WP12/02:Human rights group says Bush must clarify torture not U.S. policy

[TruthIsAll]

It goes back to 2002. Did Bush respond to the Human Rights Watch letter?

What did he know and when did he know it: At least this much in 2002, that's for sure. What did he do about it?

Human rights group says Bush must clarify torture not U.S. policy
Last Updated Fri, 27 Dec 2002 17:33:01

NEW YORK - Human rights campaigners are urging the United States to investigate allegations that suspected al-Qaeda and Taliban detainees are being tortured.

New York-based Human Rights Watch has written a letter to U.S. President George W. Bush. The group says immediate steps must be taken "to clarify that the use of torture is not U.S. policy."
The group says that otherwise the Bush administration risks criminal prosecution.

On Thursday, The Washington Post reported that interrogators from the CIA had been subjecting Taliban and al-Qaeda suspects to "stress and duress" techniques of dubious legality. These include being forced into uncomfortable positions for hours in black hoods, as well as sleep deprivation.

The Post claims some of those who refuse to co-operate are handed over to foreign governments that are known to practise torture. "The allegations made by The Washington Post put the United States on notice that acts of torture may be taking place with U.S. participation or complicity," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "That places a heightened duty on senior Bush administration officials to take preventive steps immediately."

[TruthIsAll]

1. This is not an aberration; it is POLICY

TIA