Amnesty: US Must Begin Criminal Investigation of Torture
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ISSUE 46 (176) • 18 – 24 NOVEMBER 2010 • €3 • WWW.HELSINKITIMES.FI DOMESTIC INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LIFESTYLE EAT & DRINK Newspaper Suu Kyi Employers Helsinki Classic gatekeeper finally take the on the Russian interviewed released initiative cheap cuisine page 4 page 7 pages 8 page 13 page 16 LEHTIKUVA / KEVIN LAMARQUE One custody dispute can cost the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of euros STT bitration over the implementation of MATTHEW PARRY – HT court rulings, and evaluations of par- ticipants’ mental state, for example. CUSTODY disputes are expensive, Parents can trigger a custody dis- and it is often the taxpayer who ends pute on quite limited and even spu- up footing the bill. A single protract- rious grounds. Protracted custody ed custody dispute costs a minimum disputes often wreak havoc on a of tens of thousands of euros, ac- child’s well-being. “When a child is cording to a study commissioned by forced to divide her life between two the Central Union for Child Welfare. parents whom she loves but who are In some cases, costs can snowball in the throes of a bitter dispute, her to as much as hundreds of thousands normal development is stunted and of euros. The longer the process drags she loses her joy of living,” comments on, the larger the bill at the end of it. director Heikki Koiso-Kanttila of Guantánamo Bay is the most notorious of the locations where “enhanced interrogation techniques” have been used. Expenses are incurred in the form the Central Union for Child Welfare. of court sessions, social worker inves- tigations into family conditions, ar- See page 3 for a related article. Amnesty: US must begin Report: Rise in number criminal investigation of torture HELSINKI TIMES says Claudio Cordone, senior director solitary confi nement in secret lo- of temporary jobs “a myth” at Amnesty International. cations, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed “His admissions also highlight was transferred to military custody HELSINKI TIMES The report states that there is a AMNESTY International has urged a once again the absence of account- in Guantánamo, where he and Abu clear and positive correlation be- criminal investigation into the role of ability for the crimes under interna- Zubayhdah remain held without tri- tween productivity and workplace former US President George W. Bush tional law of torture and enforced al, along with more than 150 others. “WORKING life has not deterio- well-being. Consequently, problems and other offi cials in the use of “en- disappearance committed by the Water-boarding was far from rated, temporary jobs are no more coping at work cannot be put down hanced interrogation techniques” US.” In his memoirs, Bush focused the only technique alleged to have common nor has working life to increased productivity. against detainees held in secret US on the cases of two detainees held been used against detainees held changed too much but rather too The report adds that Finns are sat- custody after the former president in the secret programme. in the secret programme that vio- little,” claims Tuomo Alasoini in a isfi ed with their work and young peo- admitted authorising their use. Abu Zubaydah was held at var- lated the international prohibition report for the Finnish Business and ple are still keen to enter working life. In his memoirs, published on 9 ious undisclosed locations from of torture and other cruel, inhuman Policy Forum EVA released on 16 Finnish working life is undergoing a November, and in an interview on April 2002 to September 2006. In or degrading treatment. Other tech- November. major transition as employees, work NBC News broadcast the day be- August 2002, he was subjected to niques included prolonged nudi- Entitled Mainettaan parempi työ culture and job descriptions change. fore, the former president con- “water-boarding” in which water is ty, exposure to cold temperatures, – Kymmenen väitettä työelämästä But the report also rejects the claim fi rmed his personal involvement in used to begin the process of drown- physical assaults, prolonged use of (“Work that is better than its rep- that working life has changed too authorising “water-boarding” and ing, more than 80 times. shackles and sleep deprivation. utation – Ten theses about work- much and that this has undermined other techniques against “high val- Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was “Under international law, an- ing life”), the report dismisses the coping at work and job satisfaction. ue detainees.” arrested on 1 March 2003 in Paki- yone involved in torture must be notion that Finland has become the According to the report, dissatisfac- “Under international law, the for- stan and transferred to secret CIA brought to justice, and that does not promised land of fi xed-term con- tion is better explained by the fact mer president’s admission to having custody. That same month he was exclude former President George W. tracts. The length of time Finns that work has changed too little, giv- authorised acts that amount to torture “water-boarded” 183 times, accord- Bush,” said Claudio Cordone. “In the spend with a single employer has en that it has failed to keep pace with are enough to trigger the USA’s obliga- ing to a report by the CIA Inspec- absence of a US investigation, oth- grown since the 1980s, and is now the rising expectations of a better ed- tions to investigate his admissions and tor General. After three and a half er states must step in and carry out among Europe’s longest. ucated workforce. if substantiated, to prosecute him,” years being held incommunicado in such an investigation themselves.” 29.9.10 –9.1.11 Katja Tukiainen GOOD HEAVENS! Tue, Fri-Sun 11-18, Wed-Thurs 11-20 I Free entrance Wed-Thurs 18-20 Ahertajantie 5, Tapiola, Espoo I www.emma.museum I Busses from Kamppi, Helsinki: 106, 110 2 18 – 24 NOVEMBER 2010 Q & A HELSINKI TIMES this militant or this terrorist Q: If a legitimate political has been killed, keep a scep- group gets involved in killing tical attitude. random people, does it quali- fy them to be named as a ter- Q: In one chapter you inter- rorist organisation? view Mohsen Sazegara, a A: Both Hamas and Hezbol- former member of Iran’s Rev- lah have used terrorist tac- olutionary Guards. What’s tics, no question about it. your take on this military The Israeli government has organisation? used terrorist tactics against A: There is no question that Lebanese and Palestinians; I the Iranian government has think there is no doubt about Reese Erlich is a best-selling author and freelance journalist. engaged in terrorist tactics. that. For example, they assassi- But Hamas and Hezbol- nated some Kurdish leaders lah are very different than of the KDP in Germany; that al Qaeda. [The latter] has a is a classic terrorist attack borderless campaign that outside its borders. they want to carry out and I make a distinction be- they are not part of any na- tween that and a legitimate tional liberation movement group that is fi ghting for in- and they put terrorism at the dependence or liberation of core of their beliefs and tac- some form of occupation. If tics. That’s not the case for they are supporting groups Hezbollah and Hamas. And “There is no war on terrorism” inside Iraq or in Afghani- the US knows it, actually. stan that doesn’t automati- cally qualify for calling them Q: What is your assessment “The US intentionally confuses al Qaeda with other groups around the world fighting for terrorist, depending on what of the Taliban in Afghani- they are doing. stan, where you interviewed their independence or liberation, but it’s [just] a convenient way to whip up support and get the former Taliban leader, people very afraid,” says author and journalist Reese Erlich. Q: How about Hamas and Malamo Nazamy? Hezbollah? A: Nezamy saw the Taliban A: I spent some time with as a legitimate liberation OMID MEMARIAN such as Bashar Al-Assad and those who are being accused anese agent to kill him. And both of those groups. Politi- group that was bringing sta- IPS Khaled Meshal, for example,” of being a terrorist or sup- this is all revealed in Bob cally, I strongly disagree with bility, Islamic law and justice says Erlich. “They are very porting them? Woodward’s book called Veil. them and make it clear that to Afghanistan. He certainly BASED on original research widely accused of being ei- A: The theme of the book is We confi rmed it with Fad- they’ve done some horrifi c wouldn’t consider himself a and fi rsthand interviews, ther terrorists or state spon- to get people to look at who lallah in the interview. It’s a things. If I were Lebanese or terrorist. He was the head of Reese Erlich’s new book Con- sors of terrorism in the United is accused of being a terror- very well-documented case Palestinian I would not vote Afghan radio and TV and he versations with Terrorists States.” ist or might be considered that was reported at the time. for them in the elections, I refused the demand of oth- draws fresh portraits of six Critiquing these re- being a terrorist, and what In 1985, an agent working for would vote for other people er Taliban leaders to destroy controversial leaders: Syrian sponses and synthesising a do they really stand for and the CIA blew up an apartment that want to see progressive the country’s TV archives President Bashar Al-Assad, wide range of material, Er- what’s really going on in their building where Ayatollah Fad- political development in both and he is very well known for Hamas top leader Khaled lich, the co-author of Target countries.