims and non-Muslims than to eradicate extremism. The ongoing policy of extraordinary rendition was specifically criticized.

“If we focus on the U.S. it's because we believe that the U.S. is a country whose enormous influence and power has to be used constructively,” Khan pointed out. “When countries like the U.S. are seen to undermine or ignore human rights, it sends a very powerful message to others.”

For the full article, click here.

For access to the full Amnesty International report, click here.